LOS ANGELES – A member of the Pueblo Bishops Bloods street gang was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for his role in a racketeering plot that resulted in the death of a young father.
Anthony Gabourel, also known as ‘Bandit,’ 23, of South Los Angeles, was sentenced by United States District Judge S. James Otero for violating the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) in relation to the murder of 24-year-old Francisco Cornelio.
During the sentencing hearing, Judge Otero stated Gabourel and other Pueblo Bishops executed Cornelio, who was minding his own business, simply because ‘he was of Mexican descent.’
A federal jury determined that Gabourel plotted with other members of the Pueblo Bishops to retaliate against a Latino because members of the rival 38th Street Gang had recently shot and killed a member of the Pueblo Bishops.
In papers filed in relation to today’s sentencing hearing, prosecutors asserted that Gabourel and another Pueblo Bishops member, armed with shotguns, ambushed the unarmed Cornelio while he was vacuuming his car with his young son. The Pueblo Bishops shot Cornelio once in the back without saying a word. Federal prosecutors argued to Judge Otero that Gabourel was the shooter.
The incident was unsolved prior to a federal racketeering indictment that was unsealed in August 2010. Gabourel was first tried in state court in relation to the Cornelio murder, but a jury acquitted him in August 2011. Two other men were convicted at trial with Gabourel: Gary White, also known as ‘Big J Killa,’ 47, and Jermaine Hardiman, also known as ‘Lil-J Killa,’ 31.
According to evidence presented at trial, the Pueblo Bishops Bloods street gang has been active in and around the Pueblo Del Rio Housing Projects of Los Angeles for decades. This case is the first federal RICO action in this district alleging that a Bloods or Crips street gang was a racketeering enterprise.
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Violent Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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