A former high school dean turned ruthless gang leader has been sentenced to life in prison for his role in a brutal 2010 murder, federal authorities announced Tuesday.
Israel Garcia, 33, of the Bronx, was convicted of murder in aid of racketeering, narcotics conspiracy, murder while engaged in a narcotics conspiracy, murder through the use of a firearm, use of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, and attempted witness tampering, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
Garcia, also known as “Shorty Rock,” was the leader of the Get Money Gunnaz set of the Young Gunnaz street gang when he shot and killed Alfonso “Joey” McClinton on a residential street in the Bronx on October 11, 2010, as part of a dispute over narcotics trafficking territory.
“Today’s strong sentence reflects our unwavering commitment to holding those who take another life fully accountable for their heinous crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams.
Garcia was also found guilty of engaging in a conspiracy to distribute narcotics and possessing firearms in connection with narcotics trafficking, according to court filings and evidence presented during the trial.
Judge Jed S. Rakoff imposed the following sentences on each count of conviction: Count One, Murder in Aid of Racketeering, life in prison; Count Two, Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances, 35 years in prison; Count Three, Murder While Engaged in a Narcotics Conspiracy, 40 years in prison; Count Four, Murder Through the Use of a Firearm, 40 years in prison; Count Five, Possession of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime, five years in prison; and Count Six, Attempted Witness Tampering, 10 years in prison.
The sentences on Counts One, Two, Three, Four, and Six will run concurrently, while the sentence on Count Five will run consecutively to all other sentences, resulting in a total sentence of life plus five years in prison for Garcia.
“I commend the career prosecutors of this Office and our law enforcement partners for doggedly pursuing this case and for bringing justice to Joey McClinton, nearly 14 years after his death,” Williams added.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the New York City Police Department, the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Marshals Service as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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