Second Gang Member Pleads Guilty To Firearms Offenses And Admits To Participating In Fatal October 2019 Robbery | USAO-SDNY

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that DERRICK CASADO, a/k/a “Big Financial institution,” a/k/a “Papa D,” pled guilty nowadays to conspiring to distribute 28 grams and additional of crack cocaine and utilizing, carrying, possessing, brandishing, and discharging a firearm in relationship with a crime of violence—namely, the Might 17, 2019 capturing of a rival gang member in the vicinity of Sheridan Avenue and Marcy Put in the Bronx.  CASADO was the fourteenth defendant to plead responsible in the case and the next to confess his participation in an October 5, 2019 theft close to 20 East 116th Road in Manhattan, all through which CARLOS ROSARIO, a/k/a “Baby Bottle,” shot and killed Jonathan Rodriguez, who experimented with to intervene in the robbery.  On February 9, 2022, ROSARIO pled responsible to conspiring to dedicate assault with a perilous weapon and murder in a gang-related incident on July 18, 2019, and two counts of discharging a firearm during gang-linked incidents on July 20, 2019 and October 5, 2019.  ROSARIO also admitted his position in causing Rodriguez’s dying.  All of the defendants pled guilty in advance of U.S. District Choose J. Paul Oetken.

According to allegations in the Indictment and Superseding Indictments submitted in this scenario, as perfectly as statements by the Federal government and defense at plea proceedings in this scenario:

Among 2017 and 2019, DARRELL LAWRENCE, a/k/a “Capo,” and DAVON MCCULLOUGH, a/k/a “Yung,” a/k/a “Dayday,” had been leaders and suppliers of a narcotics conspiracy that operated principally on and around East 176th Avenue and Anthony Avenue in the Bronx, as perfectly as in Maine and Virginia.  Quite a few members of the conspiracy—including CASADO and ROSARIO—were also users of the Mac Ballers gang.  Customers of the conspiracy trafficked in sizeable quantities of crack cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and other risky medication and they routinely utilized, carried, and possessed firearms to protect their drug operations and progress their gang passions.  For instance, on May perhaps 17, 2019, CASADO traveled from the area of East 175th Street to Sheridan Avenue around East 169th Avenue and shot at a member of a rival gang who had insulted CASADO’s gang established on social media.  On July 18, 2019, ROSARIO attempted to shoot at other rival gang users in the vicinity of East 178th Avenue and Anthony Avenue and two times later on, on July 20, 2019, ROSARIO fired pictures into the courtyard of an apartment sophisticated at 2000 Valentine Avenue.  Then, on September 13, 2019, MCCULLOUGH drove two co-conspirators to commit a robbery of cannabis at a keep near 2163 Next Avenue in Manhattan, recognizing that at the very least 1 of the robbers would use a gun to dedicate the theft.  For the duration of the ensuing robbery, both of those co-conspirators brandished guns and stole marijuana and proceeds of marijuana profits, between other issues.  On Oct 5, 2019, CASADO, ROSARIO, and a 3rd co-conspirator approached and robbed private property from two persons near 20 East 116th Avenue in Manhattan although ROSARIO brandished a firearm and assaulted a single of the victims with the firearm.  Jonathan Rodriguez attempted to intervene, and as he approached ROSARIO from behind, ROSARIO turned and fired a shot, creating Rodriguez’s dying.

CASADO pled guilty currently to conspiring to distribute 28 grams and far more of crack cocaine and utilizing, carrying, and possessing firearms in connection with a crime of violence, which carry a blended required bare minimum sentence of fifteen several years in jail and a most sentence of lifestyle in jail.  ROSARIO pled guilty to conspiring to commit assault with a hazardous weapon and murder, and two counts of utilizing, carrying, possessing, brandishing, and discharging a firearm for the duration of gang related incidents, which carry a put together mandatory minimum sentence of twenty several years in jail and a most sentence of lifestyle in jail.

Among the other defendants to plead responsible in this circumstance, LAWRENCE pled guilty to conspiring to distribute 280 grams and more of crack cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, oxycodone, and marijuana, which carries a necessary minimal sentence of ten a long time in jail and a highest sentence of everyday living in prison and on February 14, 2022, MCCULLOUGH pled guilty to making use of, carrying, and possessing a firearm in link with a drug trafficking crime making use of, carrying, and possessing a firearm that was brandished in link with a theft on September 13, 2019, and conspiring to retaliate in opposition to a cooperating witness, which have a merged necessary minimum amount sentence of twelve years in jail and a greatest sentence of lifestyle in prison.

The minimum amount and maximum prospective sentences in this circumstance are recommended by Congress and are offered listed here for informational reasons only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be identified by the choose.

ROSARIO is scheduled to be sentenced at 11:30 a.m. on May possibly 26, 2022.  MCCULLOUGH is scheduled to be sentenced at 11:00 a.m. on June 30, 2022.  LAWRENCE is scheduled to be sentenced at 12:00 p.m. on July 12, 2022.  CASADO is scheduled to be sentenced at 11:00 a.m. on Oct 27, 2022.  Every single of the defendants will be sentenced by U.S. District Choose J. Paul Oetken.

Mr. Williams praised the excellent perform of the New York Metropolis Police Department and Section of Homeland Security-Homeland Stability Investigations.

The situation is becoming taken care of by the Office’s Violent and Arranged Crime Device.  Assistant U.S. Lawyers Frank Balsamello, Jamie Bagliebter, and Peter Davis are in cost of the prosecution.