Aiexpress – In a crucial breakthrough in the case of the Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation Bloods Gang (“Gorilla Stone”), U.S. District Judge Philip M. Halpern sentenced Brandon Soto, commonly known as “Stacks,” to 35 years in prison. Soto was sentenced in connection with his leadership role in the gang, which included racketeering, supplying a handgun to a child, and a conspiracy to conduct arson. The punishment is a critical step toward holding people accountable for their involvement in violent criminal activity.
Soto’s sentencing comes after he pleaded guilty on October 27, 2022, admitting to plotting and arranging the murder of Jalani Jones, who was 15 at the time. Soto ordered a fellow gang member, who was a teenager at the time, to carry out the murder and provided him with the gun and instructions. On September 21, 2020, in broad daylight and with small children present, the gunman fatally shot Jalani Jones in the head while obeying Soto’s orders. Soto then took steps to avoid identification, including setting fire to the car used in the murder and ordering the deletion of related social media profiles.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams denounced Soto’s acts, emphasizing the severity of the murder and the gang’s extensive illegal activity. Dwight Reid, also known as “Dick Wolf,” founded the Gorilla Stone gang, which is well-known for its violence and has a national presence. Soto, who advanced to the gang’s senior ranks, actively participated in its illegal operation, which included drug distribution and violence.
Soto’s brutality went beyond the death of Jalani Jones; he viciously assaulted another person, recorded the crime, and gleefully posted it on social media. Soto’s sentencing demonstrates law enforcement’s dedication to combating violent gangs and holding their leaders accountable for their acts.
In addition to his prison sentence, Soto, 26, of the Bronx, New York, received three years of supervised release.
All 21 defendants in the Gorilla Stone case before Judge Halpern have been convicted, with 14 already sentenced and seven awaiting sentencing. Donovan Gillard, Naya Austin, and Brinae Thornton were among those sentenced, each receiving substantial prison terms for their roles in the gang’s illicit actions.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force, which included a variety of law enforcement organizations, investigated Gorilla Stone’s illegal enterprise. The United States Attorney’s Office’s White Plains Division, which was under the direction of Assistant US Attorneys Shiva H. Logarajah, David R. Felton, Courtney L. Heavey, and Kathryn Wheelock, prosecuted the case.
Soto’s sentencing serves as a reminder of law enforcement agencies’ joint efforts to dismantle violent criminal organizations and bring their leaders to justice, thereby improving community safety and security.
