Former NYC high school dean and gang leader sentenced to life in prison for 2010 murder – NBC New York

A former New York high school dean who was also the leader of a violent Bronx street was sentenced to life in prison for killing a man in the street during an internecine battle over drug trafficking. drugs, prosecutors said.

Israel Garcia was sentenced to life plus five years for the murder of Alfonso “Joey” McClinton in October 2010, said Damian Williams, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. The sentencing came less than a year after Garcia, 33, was convicted of a series of offenses, including multiple murder and drug charges, as well as witness tampering and weapons possession .

“Israel Garcia, a former high school dean who could have had a positive impact on our community, will now spend the rest of his life in prison for the brutal murder of Joey McClinton,” Williams said.

Garcia, also known as “Shorty Rock,” was once the leader of Get Money Gunnaz, part of the larger Young Gunnaz street gang, prosecutors said. Garcia led the group for more than a decade, during which time he controlled drug distribution in the area of ​​East 184th Street and Morris Avenue in Fordham Heights, according to court documents.

The armed gang members reportedly engaged in gunfights with rival crews in the area. During one of the shootings, on October 11, 2010, 21-year-old McClinton was shot and killed.

Shortly afterward, gang member Joseph “Juice” Johnson was arrested and later convicted of the killing, prosecutors said, but ballistics and video evidence revealed there was another gunman responsible for the death by McClinton. Based on the evidence and testimony, Garcia was determined to be the second shooter.

Williams said the gang led by Garcia was “at war with Joey McClinton's family for drug turf” in the Bronx, and that the killing helped cement its leadership position and solidify its grip on the trade. drugs in the region.

“For the next decade, Garcia led the GMG YGz's reign of terror over the neighborhood, recruiting children and others into a drug trafficking enterprise that poisoned the community with crack cocaine, heroin and fentanyl, and protecting its drug turf with guns and violence. Over time, Garcia attempted to create the appearance of a law-abiding citizen, becoming the dean of a local high school in order to hide the fact that he was still directing the GMG YGz's violence and drug dealing” , Williams said. “Yesterday, a unanimous jury held Garcia responsible for the brutal murder of Joey McClinton and ruining countless other lives.”

In addition to the murder charges he faced, Garcia was also accused of taking steps to prevent Johnson from identifying him as the other shooter after he feared Johnson would cooperate with police.

Information about Garcia's attorney was not immediately available.