Two Bronx men convicted in 2014 Harlem murder

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Federal prosecutors announced May 29 that two Bronx men were convicted in the 2014 murder of a Harlem man. Damian Williams, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said Carlos Laureano, 35, had was sentenced on May 23 to 30 years in prison for the murder of Luis Perez on August 12, 2014, and Nnandi Ben-Jochannan, 30 years old. , was sentenced on May 29 to 10 years in prison for his role in the murder.

Prosecutors said both defendants were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman, with Laureano previously pleading guilty in October 2023 to discharging a firearm and possessing a firearm in connection with a traffic offense drug. They said Ben-Jochannan, meanwhile, pleaded guilty in December 2023 to possessing a firearm that they said was brandished in connection with a drug trafficking offense, and to aiding and encouraged it.

Reacting to the conviction, Williams said: “Carlos Laureano and Nnandi Ben-Jochannan participated in the murder of Luis Perez almost 10 years ago in connection with a drug debt. Thanks to the hard work of the DEA, the NYPD, and this office's career prosecutors, the defendants were convicted of this heinous crime. We hope that these convictions will bring some comfort to Luis Perez's family and make clear that this office and our law enforcement partners will continue to relentlessly pursue anyone who takes the life of another.

According to the prosecution and various court documents, on or about August 12, 2014, near 501 West 147th Street in Harlem, Laureano fatally shot Perez as part of a plot to distribute heroin and marijuana. Ben-Jochannan drove Laureano to the murder scene, knowing that Laureano was armed with a gun and had served as Laureano's getaway driver after the murder. After successfully evading police, the two defendants cleaned Ben-Jochannan's car and disposed of evidence linking them to the murder.

In addition to their prison sentences, Laureano and Ben-Jochannan were sentenced to three and five years of supervised release, respectively.

Williams praised what he described as the exceptional investigative work of the NYPD and the Drug Enforcement Administration. He also thanked the Manhattan District Attorney's Office for its assistance. The case is being handled by the Office's Anti-Violence and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Rushmi Bhaskaran is prosecuting the case.