Bloods gang leader convicted of selling drugs that led to overdoses on Long Island
U.S. District Court in Central Islip. Credit: Newsday/John Paraskevas
A Bloods gang member from Bellport was convicted Tuesday of 22 counts of distributing narcotics, including his role in three nonfatal overdoses, according to federal prosecutors in Central Islip.
Gary Johnson, 41, was convicted of multiple counts of distributing heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl following a four-week trial before U.S. District Judge Joan M. Azrack. Johnson was also convicted of three counts of narcotics distribution resulting in serious bodily injury and possession of a firearm.
"Johnson peddled his potentially lethal drugs across Long Island while lining his pockets with profits, causing life-threatening injuries to several members of our community in the process," said Joseph Nocella, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District.
Johnson, a leader in the G-Shine set of the Bloods based in Suffolk who was known as "G Money," faces a minimum of 20 years in prison at sentencing.
Attorneys for Johnson did not respond to requests for comment on Wednesday.
Prosecutors in February had also charged Johnson with selling drugs that led to the death of an unidentified Rocky Point mother in May, 2020. He was convicted of selling drugs to her but was acquitted of causing her death, said a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office.
From June 2013 through November 2020, prosecutors said, Johnson sold fentanyl, cocaine and heroin across Long Island that resulted in three victims experiencing overdoses in the spring of 2020.
"While nothing can take away the suffering of those who experienced life-threatening impacts caused by Johnson’s greed, let this sentence bring some solace that his crimes will not go unpunished," said Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina. "We will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to ensure narcotics trafficking is ceased."
According to court documents, Johnson supplied cocaine and fentanyl to "John Doe #2 and "Jane Doe #2," a 39-year-old mother of a 3-year-old boy, on May 1, 2020.
John Doe #2 was found unconscious by co-workers in St. James and was revived with Narcan. "Jane Doe #2 was found dead in her Rocky Point home. The cause of death was determined to be acute drug intoxication caused by a combination of cocaine and fentanyl.
Johnson also supplied narcotics to "John Doe #1” and "Jane Doe #1," on March 3, 2020, the papers said. "John Doe #1” and "Jane Doe #1” lost consciousness after they ingested the drugs in the parking lot of Baseball Heaven in Yaphank. They were resuscitated and revived by emergency medical personnel who administered CPR and Narcan on both victims. Both survived.
Law enforcement officials also seized a semiautomatic firearm from Johnson’s Bellport home while executing a search warrant.
Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.
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