A Connecticut man was sentenced to nearly 16 years in prison Wednesday for his role in violent gang activity in Bridgeport, including a brazen midday shooting in front of a state courthouse that wounded four people in 2020, federal prosecutors said.
Authorities said Asante Gaines, 25, was the eighth and final person convicted in the case to be sentenced. Like Gaines, the seven others all pleaded guilty in connection with the courthouse shooting and other gang activities and are serving prison sentences ranging from eight to 40 years.
Their arrests were the result of an investigation by local, state and federal authorities into Bridgeport gang violence, Connecticut U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery’s office said in a statement.
The January 2020 shooting outside a state courthouse in Bridgeport wounded four people who were sitting in a car. One of the victims was left paralyzed. Police said 23 bullets struck the car.
Get Connecticut local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Connecticut newsletters.
Prosecutors said Gaines was a member of the Greene Homes Boyz, which teamed up with another gang in the plot to kill East End gang members and associates in front of the courthouse.
Gaines pleaded guilty last year in federal court in New Haven to racketeering-related charges, including attempted murder and aiding and abetting.
Gaines’ lawyer, Jeffrey Kestenband, said in court documents that Gaines did participate in the shooting. He said Gaines is remorseful and has been working to better himself in prison, including getting his GED certificate and completing several self-improvement programs.
