A Brooklyn man, identified as a member of the Bloods street gang, has been hit with a 25-year prison sentence following a plea of guilt to first-degree manslaughter and second-degree attempted murder, in relation to a string of violent gun-related offenses. The Brooklyn District Attorney's Office confirmed that Devante James, age 29, from East Flatbush, was sentenced yesterday by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Dineen Riviezzo.
Justice Riviezzo's ruling comes after the acknowledgment by James, on June 17, that he was responsible for a fatal shooting in Brownsville which claimed the life of 28-year-old Arsenio Gravesande, and other instances of indiscriminate shootings and firearm possession. Gonzalez, describing the trail of violence, said, "This defendant terrorized communities with a spree of gang-related violence, taking a life and putting countless others at risk" the continued progress can be witnessed in the declining gun violence rates across Brooklyn, which Gonzalez attributes to precise efforts by NYPD and prosecutors targeting principal crime drivers, as per the press release.
The series of events unfolded on August 18, 2019, when James fired on a crowd in Brownsville, mistakenly injuring two instead of his intended Crip gang target. A couple of days later, James pursued and shot Gravesande, ultimately leading to his death. On a separate occasion, a loaded firearm was discarded by James during an unrelated police investigation, which was eventually linked to him through DNA testing. James was also tied to a Bedford-Stuyvesant bodega shooting over a dispute and was apprehended by the police after threatening another bodega employee with a handgun weeks later.
The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Sapna Kishnani of the DA's Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau, under the guidance of several supervisors within the Bureau the prosecution team was able to bring forth a solid case against James. Gonzalez expressed his gratitude to members of the District Attorney's Office, acknowledging their dedication and support throughout the course of the investigation.
Following his sentencing, James faces 25 years of incarceration, along with a subsequent five years of post-release supervision.
