A Brooklyn man has been sentenced to over three decades behind bars for his involvement in a series of gang-related shootings that resulted in the deaths of three people, said Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez. The man, Iquan Warlick, now 21 years of age, received a prison term of 33 years to life after pleading guilty to multiple charges, including three counts of second-degree murder and nine counts of second-degree attempted murder. Brooklyn District Attorney's Office reported that the sentence was handed down by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Jane Tully.
In a statement obtained by Brooklyn District Attorney's Office, District Attorney Gonzalez declared, "These defendants turned our streets into shooting galleries and showed shocking disregard for human life." Warlick's sentencing is intended to be a message that gang violence will not be tolerated in Brooklyn. Two co-defendants were already sentenced for their parts in the shootings, with 22-year-old Ziquan Thompson receiving 20 years in prison, and 21-year-old George Risher Jr. being sentenced to 26 years.
According to court evidence, Warlick was linked with the Fort Greene-based gang FNO and is believed to have been part of an alliance with other street gangs, which led to 14 shootings, leaving nine people injured and four dead. These incidents spanned between 2019 and 2021, with 17 members of this alliance charged with a wide array of crimes.
The gang-related shootings included the murder of Wayne Lafontant, 23, and the fatal shooting of college student Sherard McKoy, 18, who was mistakenly targeted in a bodega. Another tragic instance involved a birthday party where Daijyonna Long, 20, was killed. These incidents were part of a violent spree that brought suffering and tragedy to Brooklyn's communities. As per the investigation led by the NYPD's Brooklyn North Homicide Squad and the Gun Violence Suppression Division, the concerted efforts of detectives and various precinct squads were crucial in bringing the defendants to justice.
The District Attorney's Office highlighted the contributions of Paralegals Harline Aimable and Tania Lopez, along with Intelligence Analyst Sindy Pelaez of the Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau, in assisting with the case. The prosecution team was led by Senior Assistant District Attorneys Alexander Jean, Felix De Jesus, Martha Duffy, and Sean Hughes, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Alfred De Ingeniis, VCE Bureau Chief.
