Casanova’s known associate and ring leader of the Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation Bloods Gang (Gorilla Stone) has been sentenced in connection to a RICO case and murder.
On Thursday (February 22), Brandon Soto—also known as Stacks—was sentenced to 35 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Philip M. Halpern for charges that include racketeering, transferring a firearm to a juvenile and conspiracy to commit arson in his role leading Gorilla Stone. According to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, Soto’s case is rooted in his conviction for “participation in the racketeering conspiracy” of planning a teenage Gorilla Stone member to murder a rival gang member.
In September 2020, SOTO drove the juvenile shooter to a location and provided him with the gun he used to commit the fatal shooting of 15-year-old Jalani Jones. Investigators recovered messages from Soto’s Instagram account and cellphones, which detailed his involvement in planning the murder.
In a statement on Soto’s conviction, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams described the crime as a “horrific act” committed amongst the public.
“Brandon Soto used his leadership role in the violent Gorilla Stone gang to direct a teenager to kill a 15-year-old boy, who was riding his bike down the street. This horrific act of violence was committed in broad daylight as small children looked on just feet away.
“Today’s sentence holds Soto accountable for the senseless murder of Jalani Jones, as well as for his yearslong participation in the wide range of crimes committed by the Gorilla Stone gang. Together with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to aggressively prosecute those who engage in such violence in our communities.”
In December 2020, Soto was among the 18 individuals who were charged in in the sweeping indictment against Gorilla Stone. In June 2021, Soto was was facing the death penalty for the charges he was eventually convicted on.
Watch the report above for additional details.
