Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin today announced that Jayquan Garlington (age 25), with a last known address of 115 Canton Street, Providence, pleaded guilty to carrying a pistol without a license and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Superior Court Justice Robert D. Krause sentenced Garlington to 25 years with 14 years to serve and the remainder suspended with probation. Garlington is believed to be one of the leaders of the YNIC criminal street gang of Providence.
Had the case proceed to trial, the State was prepared to prove that on April 19, 2014, Garlington was in possession of a firearm without a license while having been previously convicted of a felony.
Around midnight on April 19, 2014, two members of Providence Police Violent Crime Task Force, Officers Daniel Sirignano and Matt McGloin, were on patrol shortly after rival gangs engaged in a gun battle on Canton Street in which Doug Cooper was shot and killed by Providence Police after he turned and fired at the officers. Officers Sirignano and McGloin spotted a motor vehicle driving down Marvin Street with its headlights off. The officers recognized the occupants as Tevin Briggs, the driver, Jayquan Garlington, the passenger in the front seat, and Rasheid Lebron, the passenger in the backseat – all members of YNIC.
The officers observed Garlington toss a firearm out of the passenger window into a yard in the rear of Marvin Gardens near Service Road. The officers stopped the car and detained all three individuals. They then went back and seized a loaded .45 Smith and Wesson in the vicinity in which they observed Garlington tossing the gun.
During the course of the investigation, officers and prosecutors discovered a YouTube video, entitled "Kill Shit," which showed Jayquan Garlington holding a firearm. Police and prosecutors were able to match the serial number of the firearm in the video as the same firearm officers observed Garlington tossing out of the motor vehicle. In addition, officers found a photo on Garlington's Twitter page of him holding a similar firearm.
The operator of the motor vehicle on the night of the incident, Tevin Briggs, recently pleaded guilty to the October 2014 murder of Terry Robinson. A second individual indicted in that murder, Bruce Moten, is believed to also be a leader of YNIC.
In July 2008, Garlington was arrested by Providence Police and held in federal custody on a firearm charge. He pleaded guilty in federal court on October 29, 2008, to one count of possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number and sentenced on January 1, 2009 to six months in prison followed by three years supervised release. In June 2011, he was found to be a violator of the conditions of supervised release. He admitted to the violation and was sentenced to an additional eight months in prison to be followed by 27 months of supervised release.
"Today's plea takes a violent gang leader off the streets of Providence for a long time," said Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin. "This unprecedented level of cooperation and information sharing between local and federal law enforcement and prosecution is yielding results in arresting and successfully prosecuting criminal street gangs who are the root of the violence in Providence neighborhoods. I commend the officers and prosecutors who worked together to build a strong case against the defendant."
"Plainly, the defendant did not get the message from his first conviction on a weapons offense in 2009 – that possession of illegal firearms is a ticket to long stretches of time behind bars. Today's sentence confirms that point. This investigation and arrest by Providence Police averted a potentially violent confrontation, and in all likelihood saved lives. It is this kind of proactive investigative work by police and state and federal prosecutors that offers the best chance to curb urban violent crime," said United State Attorney Peter F. Neronha.
"This gun arrest of a known gang member is an example of the difficult work performed by the experienced officers in the Violent Crime Task Force. Individuals in illegal possession of firearms are a danger to our community and our police officers. This arrest and joint prosecution by the Attorney General's Office and the United States Attorney has taken a serious threat of violence off the streets," said Providence Police Colonel Hugh T. Clements.
The case was jointly prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General and Chief of the Narcotics and Organized Crime Unit James Baum on behalf of the Rhode Island Office of Attorney General and Assistant United States Attorney Milind M. Shah on behalf of the United States Attorney, District of Rhode Island.