Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that Luis Filpo has been sentenced to 25 years in prison. Filpo was convicted for the murder of Roberto Vasquez, a 24-year-old bystander mistaken for a gang rival. The sentencing was handed down by U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer and will run consecutively to a state sentence Filpo is already serving.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton stated: "Luis Filpo walked up to a car and opened fire, killing Vasquez and wounding another occupant. What makes this brazen and senseless crime even more tragic is that Filpo wrongly believed Vasquez was a gang rival. Thanks to the hard work of the women and men of the Office and our law enforcement partners, Filpo will be held accountable for his crimes, and gang members are on notice that combatting gang-related crime is a priority of Federal law enforcement."
According to public filings and court proceedings, from at least 2016 through March 2020, Filpo was involved with "the 200s," a street gang based in Manhattan's Inwood neighborhood. The gang engaged in narcotics trafficking and violence to fund its activities and protect its territory.
On January 31, 2019, believing Vasquez was a rival gang member, Filpo followed his vehicle with other gang members. When the car parked, Filpo approached it and opened fire, resulting in Vasquez's death and injuring another passenger.
Judge Engelmayer described Filpo's actions as "as serious as it gets," stating that he made himself "judge, jury and executioner."
In addition to his prison term, Filpo has been sentenced to three years of supervised release. Mr. Clayton commended the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York City Police Department.
The case is managed by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mathew S. Andrews, Frank J. Balsamello, Patrick R. Moroney, and Thomas J. Wright leading the prosecution.
