Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr., U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan | Department of Justice
Vincent “Vito” Galicia, a 37-year-old Flint resident, was sentenced to 19 years in federal prison for drug trafficking and firearm offenses, according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. The sentencing took place after Galicia pleaded guilty to several charges, including possession with intent to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine, possessing a short-barrel rifle, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
James Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), joined Gorgon in making the announcement. U.S. District Court Judge Shalina D. Kumar imposed the sentence and also ordered Galicia to serve additional years under federal supervised release following his incarceration.
Court documents state that in January 2019, Flint Police executed a search warrant at Galicia’s residence. During the search, officers seized two nine-millimeter pistols—one stolen and equipped with a high-capacity drum magazine—nearly one kilogram of methamphetamine, 85 grams of cocaine, almost 300 grams of suspected methamphetamine, over $8,000 in cash, and various items related to drug trafficking.
Galicia was first charged in Michigan’s 67th District Court. In March 2021, while out on bond from those charges, he broke into the home of a woman with whom he had been romantically involved. Armed with an illegal short-barrel semi-automatic rifle with an obliterated serial number, Galicia assaulted her before shooting her in the neck—a wound that left her paralyzed. He then transported her to McLaren Hospital but fled afterward.
Law enforcement from the Flint Police Department and Michigan State Police responded to the incident scene and recovered the weapon used by Galicia. The ATF later joined the investigation leading to federal charges connected to both incidents.
“This armed drug dealer broke into a woman’s home where he shot and paralyzed her. And perhaps most disturbing, he was somehow on bond at the time—even though he had been caught with guns, almost a kilo of meth, and cocaine. This case is an exemplar of the federal/state partnership that prosecutes the most dangerous armed criminals in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Gorgon.
“Vincent Galicia is a violent, heavily armed drug trafficker whose greed led him down a destructive path. He chose a life devoted to peddling poison in our community while armed with an illegal firearm. Rather than self-reflect on his misdeeds after his arrest, he chose to arm himself once again with an illegal firearm while waiting for a resolution on his state case. Then, Galicia chose to engage in a far worse crime - domestic violence. Galicia shot his girlfriend in the neck and permanently paralyzed her. Galicia’s consistent disregard for the well-being of our community members is repulsive,” said ATF Detroit Field Division Special Agent in Charge James Deir. “Let this be a cautionary tale to all the would-be illegally armed domestic abusers/drug dealers in our community; when you arm yourself with illegal firearms, abuse women, and/or traffic drugs in our communities, you should pack your bags for prison. This sentence should send a clear warning across Michigan—ATF and our partners will find you, prosecute you, remove you from our streets and send you to a galaxy far, far away called the Federal Bureau of Prisons.”
The investigation was conducted by special agents from ATF along with Flint Police Department and Michigan State Police personnel; Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Vance prosecuted this case.
