Sentence Handed Down To Bridgeport Man In Federal Racketeering Case: U.S. Attorney

BRIDGEPORT, CT — A 27-year-old Bridgeport man was sentenced Wednesday to 20 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a violent street gang involved in narcotics trafficking and multiple acts of violence, including a 2018 fatal shooting, according to authorities.

Luis Garcia, also known as "Ebk Lou," was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley; Garcia pleaded guilty to conspiring to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity in September 2023. He has been detained since his arrest in September 2021.

Wednesday's announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Marc H. Silverman; Joseph T. Corradino, State’s Attorney for the Fairfield Judicial District; Bridgeport Police Chief Roderick Porter; Anish Shukla, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, and Acting U.S. Marshal Lawrence Bobnick.

Garcia was a member of the Original North End gang, or "O.N.E.," based in the Trumbull Gardens area of Bridgeport. Authorities said the group was engaged in violent rivalries with several other local gangs, including the East End, East Side, and PT Barnum gangs.

According to court documents and statements, O.N.E. members were involved in a wide range of criminal activity, including drug trafficking, armed robberies, and car thefts. Officials said gang members often used stolen vehicles to carry out crimes and shared their actions through text messages and social media.

Prosecutors said Garcia and others stole a Jeep Grand Cherokee from Newburgh, New York, in August 2018 and brought it to Bridgeport with plans to target rival gang members. Although the initial plot fell through, Garcia and two other O.N.E. members—Ta’Ron Pharr and Lorenzo Carter—used the vehicle days later in a shooting that killed Len Smith, 25, and seriously injured a woman who was with him. Authorities said the pair were mistaken for rival gang members while sitting in a parked car. After the shooting, the vehicle was set on fire at a state park in Shelton to destroy evidence.

Pharr was previously sentenced to 18 years in prison after pleading guilty. Carter was convicted by a jury in November 2023 and is awaiting sentencing.

The investigation, which involved federal, state, and local law enforcement, has led to the convictions of 47 individuals tied to multiple Bridgeport-based gangs. Authorities said the case has resolved eight homicides and approximately 20 attempted murders.

The case was investigated by a coalition of agencies, including the FBI, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport Police Department, with assistance from several other agencies. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen L. Peck, Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis, Stephanie T. Levick, and Rahul Kale.

The case is part of several federal initiatives targeting violent crime, including Project Safe Neighborhoods, Project Longevity, and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces program.