East New York Street Gang Leader Sentenced To 23 Years In Prison: Feds

BROOKLYN, NY — The leader of an East New York street gang has been sentenced to 23-years in prison, federal authorities announced Thursday.

Quandel Smothers, 32, was sentenced in front of United States District Judge Kiyo Matsumoto. Smothers was convicted of racketeering conspiracy and possessing a firearm while drug trafficking following a jury trial back in 2023, prosecutors said.

Smothers, led the East New York-based Elite Assassin Millas, a subset of the Bloods street gang, prosecutors said.

He along with other gang members conspired to deal drugs, commit fraud and kill their rivals from 2006 to 2019, resulting in multiple shootings that left one man dead and several other victims permanently disabled, prosecutors said.

“Smothers deserves the decades behind bars for leading a criminal enterprise
that endangered the community with their mindless killing, shootings and assaults of rivals,” United States Attorney Breon Peace said. “This office and our law enforcement partners have
dismantled the Elite Assassin Millas and will continue the important work of ridding our district
of violent groups that have no respect for the law or human life.”

On April 30, 2011, Smothers shot a fellow gang member in the torso and leg over a dispute, causing the victim’s leg to be amputated, prosecutors said.

Additional shootings left Michael Tenorio dead and two individuals paralyzed, prosecutors said.

Six other gang members were charged alongside Smothers — they pled guilty to murder, conspiracy to commit murder and assault charges, prosecutors said.

Tyshawn Corbett was sentenced to 45 years in prison, Marlon Bristol will spend 11 years in prison, Devon Bristol was sentenced to close to 7 years in prison, Desmonn Beckett will spend 5 years in prison and Andrew Campbell was sentenced to 2 years in prison.

Qawon Allen is still awaiting sentencing, prosecutors said.