Pawtucket Gang Member Busted In Warwick Sentenced To Prison

A known Pawtucket gang member arrested by Warwick police back in December was sentenced to serve four years in state prison after he declined to contest a firearms charge stemming from a routine traffic stop on Airport Road.

John Laboy, 23, of Pawtucket, appeared in Kent County Superior Court on Tuesday where he pleaded nolo contendere to a single charge of possessing a firearm while on probation for a previous violent crime. Under Rhode Island law, individuals convicted of certain crimes are prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms. Superior Court Magistrate John F. McBurney III sentenced Laboy to 10 years at the Adult Correctional Institutions, or ACI, with four years to serve and the balance of the sentence suspended with probation.

Had the case gone to trial, the state was prepared to show that during the afternoon of December 26, 2020, Laboy discarded a loaded handgun during a foot chase in Warwick, according to a statement from Attorney General Peter F. Neronha.

Warwick police officers on that day stopped a Nissan Altima on Airport Road, and Laboy jumped from the front passenger door and ran, Neronha stated. Police observed Laboy discard a silver Smith and Wesson SD40 pistol while crossing Granger Court. Police secured the handgun, which they said was loaded with a full magazine and a bullet in the chamber. Officers continued their pursuit and apprehended Laboy in the front yard of a nearby home.

Laboy is a known member of the Pawtucket-based Bucket East gang, Neronha said. Laboy was previously convicted of conspiracy charges stemming from his role in instigating a confrontation outside of Providence Superior Court in 2017, which led to a daytime shooting on Crawford Bridge in downtown Providence.

"Illegal firearms are a tremendous risk to the safety of all Rhode Islanders because of the consistent connection they have to so many instances of violent crime," Neronha said. "Persons like the defendant here, with a history of criminal misconduct and armed with a gun during a traffic stop, pose a tremendous risk to police officers and to the broader community. The defendant compounded the risk he posed to others by fleeing and discarding his loaded gun where anyone could have found it, including a child. I am grateful to the Warwick Police Department for their excellent work in this case."

The investigation and prosecution was handled by officers Michael Bailey and Kyle Fitzsimmons of the Warwick Police Department and Special Assistant Attorney General David Bonzagni.