Rhode Island man to serve 20 years for two gang-related shootings
Published on Friday, May 02, 2025
Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced today that a Rhode Island man has been sentenced in Providence Superior Court to serve 20 years at the Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI) for his involvement in two shootings in March 2023.
On May 1, 2025, Superior Court Justice Maureen B. Keough sentenced Neftaly Sanchez (age 27) to 30 years, with 20 years to serve at the ACI, five of which are non-parolable, and 30 years of probation. On February 3, 2025, the defendant pleaded nolo contendere to four counts of felony assault, two counts of discharge of a firearm not resulting in injury, one count of carrying a pistol without a license, one count of conspiracy to commit an assault with a dangerous weapon, one count of discharge of a firearm from a vehicle, one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to deliver a controlled substance, and one count of possessing a firearm while possessing a controlled substance. The Court also sentenced the defendant under the Criminal Street Gang enhancement, finding that his acts were in furtherance of the Chad Brown street gang.
On February 17, 2025, Judge Keough sentenced co-defendant Isaiah Isom (age 20) to 22-years with 12 years to serve at the ACI, and 22 years of probation, for his role in one of the shootings.
“On more than one occasion, this defendant demonstrated that he is a very real threat to public safety,” said Attorney General Neronha. “It is absolutely essential that we hold accountable those who commit serious gang and gun-related crimes, and endanger the lives of others in the process, as was the case here. I am grateful to the men and women of the Providence Police Department and the ATF for their partnership on this case.”
Had the case proceeded to trial, the State was prepared to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant took part in two shootings in Providence on March 12, 2023 and March 16, 2023, while possessing narcotics with the intent to distribute.
On March 12, 2023, at approximately 10:44am, Providence Police responded to reports of shots fired on Jenkins Street. According to witness testimony, the defendant shot at three victims, including a 9-year-old boy, before fleeing in a black Hyundai.
Surveillance videos obtained from the Chad Brown Housing Complex showed the defendant talking on the phone in the parking lot before the shooting occurred, and subsequently leaving the parking lot in a black Hyundai. The same black Hyundai returned to the area minutes after police received reports of the shooting, and the footage shows the defendant walking away from the vehicle. Investigators used cell phone data to confirm that the defendant’s location was consistent with these movements. Further, investigators confirmed that the black Hyundai was rented to the defendant at the time of the shooting.
This shooting was connected to the violent feud between East Side and Chad Brown gangs and was an act of retaliation for another shooting that occurred the night before.
On March 16, 2023, Providence Police responded to the intersection of North Main and Olney Streets to investigate another report of shots fired. Officers first located an unintended victim whose vehicle had sustained ballistic damage. The victim reported that a white SUV was driving south in the northbound lane of North Main Street, firing shots at a blue SUV driving south. Officers located three expended .40 caliber cartridge casings in the roadway.
On April 11, the Providence Police Intelligence and Organized Crime Bureau and the Providence Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) executed executing an arrest warrant for the defendant. The defendant was arrested at his apartment, where investigators discovered multiple firearms, ammunition, currency, marijuana, cocaine, pills, and other drug paraphernalia. The narcotics seized included 60.99 grams of cocaine, 837.09 grams of marijuana, and four pills of Hydrocodone. Additionally, investigators discovered texts between the defendant and co-defendant Isaiah Isom in which they shared news articles about the March 16 shooting and discussed their roles in the event.
“I want to thank our detectives and the Attorney General’s Office for their tireless investigative efforts in this case,” said Providence Police Chief Oscar L. Perez, Jr. “Gun violence will not be tolerated in our community, and I am grateful that justice has been served.”
Special Assistant Attorneys General Edward G. Mulaney and John F. Kilpatrick (former) of the Office of the Attorney General, Detective Matthew McGloin of the Providence Police Department, and Special Agent Anthony Ventetuolo of the ATF led the investigation and prosecution of the case.
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