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Brooklyn Judge Sentences "Abhorrent" Gangster Rapper To 12 Life Prison Terms
By
Ben Yakas
Published Apr 3, 2015
Modified Apr 3, 2015
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Apr 3, 2015
Modified Apr 3, 2015
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Ronald "Ra Diggs" Herron, a rapper and Bloods gang leader at the Gowanus Houses, has been sentenced to 12 life terms plus 105 years in prison for violently running a branch of a notorious drug gang and killing three people.
Herron was completely unremorseful in court during his sentencing yesterday: "You guys sit here and continue to paint this picture that I’m the devil incarnate, the scourge of righteousness—it’s all crap," he said to prosecutors in court, according to the Times. "Even the most dim prosecutor could have secured a conviction under this atmosphere of guilt they built. They did all but point a big, red arrow of guilty up on that projection screen."
Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis wasn't having it. "You have shown a complete lack of remorse for your abhorrent conduct," Garaufis said. "Even today, in this courtroom, you give answers that show you are clueless about the misery you have inflicted on other people and you are reconstructing through some fantastic thoughts what has happened in this case."
Herron, 32, was previously convicted of the murders of Frederick Brooks, Richard Russo and Victor Zapata; he was also convicted of racketeering charges. Herron had been put on trial for Brooks's drug-related murder in 2002, but was acquitted; he was indicted again in 2012 after he composed a series of Tweets bragging that he had someone "shot from a hospital bed" and "beat a body." During the trial, jurors were shown several of Herron's music videos, which included a lot of references to murder.
Several of Herron's compatriots were kicked out of the courtroom after yelling "sham" at the judge during the sentencing. Prosecutor Shreve Ariail called Herron perhaps the worst criminal he had encountered in his career: "A message needs to be sent that this kind of behavior, this kind of obstruction, this kind of contempt for the law cannot be tolerated," he said. "I really don’t think there’s a good chance Mr. Herron will stop committing crime in prison."
The Times offers one more anecdote from the court:
Throughout the court session, Mr. Herron winked at his friends and his family, rolled his eyes, sighed and stared at the overhead clock. When he had his chance to speak, he reasserted his innocence and said that his incarceration violated the 13th Amendment, which outlawed slavery.
“As you sit here, you denigrate me like I’m some sort of societal pestilence,” he said. “What have you contributed to my community?”
Speaking just before delivering his sentence, Judge Garaufis turned the question back on Mr. Herron.
“You personally exacerbated one of your community’s greatest blights,” he said. “You’re obviously an intelligent person, and an articulate person. You could have done something different. Instead you chose to lead a criminal organization and commit violent robbery and murder.”
As the judge spoke, Mr. Herron stared up at the clock.
Tagged
Gowanus Houses
nypd
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ronald herron
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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