Bernard Baines, 22, one of two shooters involved in the drive-by that killed Leonard, was sentenced to 21 years in prison for aggravated manslaughter.
Tonya Leonard (left) and her slain daughter, TamrahTRENTON — Five members of the Sex Money Murder faction of the Bloods street gang were sentenced today for their roles in the 2009 drive-by shooting that led to the death 13-year-old innocent bystander Tamrah Leonard.
The gang planned the shooting as retaliation against an attack by the Gangster Killer Bloods. Two gang members opened fire on a block party on Martin Luther King Boulevard in June 2009, killing Leonard in the process.
Bernard Baines, 22, one of two shooters involved in the drive-by was sentenced to 21 years in prison for aggravated manslaughter. Baines, who did not fire the shot that killed Leonard, reached a plea deal last year that called for a 25 year prison term. Superior Court Judge Mark Fleming said he decided on a shorter sentence because Baines was the first member of the group to cooperate and had shown significant remorse.
Lamar Warren, 22, was the other gunman in the drive-by and fired the fatal shot that killed Leonard. He was sentenced last month in a separate hearing to 39 years in prison.
The four other gang member sentenced today had various roles in the planning of the shooting and the attempts to cover it up.
James James, 24, was identified as a leader in the planning of the shooting after a member of the Sex Money Murder gang was shot and injured the day before, Assistant Prosecutor Stephanie Katz has said. James was sentenced to 12 years in prison for conspiracy to commit murder.
“In a cowardly and callous manner, he gave his approval, his direction to have a drive-by shooting take place that resulted in the death of an innocent victim,” Fleming said.
Rashead Miller, 35, scouted the area of the block party to confirm that the members of the rival gang were present, prosecutors said. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit assault and received an eight-year sentence.
Robert Humphrey, 25, provided Baines and Warren with the guns they used to carry out the attack, prosecutors said. Humphrey pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder and received a 10-year sentence.
Michael Jennings, 31, received the gun after the killing and made it more it difficult for investigators to find, prosecutors said. He pleaded guilty to a weapons charge and was sentenced to eight years in prison.
The seventh and final defendant in the case, Keith Warren, the 25-year-old brother of Lamar Warren, who drove the car that was used in the drive-by, had his sentencing postponed because his lawyer was not able to attend today's hearing. Warren pleaded guilty to manslaughter last year in a deal that calls for him to receive a 20-year prison sentence.
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