Yikes! A former NYPD officer has been hit with a slew of charges after allegedly sharing confidential investigation information with her gang leader boyfriend. The former officer is accused of having an “intimate relationship” with a leader of a Bronx-based gang and tipping them off about an impending indictment.
The former cop has been identified as 33-year-old Mohegan Lake resident Gina Mestre, and she was arrested on August 15 after being accused of sharing confidential investigation information to the Shooting Boys Gang. Mestre allegedly told the gang information about a federal grand jury investigation, leaked the identity of a witness to gang members, and assisted a gang leader in fleeing from the United States after committing a murder.
While appearing in a federal court in Manhattan this month, Mestre was arraigned and now faces four counts, including: one count of racketeering conspiracy (which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison); one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice (which carries a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison); one count of conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding (which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison); and count of accessory after the fact to murder in aid of racketeering (which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison).
Per the Justice Department, “The Shooting Boys gang is a criminal organization based in the University Heights section of the Bronx. Since at least 2017, gang members sold drugs, used guns, and committed numerous acts of violence against members of rival gangs. The gang’s territory and base of operations fell within the jurisdiction of the NYPD’s 52nd Precinct. The recognized leader of the Shooting Boys was Andrew Done, a/k/a “Caballo.”
The Department of Justice also reports that prior to her indictment, Mestre was an NYPD officer from July 2013 to May 2022, and had been assigned to the 52nd Precinct’s Public Safety Unit (where the gang operated). During Summer 2020, the precinct and unit’s major focus was working to reduce gun violence, most of which was attributed to members of The Shooting Boys.
The Justice Department claims during an investigation into the gang, Mestre began using secret social media accounts and phone numbers to communicate with its leader, Done, around June 2020. They soon allegedly began an intimate relationship, during which Mestre shared confidential investigation information about an impending federal indictment.
She also reportedly helped Done and other gang members conceal their criminal activity, and disclosed the identity of a cooperating witness, allowing the gang to assault and intimidate the witness to prevent them from further cooperating.
On November 5, 2020, it’s reported that Done shot and killed a rival gang member, which was caught on surveillance footage, and Mestre was one of several officers to identify Done as the suspect. A manhunt ensued, which Mestre was a part of on both sides. While she and her colleagues searched for Done, she was also allegedly warning him about the incriminating video and the police’s efforts to capture him, and she eventually helped him flee the U.S.
In March 2022, 10 members of the Shooting Boys were hit with a 15-count indictment, including several federal crimes, like RICO and murder. Done was charged with the murder of the rival gang member and was arrested in the Dominican Republic months later. On November 17, 2022, he pleaded guilty to RICO and admitted to the murder charge. On February 22, 203, he was sentenced to 35 years in prison.
Speaking on Mestre’s indictment, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said, “As alleged, Gina Mestre shamelessly exploited her position of public trust to assist gang members in her own NYPD precinct that were terrorizing the Bronx by committing robberies, murders, drug trafficking, and other acts of violence.”
Williams continued, “The Indictment alleges that the defendant abused her position as an NYPD police officer by, among other things, obstructing a federal grand jury investigation into the gang and assisting the gang’s leader in evading capture for a cold-blooded murder committed in broad daylight. The defendant’s alleged conduct violates the oath she swore to protect the public – as well as her fellow NYPD officers – from the type of criminal activity she helped the gang commit. This Indictment makes clear that my Office and our law enforcement partners will remain vigilant in fighting all forms of police corruption.”
#Socialites, be sure to check out the post below, then leave us your thoughts in a comment after!
View this post on Instagram