A Latin Kings gang member has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for attempting to murder a perceived enemy in Westbury and for possessing more than 200 fentanyl pills at the time of his arrest.
On January 9, 2023, Elijah Giron, 21, stepped out of the driver’s seat of a Dodge Challenger on South Fulton Street in Westbury and fired four rounds from a 9mm pistol at a person standing outside another vehicle. Fortunately, the bullets missed their target, and Giron fled the scene. The incident was the culmination of an argument on social media concerning a fentanyl overdose that had occurred, with the victim being seen as an enemy of the Latin Kings gang.
Just days later, on January 20, 2023, Giron was arrested by members of the Nassau County Police Department’s Gang Investigations Squad. During the search, officers found more than 200 pills hidden in Giron’s sock and three additional pills in his waistband. Tests revealed the pills were fentanyl disguised to look like prescription pain medications.
Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced that Giron was convicted on February 27, 2024, following a jury trial. The charges included Attempted Murder in the Second Degree, Criminal Use of a Firearm in the First Degree, and multiple counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance and a Weapon.
“Giron’s actions were fueled by gang rivalry and the dangerous spread of fentanyl in our communities,” said DA Donnelly. “This sentence should serve as a strong message to gang members and drug dealers: you will be caught, and you will be prosecuted.”
Although the Nassau County District Attorney’s office recommended a sentence of 34 years, Judge Howard Sturim sentenced Giron to 20 years in prison.
