BRONX MAN IMPRISONED FOR UP TO TWENTY ONE YEARS FOR MANSLAUGHTER AND OTHER OFFENSES

Bronx District Attorney Robert T. Johnson announced today that a twenty five year old man was sentenced to a maximum term of five to fifteen years imprisonment for manslaughter in the death of an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire during a revenge motivated shooting.

Temel Greene, of 2080 Barnes Avenue, the Bronx, was also sentenced to three years imprisonment on an unrelated gun possession conviction, and two to six years imprisonment on an unrelated narcotics conviction. Acting State Supreme Court Justice Troy Webber ordered that the sentences on the unrelated charges run concurrent, however the sentence on the manslaughter conviction is to run consecutive to the others. As a result, Greene could remain in prison for as many as twenty one years. Greene was found guilty of Manslaughter in the second degree on January 22, 2004 and prior to that trial had pled guilty in the two other unrelated cases, one of which involved the sale of narcotics near a school.

The fatal shooting of Anthony Berrios, 16, occurred on October 16, 2001 on Eastburn Avenue by the Cross Bronx Expressway service road. Berrios was an innocent victim who was shot seven times when he was caught in the crossfire when Greene and others opened fire on another group of young men. Witnesses testified that Greene orchestrated the shooting in order to retaliate against a man with whom he had had an altercation several nights earlier. During the altercation at the Club Rumba near East Tremont Avenue, the intended target of the shooting slashed Greene in the face. Greene then planned to kill not only his alleged assailant but the assailant’s associates as well. The targets of the attack escaped unharmed but Berrios was struck seven times and killed.

One other person, Jose Ramos, who was charged in the fatal shooting pled guilty to Manslaughter in the first degree and is awaiting sentencing. Ramos, who testified against Greene, is presently in federal custody on charges that he allegedly sold one of the weapons used in the shooting to a federal agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Control.

Assistant District Attorneys Troy Smith and Suzanne Saia are prosecuting the case.