LI Gang Leader Sentenced For Drug Trafficking, Shooting

A Long Island Bloods street gang leader was sentenced to decades behind bars on Thursday for trafficking drugs and trying to murder a rival drug dealer.

Andre Chandler, 34, of Hempstead was sentenced to to 366 months -- or 30.5 years -- in prison for conspiracy to distribute crack and heroin, discharging a firearm in connection with that conspiracy, illegal possession of three firearms, possession with intent to distribute crack, heroin, oxycodone, and hydrocodone, and a related violation of the conditions of his supervised release. Chandler was convicted in October 2016.

“Any gang member who thinks they can sell drugs and commit acts of violence on Long Island without consequence should think about where Andre Chandler will spend the next 30 years,” said United States Attorney Richard Donoghue. “This office and our partners are completely committed to relentlessly pursuing and prosecuting gang members to protect our community.”

According to prosecutors, Chandler started selling drugs shortly after he got out of prison in 2014, saying that areas of Hempstead were, "my blocks, my streets." On Dec. 13, 2014, Chandler hunted down a rival drug dealer, lured him to his car and then shot him repeatedly with a semiautomatic handgun.

In January 2015, officers from the United States Probation Department searched Chandler's home and car and found heroin, cocaine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, equipment for packaging drugs and multiple guns, including the one Chandler used to shoot the drug dealer. The weapon was hidden under a mattress in a young child's bedroom.

“The belief these drug dealers and gang members have that they control territory, and have to defend their turf by shooting, and killing rivals defies comprehension,” said FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William Sweeney. “While they’re playing at who is the nastier, meaner gangster, people are developing debilitating and deadly additions to their wares. The FBI Long Island Gang Task Force has proven with several of these gang investigations that we will do all we can to safeguard the community from more violence by going after the leadership, and keeping them from returning to their so-called turf.”

Photo courtesy U.S. Attorney's Office