Providence Man Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison For 2017 Shooting

PROVIDENCE, RI — A Providence man was sentenced Wednesday to 10 year in state prison after admitting he shot a 32-year-old man in 2017 and left him with serious injuries.

On Monday, John Bldayac, 31, pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon and discharge of a firearm resulting in serious injury.

"Much of the senseless of gun violence in Rhode Island stems from a common set of circumstances — young men with the ability to acquire guns with relative ease, who are all too willing to use them to settle petty disputes," Attorney General Peter Neronha said. "The defendant here not only played the lead role in that re-run, but nearly killed a young man in the process. He’ll now have the opportunity to think about the consequences of this actions for a significant period of time at the ACI."

Had the case proceeded to trial, prosecutors said they were prepared to prove that on June 28, 2017, Bldayac shot and seriously wounded a man in Providence.

Prosecutors said prior to the shooting, the victim and Bldayac’s brother got in an argument, where a large crowd gathered near the basketball courts on June Street. During the argument, the Bldayac drew a gun and shot the victim three times before fleeing.

The victim suffered serious injuries from three gunshot wounds to the torso, requiring several surgeries and months of hospitalization, prosecutors said.

Investigators recovered three .25 caliber shell casings from the scene, but never recovered the gun used in the shooting.

"While the men and women of our department work tirelessly to solve cases and pursue justice on behalf of victims and their families, they also remain vigilant in their efforts towards preventing gun violence from occurring on our streets and throughout neighborhoods," Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez said. "I commend the detectives for their work on this case, and thank the members of the office of the attorney general for their continued partnership and commitment to public safety."

At the hearing, before Superior Court Justice Robert Krause, the court sentenced Bldayac to 20 years in prison, with 10 years to serve at the ACI in Cranston and a suspended sentence of 10 years and 20 years of probation. Nine years and 11 months of that prison sentence is not eligible for parole.