110 Gang Member Sentenced to 32 Years in Prison

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK - Anthony Hopper, age 33, of Syracuse, was sentenced today to serve 385 months (32 years and one month) in federal prison for violating the Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), announced Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon, Thomas F. Relford, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Syracuse Police Chief Kenton Buckner.  Senior United States District Judge Frederick J. Scullin, Jr., also ordered Hopper to serve a five (5) year term of supervised release following his term of incarceration.

Hopper was convicted in October 2019, following an eight-day trial.  The RICO conviction included a finding by the trial jury that that Hopper was guilty of a murder.  In imposing sentence today, the Court also found, by a preponderance of the evidence, that Hopper was responsible for a second murder. The other 13 men charged in the same indictment with Hopper have all pled guilty. Six have been sentenced to date.  

During the trial, jurors heard testimony from members of the 110 Gang and others about the gang’s robberies, drug trafficking, and illegal possession of firearms.  They also heard from witnesses who described how the 110 Gang retaliated against other Syracuse gangs for shootings and murders.

“Anthony Hopper led the 110 Gang through murders, shootings, robberies, assaults, intimidation, and drug dealing,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon. “Thanks to hundreds of hours of work by state, federal, and local law enforcement officers, Hopper has now been held accountable for his brutal actions and removed from the streets of Syracuse. Our resolve to make our community safe will never waver, and we will not rest until we finish our work”

"Anthony Hopper was a dangerously evil leader of the violent 110 Gang that wreaked havoc on Syracuse communities, causing residents to live in fear for far too long," said Thomas F. Relford, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Albany Field Office. "Today's sentence is indicative of the success that can be attained when federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies combine resources to remove violent organizations that threaten the safety and stability of our neighborhoods."

Syracuse Police Chief Kenton Buckner said, "The city of Syracuse and the Syracuse Police Department are appreciative of our relationship with the FBI. The sentencing in this case highlights the tireless efforts of law enforcement and federal prosecutors to apprehend individuals responsible for gang activity in our community. We will continue to do everything within our power to protect the citizens living in our city."

Previously sentenced 110 Gang RICO defendants:

• Damani Prince was sentenced to 78 months in prison; 3-year term of supervised release
• Rashawn Wynn was sentenced to 92 months in prison; 3-year term of supervised release
• Davon Sullivan was sentenced to 68 months in prison; 3-year term of supervised release
• Qualik Vaughn was sentenced to 68 months in prison; 3-year term of supervised release
• Jason Lebron was sentenced to 92 months in prison; 3-year term of supervised release
• Javon Peterson was sentenced to 98 months in prison, 3-year term of supervised release. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Syracuse Police Department, and the Gang Violence Task Force, which consists of members of the Syracuse Police, the FBI, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the New York State Police, the New York State Department of Corrections, the New York State Attorney General, and the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicolas Commandeur and Kristen Grabowski

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.