A former New York police officer used her position to help a murderous gang leader whom she was in an intimate relationship with evade cops and intimidate a witness against his crew in the Bronx, federal prosecutors alleged Wednesday.
The former cop, 33-year-old Gina Mestre, was arrested by federal authorities Tuesday for racketeering conspiracy and other charges for allegedly passing sensitive law enforcement information to the leader of the "Shooting Boys" gang in 2020.
Mestre Tipped Off Suspect About Witnesses, Investigations
Mestre linked up with the gangster, Andrew "Caballo" Done, whose gang's turf included parts of the precinct where she worked, and began communicating with him through secret social media accounts and phone numbers, federal prosecutors said.
During their relationship, Mestre passed information to Done and other members of the Shooting Boys about a federal grand jury investigation into the crew, including a tip about when a federal indictment might be brought against members of the gang.
She also gave Done and other members of the gang the identity of a witness who was cooperating with law enforcement. The gang members then assaulted the witness to stop him from sharing information with police, the feds alleged.
Done was Caught on Camera Killing Rival Gang Member, Mestre Helped Him Flee the Country
In November 2020, Done shot and killed a rival gang member in caught-on-camera slaying that was investigated by Mestre and other officers in her precinct, according to the indictment against her.
When officers launched a manhunt to arrest him, Mestre allegedly gave Done the video of the shooting and warned him that law enforcement was looking for him. The information allowed Done to temporarily evade arrest and flee the country, federal authorities alleged.
Done was arrested in the Dominican Republic in 2022 and later pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy as part of a sprawling federal prosecution that dismantled the Shooting Boys gang.
Mestre Faces 6 Decades in Prison
Mestre was charged Wednesday racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to obstruct justice, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and accessory after the fact to murder in aid of racketeering. She faces a maximum of 60 years in prison if convicted.
"There is no place for corruption of any kind in the NYPD. The arrest today of a former police officer is built upon the steadfast work of our Internal Affairs Bureau, a team driven to root out such betrayals of public trust," NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban said in a statement.
"The defendant's alleged conduct violates the oath she swore to protect the public – as well as her fellow NYPD officers – from the type of criminal activity she helped the gang commit," US Attorney Damian Williams added.
