An “Own Every Dollar” gang member and Bronx resident was sentenced in federal court on Monday, Oct. 28, to 25 years in prison for the 2022 Bronx murder of Anthony Savarese in University Heights, federal prosecutors said.

 

Damian Williams, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that Mayovanex Rodriguez, a/k/a “Menorcito,” was sentenced on Monday for his criminal activities as a member of the violent “Own Every Dollar” (“OED”) gang, after he had previously pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, murder through use of a firearm, and narcotics conspiracy before U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken, who imposed the sentence.

 

Racketeering conspiracy carried a maximum sentence of life in prison; murder through the use of a firearm carried a maximum sentence of life in prison; and narcotics conspiracy carried a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison. The minimum and maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided for informational purposes only. The sentencing of Rodriguez was determined by the judge.

 

Reacting to the sentencing, Williams said, “Mayovanex Rodriguez murdered Anthony Savarese in cold blood. Our office will not rest in seeking justice for victims of violent crime, and today’s sentence sends a message to members of the Own Every Dollar gang and other violent gangs in the city that no one is above the law.”

 

As alleged in the indictment and the statements made in public filings and public court proceedings, Rodriguez is a member of the violent OED gang, a subset of the Trinitarios gang based in and around the Washington Heights area of Manhattan.

 

The indictments in the case charged 24 members and associates of OED with numerous violent crimes, including five murders and 15 attempted murders.

 

Prosecutors said that on February 7, 2022, shortly after midnight, Rodriguez attempted to commit a gunpoint robbery of 41-year-old Savarese on Andrews Avenue between West 183rd Street and West Fordham Road in The Bronx. They said that during the attempted robbery, Rodriguez shot Savarese in the head from point-blank range, killing him.

 

They said ten other defendants have previously pled guilty in the case.

 

As previously reported, the NYPD had released a video obtained from the incident location following the fatal shooting. They said at the time that officers responded to a 911 call at 00.02 a.m. regarding a man who had been shot at 2296 Andrews Avenue.

 

Upon arrival, they said officers observed a 41-year-old man lying on the ground, unconscious and unresponsive, with a gunshot wound to his head. They said EMS also responded and pronounced the man deceased on the scene. There were no initial arrests and the investigation remained ongoing. The victim was later identified as Savarese, 41, of Noble Avenue in the Van Nest / Parkchester vicinity.

THE NYPD RELEASED this video, obtained from the incident location, following the fatal shooting of Anthony Savarese at 2296 Andrews Avenue in University Heights on Monday, Feb. 7, 2022, in hopes of identifying the killer. Video courtesy of the NYPD

On Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, the NYPD asked for the public’s assistance identifying the individual seen in the video who they said was sought for questioning in connection to the investigation, which at that stage had been classified a homicide.

 

They said the suspect was described as male, had a medium complexion, was in his mid 30s, and had last been seen wearing all black clothing.

 

In addition to the prison term, Rodriguez, 30, of The Bronx, was sentenced to three years of supervised release.

 

Williams praised what he said was the outstanding work of the NYPD and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

 

The case was handled by the Southern District of New York’s narcotics unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah L. Kushner, Kevin Mead, Ashley C. Nicolas, and Alexandra Messiter led the prosecution.