Michael Rodriguez, 49, of Yonkers and a former representative for local cure violence group, Bronx Rises Against Gun Violence (B.R.A.G.), has been  sentenced for drug-related charges in Orange County. The sentencing was announced by Orange County District Attorney (DA) David M. Hoovler on Thursday, Jan. 4.

 

Officials from the Orange County DA’s office said the defendant was sentenced before the Hon. Craig Stephen Brown in Orange County Court to an aggregate term of ten years in prison, to be followed by five years of post-release supervision, relating to his previously entered guilty pleas to charges of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first degree, and conspiracy in the second degree. As previously reported, Michael Rodriguez was arrested in August 2023.

 

Orange County DA officials said the defendant, a former program director for the Bronx north west site of B.R.A.G., a prominent anti-violence program that receives government funding through the nonprofit, Good Shepherd Services, and which works in The Bronx to promote safer streets, previously agreed to forfeit a car and $165,000 as ill-gotten proceeds of his crimes.

 

They said that during the course of that investigation, it was discovered that the same suppliers of cocaine who were providing Angelica Rodriguez and her co-conspirators with cocaine to sell, were also suppling narcotics to those in the City of Port Jervis. They said the City of Port Jervis was also active in the investigation.

 

The court heard that Michael Rodriguez was accused of supplying cocaine to narcotics dealers in the City of Middletown and the City of Port Jervis and possessing two illegal handguns. Orange County DA officials said that on July 26, 2023, a search warrant was executed at Michael Rodriguez’s Yonkers home, which resulted in the seizure of 1516 grams (over 1.5 kilograms) of cocaine, $165,509 in United States currency, scales, a money counter, an unlicensed Ruger .380 caliber pistol, an unlicensed Bond Arms .357 caliber handgun, a vacuum sealer, digital scales and jewelry estimated to have a value of approximately $50,000.

 

They said that at the plea proceedings, the former B.R.A.G. program director admitted to entering into a conspiracy with Angelica Rodriguez and Taino Lopez and supplying them cocaine to resell.

 

Reacting to the sentencing, Hoovler said, “The significant sentence imposed in this case is justified based on the appalling conduct of a person who claimed to advocate for reduction in gun violence. This defendant had no qualms endangering vulnerable members of our community to benefit himself. I hope that the sentence will be a deterrent to those considering any similar conduct.”

 

Over time, Norwood News has covered a number of successful events hosted by B.R.A.G., which has been operating in the North Bronx for several years now, while other local groups have sought to emulate B.R.A.G.’s work as a frame of reference for other anti-gun violence initiatives. B.R.A.G. is one of several community partners involved in New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ strategy to end gun violence, outlined in his “Blueprint to End Gun Violence” released last year, as reported.

 

The mayor held a round table in 2022 with various district attorneys to discuss his anti-gun violence strategy, and Norwood  News readers later weighed in on the mayor’s blueprint announcement at the time. More recently Norwood News covered B.R.A.G.’s latest summer BBQ series.

 

When we reached out to Good Shepherd Services last year for comment on Rodriguez’s arrest, a spokesperson for B.R.A.G. replied, saying, “We are aware of the investigation and the charges that have been made. While we work to learn more, our primary focus remains on the communities we serve and our programs that are helping to keep them safe.” We’ve since contacted both Good Shepherd and B.R.A.G. for comment on the sentencing of Michael Rodriguez and will update this story with any feedback we receive.

As reported, according to its website, B.R.A.G. currently operates in three locations in The Bronx. B.R.A.G. North covers Wakefield, B.R.A.G. Northwest serves Fordham and Belmont, while B.R.A.G. West covers University Heights and Morris Heights.

 

B.R.A.G. works with teens and young adults between the ages of 16 and 25, mentoring and assisting in their development of conflict resolution skills. According to their website, between July 2017 and June 2021, B.R.A.G. responded to 1,035 disputes, organized 10,973 “interruption activities,” and worked through 2,353 “completed mediations.”

 

As reported, at one of B.R.A.G.’s 2023 summer barbecues held in Fordham Manor, a representative for the group said B.R.A.G. has been hosting peace barbecues in Kingsbridge since 2014, and in Olinville since 2016. “Cure violence is about credible messengers,” she said. “We maintain our community’s safety, so this is about coming together as a community and making sure we denounce violence, and what we do is done in a peaceful way.”

 

A week after that particular summer barbecue was held, Bronx elected officials joined community residents and various cure violence groups, including B.R.A.G., on Friday, July 14, at E 193rd Street and Morris Avenue beside St. James Park in Fordham Manor for a peace rally denouncing a shooting of four people, including two children under the age of seven, that had taken place three days earlier at the exact same location. Michael Rodriguez was one of the speakers.

 

In an interview with Norwood News after the peace rally, the former B.R.A.G. program director was asked if there was anything additional he wanted to add on the topic of gun violence other than what he had already said during his speech. He replied, “I just want to say that….you know what I’m saying? We out here just for the community not to be afraid. We shouldn’t have to be afraid. I’m asking them continue their daily routines, continued their activities, you know?”

 

Michael Rodriguez continued, “We know that happened [the shooting of the four people], but I don’t want the community to feel fear, where they don’t have to come outside anymore. That’s not how we supposed to be livin’ and I’m asking the community to, you know, just love each other more and love your neighbor. You know you live in the same building. You should be knowing who your neighbors are, loving each other, spreading love, but we don’t have to come out here and be afraid to come out to the park. No kid should ever feel afraid.”

 

We asked the former B.R.A.G. program director if, in his opinion, he felt the gun violence epidemic was more of a problem of the availability of guns or culture / fear / mindset. He replied, “Oh, we all know that guns are not made here [in The Bronx/New York].” He continued, “You know, we know that Bronx has, basically…. we’re the only borough that has an I95 pipeline, you know what I’m saying? What’s going on? The guns are accidentally falling off the truck? We know that, so we asking, you know, the State officials, elected officials, you know, to put a better stop to that.”

In January 2021, as reported, Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark Clark had announced that another Bronx man active in an anti-gun violence movement had been charged with fatally shooting a man in August 2020. Clark said the defendant, Mervin Joseph Moore, 37, of Sheridan Avenue in the South Bronx, was arraigned on charges of second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Michael Gross and, at the time, remained in custody.

 

Moore was due back in court on April 28, 2021. Norwood News reached out to the Bronx DA’s office for an update on the status of Moore’s case. A spokesperson replied saying Moore was tried for murder and was acquitted by a jury.

 

Meanwhile, when Norwood News contacted The Office of the Bronx District Attorney last year for a comment on the arrest of Michael Rodriguez, Clark said at the time, “The allegations of drug trafficking and gun possession against Michael Rodriguez are shocking and disturbing, especially since he has attended anti-violence events and peace marches portraying himself as someone who cares about stopping the violence in our community. These charges are the exact opposite of the good work cure violence groups are doing.”

 

We’ve since contacted the Bronx DA’s office for comment on Rodriguez’s sentencing and will update this story upon receipt of any response.

 

Orange County DA officials said the the City of Middletown Police Department were aided in the latest investigation by the Orange County drug taskforce, which is run under the supervision of a senior criminal investigator from Orange County DA’s office and a senior investigator from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

 

They added that in addition to personnel from those agencies, the drug task force comprises police officers from other Orange County police departments. They said currently the Town of Montgomery Police Department, the Wallkill Police Department, and the Highlands Police Department have committed to assigning police officers to work on the task force.

 

Hoovler also said as part of his statement on the sentencing, “I commend the City of Middletown Police Department for their investigation and for working with the Orange County Drug Taskforce, and other law enforcement agencies such as the City of Port Jervis Police Department, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the New York State Police. My office will continue to pursue drug dealers and utilize all resources available to us to bring them to justice.”

 

Orange County DA officials said Assistant District Attorney Alexis Gregory led the prosecution and also aided in the investigation into Michael Rodriguez’s actions.

 

According to a report by the Times Union, Angelica Rodriguez pled guilty to drug trafficking last year. The status of Taino Lopez is unknown. A person arrested and charged with a crime is deemed innocent unless and until convicted in a court of law.

 

When Norwood News asked Michael Rodriguez on the day of the July 14 peace rally in Fordham Manor if there was any specific title he wanted us to reference in our story as regards his role within B.R.A.G., he replied, “Yes….. I’m better known as ‘Love’ in a community.”

 

*David Greene and Miriam Quiñones contributed to this story.