Who is Ralph Berry? NYC drug dealer gets life sentence over Father's Day barbecue shooting 22 years ago
THE BRONX, NEW YORK CITY: An NYC gangbanger has been hit with a life sentence over a Father's Day barbecue shooting that caused a decade-long paralysis of an innocent bystander who later died due to the injuries.
Last year, Ralph Berry was declared guilty of passing the order to shoot rivals at the William McKinley Houses complex on June 21, 2000, in the Bronx and it led to the paralysis of Caprice Jones, a bystander, said the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District on December 12, reports the New York Post.
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Who is Ralph Berry?
Ralph Berry, 55, was a Bronx drug dealer who was the head of a violent drug group. In the middle of a turf war, the crew who worked out of the housing project was ordered by Berry to shoot a rival gangbanger, as per the New York Post. Following the order, Berry was then convicted of ordering to shoot his rival dealers as the now-fatal shooting ended up destroying the life of an innocent. The prosecutors stated that the cookout was hosted at the McKinley Houses' basketball court. As the shooter opened fire at the barbecue, it struck Caprice Jones who was present there.
Jones, the victim, suffered severely from injuries and was paralyzed for 10 years after the shooting. As a result of his severe injuries, he later died in November 2010, making the case a homicide. However, Berry was convicted only 20 years after the incident and it was in September 2021 that the dealer was declared guilty.
In a statement, US Attorney Damian Williams said, “Ralph Berry callously ordered the shooting of a rival drug dealer that resulted in the senseless murder of Caprice Jones. Jones was simply enjoying a Father’s Day barbecue when his life was changed forever. As a result of Berry’s actions, Jones was left paralyzed and ultimately died from his injuries 10 years later." He concluded by saying, “Berry has now been sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison."
In January 2020, Berry was criminally charged with conspiracy and drug charges by a federal grand jury. The court documents state that in February 2020, he was then arrested in Pennsylvania. Berry was hit with a superseding indictment on August 19, 2021, for running a criminal crew that was involved in murder and other activities. On September 28, 2021, the drug dealer was convicted by a federal jury.