MANHATTAN, NEW YORK: A New York Police officer allegedly provided insider information to her boyfriend, who is associated with a Bronx gang, about an ongoing federal investigation.
This included disclosing the identity of a crucial witness and assisting him in evading charges related to a murder case, as per the New York Times. The details emerged from an indictment that was unsealed on Wednesday, August 16, 2023.
Who is Gina Mestre?
Gina Mestre is a 33-year-old former NYPD police officer who served in the 52nd Precinct. She is a Hispanic female. Her tenure started on July 2013 and ended in June 2022.
Public records indicate that Mestre had a checkered history during her tenure on the job, accumulating nearly thirty complaints, primarily for alleged abuse of authority. Five of these complaints were later validated.
Gina Mestre associated with Andrew 'Caballo' Done and 'Shooting Boys'
Additionally, Gina Mestre has been named in a minimum of 12 lawsuits, resulting in settlements totaling $765,000, as shown by the records. By 2019, it is alleged that the officer was associating with Andrew "Caballo" Done and the "Shooting Boys" gang.
The gang was involved in distributing fentanyl, crack, and other narcotics, as well as carrying out armed robberies and attacking rival groups, according to the indictment. Since at least 2017, the gang has been causing fear in the University Heights neighborhood.
Prosecutors contend that around June 2020, Mestre began sharing information with the gang regarding an ongoing federal grand jury investigation into their activities. Disturbingly, she reportedly even disclosed the identity of a witness involved in the case, who was later targeted by the gang in an intimidation effort.
Gina Mestre shared classified information with Andrew 'Caballo' Done
Gina Mestre has been accused by Manhattan federal prosecutors of providing confidential information to the "Shooting Boys" gang. This alleged action occurred after she engaged in an "intimate relationship" with the gang's leader. The prosecutors characterized her actions as "shameless."
The disgraced officer reportedly went to the extent of alerting her supposed partner Done about an ongoing police search for him. This development followed the shooting of a rival gang member in September 2020, as detailed in the four-count indictment.
On November 5, 2020, Done allegedly shot and fatally wounded a rival gang member on Cromwell Avenue in the Bronx. In response, law enforcement obtained surveillance footage of the incident and initiated a manhunt.
Interestingly, Mestre was reportedly one of the officers involved in the investigation, as stated in the indictment.
In the past year, federal prosecutors revealed a 15-count indictment against 10 individuals associated with the 'Shooting Boys' gang. Among them was Done, who was accused of the 2020 murder. Done entered a guilty plea on November 17, 2022.
By that time, Mestre, who had reportedly been connected to the gang, had already departed from the NYPD in May 2022.
Gina Mestre accused of exploiting her position as a cop
"Gina Mestre shamelessly exploited her position of public trust to assist gang members in her own NYPD precinct that were terrorizing the Bronx by committing robbery, murders, drug trafficking and other acts of violence," US Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement.
"The indictment unsealed today alleges that the defendant abused her position as an NYPD police officer by, among other things, obstructing a federal grand jury investigation into the gang and assisting the gang’s leader in evading capture for a cold-blooded murder committed in broad daylight," Williams added.
