Member Of Bronx Drug Gang Convicted Of Racketeering And Attempted Murder In The Shooting Of A Baby Girl

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that on Friday, July 24, 2026, a jury found SAMUEL BAUTISTA, a/k/a "Sammy," guilty of racketeering conspiracy, attempted murder and assault, and additional firearms and drug-related charges. BAUTISTA was found guilty following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge George B. Daniels and is scheduled to be sentenced on December 2, 2026.

"On the evening of January 19, 2022, Bautista, an armed drug trafficker, shot at a rival dealer but missed, instead striking an 11-month-old baby girl who was seated in a car seat beside her mother in the face," said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. "Somehow, she survived, but with devastating injuries. It was such an outrageous crime that it captured the attention of people across this city and this country the night it occurred. New Yorkers want gun toting criminals off our streets and we hear them. We will not allow armed drug traffickers to take this city from the women and men who are raising their families here. And to the gangs who think the streets of New York are their territory to fight over, we remind you that you can cover your head, you can cover your face, but eventually, we will find you. And when we find you, you will be convicted and you will go to federal prison."

According to the charging instruments, public court filings, and the evidence presented at trial:

From 2011 to 2023, members of 2860, a violent drug-trafficking organization and street gang based at 2860 Grand Concourse in the Bronx, New York, distributed large quantities of cocaine base, in a form commonly referred to as "crack," to their customers on the street. Notwithstanding a prior federal drug-trafficking conviction for this very criminal activity, BAUTISTA was released from federal prison in 2016 and resumed armed drug trafficking. At all times, the members of 2860 fought with rival dealers, with whom they clashed on many occasions, including on January 19, 2022, when BAUTISTA shot at a rival dealer and instead hit the baby girl.

A number of BAUTISTA's co-conspirators and fellow members of 2860 previously pled guilty and are awaiting sentencing, and the rival dealer whom BAUTISTA targeted on January 19, 2022, was also convicted and sentenced on multiple drug and firearms-related charges.

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BAUTISTA, 33, of the Bronx, New York, was convicted of racketeering conspiracy, attempted murder and assault in aid of racketeering, and multiple firearms and drug-related charges. The racketeering conspiracy and multiple firearms and drug-related charges all carry a maximum sentence of life in prison. BAUTISTA faces a combined mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years.

Mr. Clayton praised the victim's parents for their commitment to obtaining justice for their daughter and the outstanding work of the New York City Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Mr. Clayton also thanked the Bureau of Prisons, the New York City Department of Correction, and the Utica Police Department for their assistance.

This case was investigated and prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods ("PSN"), the Department of Justice's nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to address strategically specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department's commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies.

This case is being handled by the Office's Violent Organizations and Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas John Wright and Ryan W. Allison are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Sandy Alcantara.