BRIDGEPORT — A 30-year-old man was sentenced Monday to 40 years in federal prison for his involvement in a violent street gang.
Lorenzo Carter, also known as “Zo” and “Skiii,” received 480 months of imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release from U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley.
Carter was a member of the Original North End gang, known as “O.N.E.,” which operated in the Trumbull Gardens area and committed acts of violence against rival gangs.
The gang targeted the East End gang, the East Side gang and the PT Barnum gang, according to court documents.
O.N.E. members also robbed drug dealers and customers, sold narcotics and stole cars from inside and outside Connecticut, often using the vehicles to commit crimes.
On Aug. 13, 2018, Carter and other gang members drove a stolen Jeep to Stratford and Union avenues where they shot and killed Len Smith, 25, whom they mistook for a rival East End member.
They also shot and seriously wounded Smith’s female companion, both of whom were seated in a parked car.
After the shooting, Carter and other members transported the Jeep to Indian Well State Park in Shelton where they burned the vehicle to destroy evidence.
The stolen Jeep had been taken from Newburgh, New York, on Aug. 9, 2018.
Gang members frequently used social media to promote and coordinate their criminal activities.
Carter was convicted Nov. 21, 2023, of racketeering conspiracy after trial.
He has been detained since May 21, 2021.
Carter’s criminal history includes state and federal firearm convictions.
In 2016, he was sentenced in New Haven federal court to 21 months of imprisonment for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
Approximately 47 members and associates of multiple Bridgeport-based gangs have been convicted of federal offenses stemming from this investigation.
The investigation has solved eight murders and approximately 20 attempted murders.
