Francis “BF” Guerra a long time associate of the Colombo crime family was sentenced to 14 years in prison on a drug conviction. Authorities claimed he fraudulently obtaining and selling the prescription drug Oxycontin after an investigation back in 2010-2011. Guerra was recently acquitted by a jury of two mob hits but U.S. District Judge Sandra Townes she believed the government by a preponderance of evidence had proven he committed the murders. The judge then said she was permitted to consider the violent crimes and his future dangerousness when handing down the stiff 14 year sentence. Gerald McMahon the defense attorney for Guerra said it was a disgrace for judge Townes to tell a jury who said he was not guilty of the murders that he was.
“Francis Guerra”
Feds claimed that Guerra murdered Michael Devine back in 1992 on orders from then acting boss Alphonse Persico the son of official Colombo family boss Carmine Persico Jr. Devine was killed because he had a relationship with Alphonse Persico’s wife. Guerra was also allegedly responsible for the mafia hit on then Colombo family underboss Joseph Scopo during the bloody Colombo family war one of the most violent feuds in mob history. Scopo was part of a faction that was attempting to take control of the mafia family from the Persicos. The murder of Scopo was key to Guerra and his co-conspirators winning the war and the Persico faction maintaining control of the Colombo family. But at trial Guerra claimed that he was home playing the board game clue at the time Scopo was murdered. The jury bought the “Col. Mustard” claim and he was cleared of the Scopo hit along with the murder of Devine.
U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch said that Guerra chose a life years ago in organized crime which has always been more about money then honor and murder was his stock in trade. She said that this sentence is a harsh warning to others thinking of attempting to illegally traffic these dangerous drugs. It is also a warning to other associates and members of organized crime that they too will be held accountable for such crimes.
