Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray announced today that Jahmal McNeil, 32, of Irvington was convicted by an Essex County Jury of 2nd degree eluding.
Assistant Prosecutor Lynne Borasio, who tried the case, said McNeil was arrested on June 23, 2010 by the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office VIPER Unit at 3 a.m. in Irvington. He was observed driving recklessly and disregarding a stop sign.
When officers attempted to pull McNeil over, he refused to stop and temporarily got away from the officers. However, the officers were able to identify McNeil and later arrested him at his home located at 126 22nd Street in Irvington, according to Assistant Prosecutor Borasio.
McNeil is a high-ranking member of the G-Shine set of the Bloods street gang, the prosecutor said. The case was tried before the Honorable Ronald D. Wigler, J.S.C.
A guilty verdict was returned today. After the jury returned the verdict, Judge Wigler revoked McNeil’s bail and remanded him to the Essex County Jail, where he will remain until he is sentenced on April 15. Bail had been set at $75,000. When McNeil is sentenced the state will seek the maximum penalty of 10 years in state prison.
Information about McNeil’s status as a gang member was not presented to the jury because the state did not want to prejudice the case, but Assistant Prosecutor Borasio said she was pleased he is off the streets.
“I would like to commend the detectives of VIPER for making the people of Essex County safer tonight by helping to put this man behind bars,’’ Assistant Prosecutor Borasio said.
She said very often cases involving gang members are difficult to prosecute because witnesses are reluctant to testify against gang members. In this case the key witnesses were law enforcement officers.
