Former Bronx anti-violence leader sentenced to 10 years in prison

Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler announces the arrest of 15 people, including the director of the Bronx Rises Against Gun Violence program Michael Rodriguez, at a press conference in Middletown on Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023.

Screenshot courtesy Orange County Sheriff’s Office Facebook

Michael Rodriguez, the former director of the group Bronx Rises Against Gun Violence (B.R.A.G.), was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Jan. 4 in Orange County after pleading guilty to narcotics and conspiracy charges. 

Back in October 2023, Rodriguez, 49, of Yonkers, pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first degree and conspiracy in the second degree. Based on the plea deal, in addition to his prison term, he will serve five years of post-release supervision and will forfeit a car, as well as $165,000.

“The significant sentence imposed in this case is justified based on the appalling conduct of a person who claimed to advocate for reduction in gun violence,” Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler said in a statement. 

Rodriguez was originally busted in July 2023 as part of a two-year drug investigation by the City of Middletown Police Department and Orange County Drug Taskforce. The investigation originally targeted Angelica Rodriguez (no relation), who had long been suspected of running a drug ring in the county. 

In the course of the investigation, Angelica Rodriguez’s phone was tapped and authorities discovered that Michael Rodriguez was the main supplier of cocaine to her and another individual, Taino Lopez, who resold the drugs. 

Authorities searched Michael Rodriguez’s residence in Yonkers on July 26 and found two unlicensed guns, over 1.5 kilograms of cocaine, and $165,509 in cash, plus other drug paraphernalia and jewelry. Rodriguez was one of 15 people arrested as a result of the multi-agency investigation.

B.R.A.G., which Rodriguez once helped lead, is a well-known anti-violence…