Pawtucket man sentenced to serve 15 years in state prison for 2020 gang-related shooting
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced today that a Pawtucket man has been sentenced in Providence County Superior Court to serve 15 years at the Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI) after pleading to his role in a gang-related shooting in 2020.
On June 12, 2023, Devonte Teixeira (age 23) entered a plea of nolo contendere to one count of felony assault, one count of discharge of a firearm when committing a crime of violence, and one count of carrying a pistol without a license.
At the hearing, Superior Court Justice Kristin E. Rodgers sentenced the defendant to 35 years, with 15 years to serve at the ACI and a consecutive 20-year nonparolable suspended sentence with 20 years probation. The Court also issued a No Contact Order between the defendant and the assault victim.
“Much of the senseless of gun violence in Rhode Island stems from a common set of circumstances – young men with the ability to acquire guns with relative ease, who are all too willing to use them to settle petty disputes,” said Attorney General Neronha. “The defendant here not only nearly killed a young man, but further engaged in a litany of lawless behavior that further compounded his culpability. He will now have the opportunity to think about the consequences of this actions for a significant period of time at the ACI. I am grateful in this case, and in so many others, for the great work of the Pawtucket Police Department and the prosecutors in my Office.”
Had the case proceeded to a trial, the State was prepared to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that in the evening of August 25, 2020, the defendant observed the victim walking home and exchanged words. The victim ran away, and the defendant responded to the victim’s home to wait for him. When the victim arrived home, the defended shot him with a 9 mm pistol, striking the victim’s abdomen, back, and hand, before fleeing the scene. Rescue personnel transported the victim to Rhode Island Hospital where he was rushed to emergency surgery to stabilize his condition.
During their investigation, detectives identified the defendant as a suspect and on September 1, 2020, interviewed the defendant at which time he confessed to the shooting, stating the incident stemmed from an ongoing dispute between neighborhood gangs. The defendant also sent messages through Facebook messenger after the shooting, confirming his role in the assault.
Investigators retrieved two 9 mm shell casings from the scene, but were never able to recover the pistol used in the shooting.
Investigators Seargeant Michael Cioe, Detective Joel Jarvis, and Special Assistant Attorney General Alison Bittl led the investigation and prosecution of the case.
