People v. Rankin

Appeal from a judgment of the County Court of Ulster County (Williams, J.), rendered July 26, 2011, upon a verdict convicting defendant of the crime of conspiracy in the second degree.

*1232While defendant was in jail facing criminal possession of a weapon charges in connection with a shooting, his brother and fellow gang member, Trevor Mattis, shot and killed the principal witness against defendant.* Defendant was then charged with conspiracy in the second degree for orchestrating the murder. A jury convicted him and he was sentenced as a prior violent felony offender to a prison term of I2V2 to…