Gang member gets 40 years for killing man in front of his son

A South Los Angeles gang member was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison Monday for executing a man in front of his child simply because the man was of Mexican descent.

Anthony Gabrourel, 23, also known as “Bandit” in the Pueblo Bishop Bloods gang, was convicted for his role in a racketeering plot that ultimately led to the slaying of Francisco Cornelio, 24.

Cornelio, who was not affiliated with any gang, died after Gabrourel shot him in the back with a shotgun. Cornelio was vacuuming his car with his 2-year-old son when he was killed.

Authorities said Cornelio was killed because of his Mexican heritage and Gabrourel and his cohorts were retaliating for the death of one of their own by a Latino member of the 38th Street Gang. The Pueblo Bishop Bloods have operated out of the Pueblo del Housing Projects in Los Angeles for decades, federal prosecutors say.

Gabrourel was convicted after the state unsuccessfully tried him in 2011. Two other men, Gary “Big J-Killa” White, 47, and Jermaine “Lil’ J-Killa” Hardiman, 31, were also convicted in the slaying. White was sentenced to 14 years and Hardiman is scheduled to be sentenced April 8.

The convictions are part of a larger federal operation against the Pueblo Bishop Bloods. For the first time in the Los Angeles federal district, a Bloods or Crips gang was prosecuted using the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). Using the RICO act, 45 members of the gang have been indicted. Forty have been convicted, two are in state custody, two are fugitives and one is scheduled to go on trial in November.

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Joseph.serna@latimes.com

@josephserna