On a summer evening in the Bronx, 24-year-old Odane Michael Bentley was tragically killed in front of his home on De Reimer Avenue. Just before 11 p.m. on July 17, 2015, Bentley was struck by a bullet in the chest. Emergency responders rushed him to Montefiore Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. The initial investigation left police searching for the person responsible for the senseless act.
For years, the case remained unresolved, leaving a void for those who knew the young man who had aspired to be a chef.
The investigation into Odane's death eventually led to a significant breakthrough. In March 2021, authorities arrested and charged Ronald Goland, a member of the MacBallas, a subset of the Bloods street gang. The investigation revealed that the shooting was a result of gang violence, with Bentley being an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire. It is alleged that Goland, also known as 'Bigg Base,' was shooting at a rival gang member when one of the bullets penetrated the front door of Bentley's home, fatally striking him. This information came to light following a long-term wiretap investigation into narcotics trafficking.
Ronald Goland, 29 years old at the time of his arrest, faced multiple charges for his alleged involvement in the death of Odane Bentley. The charges included murder in aid of racketeering, murder through the use of a firearm, and conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering. The indictment also included charges related to the attempted murder of a rival gang member in a separate incident in 2018. The arrest brought a long-awaited development in a case that had remained a painful mystery for Bentley's loved ones for over five years.
