In the late summer of 2014, a man named Luis Perez was tragically killed in Harlem, New York. On the evening of August 12th, his life was cut short in a violent encounter that would remain unresolved for years. The incident took place near 501 West 147th Street, where he was fatally shot. The brazen act was later determined to be connected to a dispute over a drug debt, a revelation that would eventually lead investigators to the men responsible for his death.
The investigation into the
murder of Luis Perez unfolded over a nearly a decade. The breakthrough in the case came with the identification of two Bronx men, Carlos Laureano and Nnandi Ben-Jochannan. It was discovered that on the day of the murder, Ben-Jochannan had driven Laureano to the location in Harlem. He waited in the car, serving as the getaway driver, while Laureano carried out the shooting. Following the murder, the two men took steps to conceal their involvement, including cleaning the vehicle and disposing of evidence that could link them to the crime.
Ultimately, the tireless work of law enforcement brought both men to justice. In October 2023, Carlos Laureano pleaded guilty to discharging a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking offense. Nnandi Ben-Jochannan also pleaded guilty in December 2023 to a firearms charge related to the same drug trafficking crime. In May of 2024, their sentences were handed down. Carlos Laureano, the man who pulled the trigger, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the murder of Luis Perez. His accomplice, Nnandi Ben-Jochannan, received a 10-year prison sentence for his role in the fatal shooting.
