Gang member sentenced to serve 80 years for downtown drive-by shooting

March 29, 2018 3:05 pm

By Sam Vaccaro

Email: svaccaro@abc6.com

Twitter: @VaccaroABC6

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) – The culprit of a brazen drive-by shooting in downtown Providence last winter was sentenced to serve 80 years in prison for his part in the shooting that left a man seriously wounded.

Joseph “Black” Segrain, 34, of Pawtucket, was sentenced Thursday to a total of 90 years, with 80 to serve in prison, 35 of which are non-parolable for his involvement in the January 2017 shooting that left 22-year old Matthew DePina seriously injured.

Segrain’s sentencing comes after being found guilty by a Providence County Superior Court jury in February on all charges, including:

one count of assault with a dangerous weapon
one count of discharging a firearm while in the commission of a crime of violence
one count of drive-by shooting
one count of possession of a firearm without a license
one count of possession of a firearm having been previously convicted of a crime of violence
one count of conspiracy

The Attorney General’s office said that Segrain and other members of the “Bucket East” gang were targeting a relative of DePina involved with the rival “Bucket West" gang after a courtroom altercation when they fired on his vehicle. Matthew DePina had no apparent ties to the gang.

Attorney General Peter Kilmartin said, “I hope Joseph Segrain has learned a valuable lesson— if you engage in gang violence and show a complete and utter lack of respect for human life, you will receive a lengthy sentence for your crimes”.

Segrain was sentenced to an additional nine years after being found in violation of his probation for an earlier drug trafficking conviction.