Fox News Digital reported that a former high school principal convicted of killing a student whom he had recruited to sell drugs was sentenced to 18 years behind bars on charges of racketeering.
Shaun Harrison (also known as “Rev”), an alleged self-styled minister who pleaded guilty in 2022 to a racketeering plot, was sentenced to 218 months in prison.
In a statement released on Thursday, United States Attorney Rachael Rollins said that “Harrison was responsible for ruining an entire generation’s lives. He targeted and groomed vulnerable youth at risk.”
The level of dishonesty and betrayal displayed here is astounding. Harrison held a position that was supposed to be a place of trust but was a dangerous predator. “As the academic dean of a Boston Public High School, he lured teenagers and manipulated them into a criminal organization that specialized in street terrorism”, Rollins said.
Harrison, who was in prison after attempting to kill a student that he recruited to sell pot, continued to be associated with Latin Kings. This violent criminal organization has thousands of members. The gang helped Harrison during his incarceration, refusing any accusations and depositing money in his jail account.
Harrison was hired by Boston Public Schools in 2015 to be an academic dean for English High School. This role involved working with students at risk. Officials claim he recruited the same at-risk youths into his gang. Harrison made students distribute the drugs he supplied, and Harrison collected the proceeds.
Harrison shot the student in the back of his head when he thought he might be contacted by the police if a student who was dealing drugs with him stole money. The shooting was captured on camera.
The student was able to survive, but he still suffers from permanent hearing loss and other serious injuries.
“Shaun Harrison lived a double life – he used his position as high school dean in order to recruit youth at risk into violent criminal enterprises and engage in violence.” The sentence today ensures that he stays in prison for a long time and is off the streets of Boston, said Joseph R. Bonavolonta. Special Agent in Charge of Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Boston Division.
The FBI and its law enforcement partners work hard to combat the convergence of guns, drugs, and gangs.