In a tragic case of mistaken identity, two men have pleaded guilty to conspiring to kill the husband of Claudia Iacono, admitting in court that her fatal shooting was a grave error. The incident, which occurred nearly three years ago outside the Montreal spa she owned, has revealed connections to organized crime figures in the city.
Guilty Pleas in Conspiracy Case
Tyranne Andre Greenidge, 32, and Kalial Nesfield, 29, both residents of Vaudreuil-Dorion, entered guilty pleas on Tuesday to charges of conspiring to murder Antonio Gallo. During the court proceedings, they acknowledged that Iacono's death was unintended, with Gallo being their actual target.
Superior Court Justice François Dadour accepted a joint recommendation for both men to receive 18-year prison sentences, describing the terms as "a serious sanction" for their roles in the conspiracy. The men were originally facing first-degree murder charges before the Crown filed the new conspiracy charges earlier this month.
Organized Crime Connections
The court heard that Gallo is the son of deceased Montreal Mafia leader Moreno Gallo, who was fatally shot in Mexico in 2013. This family connection to organized crime appears to have been a factor in the targeting, though the actual victim had no such involvement.
Justice Dadour noted that the joint statement of facts presented in court demonstrated both men had taken "several steps toward the attempt to kill Gallo." Despite this planning, the execution went tragically wrong when Iacono became the victim instead.
The Fatal Mistake
The court was informed that Iacono was killed by accident on May 16, 2023, outside her spa on Jean-Talon St. W. in Montreal. Surveillance video shown during Tuesday's hearing revealed a gunman exiting a white Honda Civic as Iacono was backing out of a parking space in her Genesis vehicle.
The gunman approached the Genesis and fired nine shots toward the driver's side before returning to the Civic and fleeing the scene. Remarkably, the people involved in the plot knew Gallo drove a Mercedes, which was different from the Genesis his wife used, yet the mistaken identification still occurred.
Greenidge and Nesfield are not believed to have been the actual shooter in the incident, according to court information.
Family Impact and Ongoing Case
One of Iacono's sisters delivered an emotional victim impact statement during the hearing, weeping as she described the family's continuing suffering from what she called a "terrible mistake." A publication ban protects her identity, but her words conveyed profound grief.
"Her absence is everywhere," the sister stated. "Claudia was an innocent soul. This should not have happened. The pain you have caused my family is unimaginable." She characterized the shooting as barbaric and inhumane in her statement.
The case remains ongoing, with two other individuals still facing charges in connection with Iacono's death. The Montreal police investigation into the shooting continues as the judicial process moves forward with these latest developments.
