Jason Sullivan, accomplice of former Yonkers police officer Nicholas Tartaglione, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison. Sullivan’s testimony played a pivotal role in the conviction of Tartaglione for the murders of Martin Luna and three others.
The murders
The events unfolded in April 2016 when Jason Sullivan lured Martin Luna to Likquid Lounge in Chester, NY. Sullivan, Luna’s employer, set up the meeting under the pretext of Luna providing an estimate for a construction job. But really, this meeting involved a dispute concerning the illegal drug ring both men were engaged in with Nicholas Tartaglione.
At the time, Sullivan had left New York and moved to Florida. He entrusted his construction business to Martin Luna, and also allowed Luna to store drugs in his vacant home. Luna would acquire the drugs in Texas and then transport them to New York. Most of the funding for this operation was supplied by Tartaglione.
However, Luna became the target of Tartaglione after claiming he was ripped off by his Texas suppliers. Sullivan then collaborated with Tartaglione in the plan to entrap Luna at a bar. Matin Luna, his nephew Miguel Luna, his niece’s husband Urbano Santiago, and friend Hector Gutierrez, arrived at the bar to Tartaglione lying in wait. There, Tartaglione strangled Luna to death with a zip tie. The other three men were shot in the head.
Plea and sentencing
Authorities arrested Tartaglione in December, eight months after the killings. With the cooperation of Tartaglione’s accomplices like Marcos Cruz and Jason Sullivan, the victims’ bodies were recovered and Tartaglione was convicted for the murders.
Sullivan pleaded guilty to the drug and kidnapping conspiracy. But, claimed he had no direct part in the killings. Despite facing a recommended sentence of 30 years to life, Sullivan received a 10-year sentence. The reduced sentence resulted from the prosecution’s request for leniency as a result of Sullivan’s cooperation.
Nicholas Tartaglione still awaits his February 2024 sentencing for his quadruple murder conviction.
