Isaac Corona, a man with a history of benefiting from lenient plea deals in gun cases, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to murder. This comes just four months after being paroled in his third sweetheart plea deal. Corona admitted to murdering 21-year-old Justin Gamino in Back of the Yards in May 2022 before Judge James Obbish.
According to prosecutors, Corona and another man named Antonio Gonzalez were passengers in a stolen SUV when they rode past a school on the 5100 block of South Elizabeth. Corona allegedly saw Gamino standing next to a car, and without any provocation, he opened fire on him from the back seat of the SUV. Gamino, a father of a 2-year-old girl who was about to receive his high school diploma, was shot multiple times and died at the scene. The SUV fled the scene and crashed as police closed in, leading to the arrest of Corona and two juveniles.
Corona’s criminal history reveals a troubling pattern of reduced charges and light sentences. As a juvenile, he received probation for illegal gun possession. In 2016, he fired shots at a victim but struck a deal with prosecutors, pleading guilty to reckless discharge instead of attempted murder. He was sentenced to three years in prison but served significantly less time due to good behavior and credit for time served.
In 2021, Corona was arrested for being a felon in possession of a firearm and later found with ammunition while on electronic monitoring. Despite these offenses, he received a two-year sentence for his third felony gun case as part of a COVID backlog deal by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. This leniency ultimately led to the tragic death of Justin Gamino.
Corona’s case highlights the importance of balancing justice with leniency in plea deals, as unchecked leniency can have devastating consequences. It serves as a reminder of the need for accountability and thorough consideration of the implications of lenient sentencing practices.
