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Ex New York Corp and Prison Cellmate of Jeffery Epstein Sentenced To Life For Four Murders
Former NY police officer Nicholas Tartaglione receives four consecutive life sentences for the 2016 kidnapping and murder of four men.
Nick Tartaglione is shown in 2001 in his then-Yonkers home with his former K-9 partner from the Pawling Police Department, now his pet, named Angus. Journal News File Photo
A former New York police officer and one-time cellmate of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, Nicholas Tartaglione, was sentenced Monday to four consecutive life sentences for the 2016 kidnappings and killings of Martin Luna, Miguel Luna, Urbano Santiago, and Hector Gutierrez, prosecutors confirmed.
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams described Tartaglione as “a former police officer-turned drug dealer.” Tartaglione had been convicted in April 2023 of 11 counts of murder, four counts of kidnapping resulting in death, one count of kidnapping conspiracy, and one count of narcotics conspiracy.
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“Unfortunately, the life sentences were mandatory given the convictions at trial,” said Inga Parsons, lead attorney for Tartaglione. She added that the defense plans to appeal the convictions, insisting on Tartaglione’s innocence.
Tartaglione had shared a prison cell with Jeffrey Epstein at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City but was moved prior to Epstein’s suicide in August 2019. He was among the first individuals interviewed by the FBI following Epstein’s death.
Prosecutors said Tartaglione suspected Martin Luna of stealing money and arranged a meeting to confront him. Martin Luna arrived with his nephews, Miguel Luna and Santiago, and a family friend, Hector Gutierrez. What Tartaglione planned as a confrontation turned into a “deadly trap,” according to authorities. Martin Luna was tortured, and Tartaglione allegedly forced one of his nephews to watch as he strangled Martin with a zip tie.
Following that, Tartaglione and two associates took Miguel Luna, Santiago, and Gutierrez to a remote wooded area, compelled them to kneel, and fatally shot them in the back of the head before burying them in a mass grave.
Williams said in a statement, “Nicholas Tartaglione brutally and senselessly murdered Martin Luna over money, and then ruthlessly executed Urbano Santiago, Miguel Luna, and Hector Gutierrez simply because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
The sentencing marks the conclusion of one of the Southern District of New York’s most high-profile murder trials involving a former law enforcement officer.
Editor’s Note:
This case highlights the severity of crimes committed by individuals in positions of authority and the importance of the justice system in holding perpetrators accountable, regardless of prior professional status.
