ALFRED — Gang Majok, who was convicted last week of murdering Treyjon Arsenault in Portland’s Old Port in 2015, pleaded guilty to an aggravated drug trafficking charge Wednesday in York County Superior Court stemming from his arrest in Saco that same year.
Majok was sentenced to 15 years in state prison and a $2,000 fine. The sentence will run concurrent with the 30-year prison term for the murder, handed down March 3 in Portland.
Majok was arrested in Saco on July 27, 2015, when U.S. marshals, Saco police and agents from the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency entered an apartment where he was staying.
Police took him into custody, and found a white, chalky substance inside a plastic bag in his pocket that was determined to be roughly 10 grams of crack cocaine. After getting a search warrant, police found more bags and a scale, as well as two .22 caliber handguns, ammunition and $748 in cash.
Majok, wearing an orange prison uniform, stood between his attorneys, Kristine Hanly and Robert Ruffner, during the hearing.
Majok was one of two defendants in the shooting death of Arsenault, 19, a graduate of Westbrook High School and the captain of its football team.
Arsenault was hanging out with friends at Da Block Studios Inc. at the corner of Fore and Market streets when shooting broke out on the night of May 25, 2015. Arsenault, who was shot in the abdomen, was not involved in the conflict that led to the shooting and did not know the people involved.
According to authorities, Majok and one of Majok’s associates, Johnny Ouch of Westbrook, got into an argument with Mohamed Ali, a longtime rival of Ouch.
The argument escalated and Majok and Ouch started shooting, according to Ouch’s attorney. Ouch shot Ali, who survived. Arsenault was shot by Majok and died from his wounds. Police recovered at least nine bullet casings from the two handguns.
Majok is also a suspect in a 2014 shooting at Sangillo’s Tavern in Portland. Cumberland County authorities said Monday that they are pursuing a plea deal with Majok and have not yet presented the case to a grand jury.
Before this week, authorities had never formally identified Majok as the suspect in the Sangillo’s shooting, even though he was arrested near the bar right afterward and charged with assault, refusing to submit to arrest and violating bail conditions.
Majok also was named in a lawsuit filed by the victim in that shooting, Nasir Hirad, who alleges that Majok shot him in the back as he left the bar after a confrontation inside. That lawsuit, which also names the tavern’s owners as defendants for failing to protect Hirad and for not intervening in the alleged confrontation with Majok, is pending.
Majok, a Sudanese national in the United States on asylum status, will be subject to deportation when he completes his prison sentence.
Ouch pleaded guilty to elevated aggravated assault in July, but has not been sentenced yet. Ouch had agreed to testify against Majok.
Matt Byrne can be contacted at:
mbyrne@pressherald.com
Copy the Story LinkComments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
