A Manhattan federal jury has found John Livigni guilty of conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death, marking a significant development in a long-running investigation into drug trafficking centered around Washington Square Park. Livigni, 49, was convicted Wednesday for leading a wide-reaching network that prosecutors say sold millions of doses of crack cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and other opioids in and around the Greenwich Village park between 2020 and 2025.

Authorities presented evidence linking Livigni’s organization to at least two fatal overdoses, including those of Bailey Shaw, an 18-year-old intern who had moved to New York City, and Bethany Hine, a 43-year-old woman living near Sixth Avenue. The conspiracy involved 19 other co-defendants, with 18 having pleaded guilty prior to Livigni’s trial. If sentenced to the maximum penalty, Livigni faces life in prison.

“For far too long, New Yorkers were forced to live with the dangerous drug dealers who had turned Washington Square Park...into an open-air drug market,” said Jamie McDonald, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch lauded officers from the Sixth Precinct and detectives who conducted undercover purchases, efforts that culminated in key arrests.

The investigation revealed a sophisticated operation dubbed the “Yellow Bag Boys,” named for the distinctive packaging used for crack cocaine. Testimony from Justin Barry, one of Livigni’s employees who pleaded guilty to conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing, described an organized structure where each dealer was overseen by at least two managers. Dealers worked in multiple shifts around the clock, reportedly moving hundreds of heroin and crack cocaine units daily. Prosecutors estimated the ring generated at least $50,000 weekly, accepting stolen goods and public benefit cards as partial payment.

Central to the prosecution’s case was the assertion that Livigni’s network collaborated with other drug rings operating within Washington Square Park. Leaders of those groups, including Maliek Lugg (“Scarface”) and Jared Covington (“King”), both pleaded guilty to related charges. Prosecutors argued that the groups collectively controlled territory, excluded outsiders, shared personnel, and coordinated efforts to evade law enforcement.

Livigni’s defense rejected these claims, portraying the park and surrounding area as a chaotic environment with multiple independent dealers. Defense attorney Elena Fast maintained that there was no singular conspiracy tied to Livigni’s organization and pointed to evidence that drugs responsible for the overdose deaths originated from other unconnected sources. In closing arguments, she emphasized the ubiquity of drug sales in the park and questioned why other dealers outside her client’s network had not been prosecuted.

Washington Square Park has a long history as a popular public space, drawing tourists, students, and community members, but it has also been a known site of drug activity for decades. Previous law enforcement efforts, including initiatives under former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, sought to reduce narcotics trafficking in the area, but dealers persisted and adapted.

Livigni was acquitted of a separate gun possession charge at trial. His legal team has announced plans to appeal the conspiracy conviction. Meanwhile, law enforcement officials highlighted the verdict as a step toward reclaiming the park and its neighborhood from entrenched drug trafficking networks.