NEW YORK ( CNN ) -- Lillo Brancato Jr. , an actor who appeared in `` The Sopranos , '' was acquitted of the 2005 killing an off-duty New York City police officer but found guilty of attempted burglary . Lillo Brancato Jr. appeared on `` The Sopranos '' and played alongside Robert De Niro in `` A Bronx Tale . '' Brancato , 32 , was also acquitted of two counts of burglary , but could face three to 15 years in prison on the attempted burglary charge . He has already served three years , according to his attorney , Joseph Tacopina . Police officer Daniel Enchautegui , 28 , was killed trying to break up a burglary attempt at his neighbor 's house in the Bronx in December 2005 . During the trial , Brancato said there was not a break-in . Brancato said he knew the owner of the home , and that he and friend Steven Armento , 51 , were drinking at a strip club when they decided to go hunt for valium . Brancato told the jury that the owner , a Vietnam veteran , gave him permission to come to his house and take painkillers or other pills whenever he wanted . Brancato admitted to breaking a window at the home , but said it was strictly because he was going through intense heroin withdrawal that night and he said he was trying to wake up his friend to get the drugs . When Brancato and Armento entered the home , the next door neighbor -- Enchautegui -- came outside to investigate . That 's when prosecutors said Armento shot the officer through the heart with his .357 Magnum . Armento was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in November . The jury in that trial took less than six hours to convict Armento . Enchautegui was shot in the chest by Armento when he interrupted the alleged robbery , but managed to shoot both suspects multiple times before dying . `` This jury spoke loud and clear , that Lillo had nothing to do with the murder of this police officer , '' Tacopina said . Brancato appeared on six episodes of the hit HBO series `` The Sopranos '' as a wannabe mobster in 2000 . As a teen , Brancato starred alongside actor Robert De Niro in `` A Bronx Tale . ''
Anthony Brancato Jr. played a wannabe mobster on ` ` The Sopranos '' who faced up to 20 years for attempted murder charges . Actor said he allowed him to come and get drugs when needed . As a teen , Brancato starred alongside actor Robert De ##kker in ` ` A Bronx Tale ''