October 27, 2020

USA: Bloods Gang Members Sentenced To Life In Prison For Racketeering Conspiracy Involving Murder, Other Crimes. Bloods Gang Member Posing As Cop Gets Over 18 Years In Prison For Robbery, Rape

U.S. Dept of Justice
Tuesday, October 27, 2020

Five members of the United Blood Nation (UBN or Bloods) street gang were sentenced in Charlotte, North Carolina, after standing trial on federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy and other charges. These defendants’ sentences are the culmination of a prosecution that charged 83 UBN gang members in the Western District of North Carolina with RICO conspiracy and other crimes.

U.S. District Judge Frank D. Whitney sentenced three defendants to terms of life imprisonment. A jury previously convicted those defendants, Dricko Dashon Huskey, aka Drizzy, 28, of Shelby, North Carolina, Renaire Roshique Lewis Jr., aka Banz, 26, of Shelby, North Carolina, and Jonathan Wray, aka Jon Jon/Yungin, 29, of Lawndale, North Carolina, of racketeering conspiracy, finding that each defendant personally committed murder. The jury also convicted Lewis of murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, attempted Hobbs Act robbery, and two counts of discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, one of which resulted in death.

Judge Whitney also sentenced Alandus Montrell Smith, aka Kadafia, 30, of Shelby, North Carolina, and Bradley Beauchamp, aka Bizzie, 32, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Smith was sentenced to 25 years of imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release based on his jury convictions for RICO conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Beauchamp was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison followed by two years of supervised release based on his convictions during a bench trial for RICO conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy.

“Members of the United Bloods Nation gang left a trail of destruction across North Carolina, committing multiple murders, robberies, and other crimes,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The significant sentences imposed today demonstrate the Department’s commitment to thwarting gang violence and reinforce the severe consequences awaiting those who jeopardize the safety of our communities.”

“The Bloods are a violent gang that poses a serious threat to the safety and stability of our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Murray for the Western District of North Carolina. “This case is an outstanding example of what federal, state, and local law enforcement can accomplish when we strike back at gangs and dismantle gang networks that spread violence in our cities and fear in our neighborhoods.”

“Murders, assaults, robberies, these ruthless gang members committed crime after crime with no regard for anyone not part of the UBN,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert R. Wells of the FBI’s Charlotte Field Office. “These hefty federal prison sentences are the final step to secure justice for every innocent person impacted by their violent actions.”

According to evidence presented at the October 2019 trial, Lewis and four other UBN members drove from Cleveland County, North Carolina, to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, in order to rob an 18‑year‑old victim of marijuana and money. Lewis and another UBN member then shot and killed the victim and attempted to murder the victim’s friend, who survived a gunshot wound to his arm. The evidence presented at trial also established that Wray shot and killed a member of the Crips, a rival gang, at a party with other Bloods in Shelby, North Carolina. Evidence at trial further proved that Huskey murdered an unarmed man during an argument by shooting the victim multiple times and continuing to shoot while the victim was on the ground.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the UBN is a violent criminal street gang operating throughout the east coast of the United States since it was founded as a prison gang in 1993. UBN members are often identified by their use of the color red and by common tattoos or burn marks. The UBN has a militaristic structure, with positions of Godfather, High, Low, Five-Star to One‑Star Generals, and soldiers. UBN members use distinct hand signs and written codes, which are used to identify other members and rival gang members, as well as to try to thwart law enforcement efforts against them.

Members of the UBN are expected to conduct themselves and their illegal activity according to rules and regulations set by their leaders. Prominent among these is a requirement to pay monthly dues to the organization, often in the amounts of $31 or $93. UBN gang dues are derived from illegal activity performed by subordinate UBN members including narcotics trafficking, robberies, and wire fraud, among other forms of illegal racketeering activity.

In May 2017, 83 UBN gang members were indicted in the Western District of North Carolina for RICO conspiracy and other crimes. In all, 82 defendants have now been sentenced as a result of this investigation, with one defendant awaiting resentencing and one fugitive believed to be living overseas remaining. In May 2018, a jury convicted three top leaders of the UBN of racketeering conspiracy. In July 2019, Beauchamp was convicted of racketeering conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy at a bench trial. And in October 2019, a jury convicted Huskey, Lewis, Wray, and Smith of racketeering conspiracy and other charges as described above. All other defendants pleaded guilty to their crimes before trial.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Charlotte Field Office; the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department; the Shelby Police Department; the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office; the Gastonia Police Department; the North Carolina State Highway Patrol; the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office; the North Carolina Department of Public Safety Adult Corrections and Juvenile Justice; North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles; Scotland Neck Police Department; the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation; the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office; the U.S. Federal Probation; the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the IRS Criminal Investigation; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command; and the New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, Office of Special Investigations. Trial Attorney Beth Lipman of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matt Warren and Christopher Hess for the Western District of North Carolina are prosecuting the case.

This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
The New York Post
written by Rebecca Rosenberg
Friday October 9, 2020

A Brooklyn man who goes by the nickname “Moneybags” was hit with 18 1/2 years in prison Friday for posing as an NYPD cop to rob a drug dealer then rape the pusher’s sister, officials said.

Devone Jefferys, 28, was convicted at trial of robbery conspiracy, attempted robbery of heroin and cash, and the unlawful use and possession of a firearm for the July 31, 2015, home invasion and rape in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Jefferys, a reputed Bloods gang member, and his co-defendant impersonated police officers when they stormed into the apartment, their guns pointed at a pregnant woman who was in labor and the dealer’s mother and sister.

The duo ordered them to lie on the floor and bound them with duct tape. Jefferys ransacked the apartment searching for drugs and cash, while he and his cohort aimed their guns at the victims’ heads and the pregnant woman’s stomach, authorities said.

After Jefferys realized that the dealer’s sister tossed a bag of heroin out a window, he dragged her outside to an alleyway and raped her, according to federal prosecutors.

“Today’s substantial sentence will protect the community by incapacitating this violent predator, who inflicted injury and terror upon his victims before he was brought to justice,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Seth DuCharme.

U.S. District Judge Kiyo Matsumoto handed down the sentence in Brooklyn federal court.
The Detroit News
written by Robert Snell
Thursday October 22, 2020

Detroit — Federal prosecutors unsealed racketeering and drug charges Thursday against seven men, including the purported leader of the It's Just Us street gang who is accused of killing a man outside an eastside bar.

The case against alleged leader Duane "Juan" Peterson, 35, of Detroit was unsealed more than three years after prosecutors say he was paid $10,000 to kill handyman Christopher Marcilis outside B.O.B.'Z Lounge near Harper and Interstate 94. Marcilis, 34, was killed as retaliation for insulting the gang and a deceased member, according to the indictment.

Prosecutors accuse Peterson of heading a racketeering conspiracy from 2014-19 that included dealing pain pills, fentanyl-laced heroin, crack cocaine and marijuana, and committing homicide and violent assaults.

The indictment is the latest crackdown on violent street gangs by using federal racketeering laws, a tactic that has led to more than 100 people being charged in federal court in Detroit in recent years.

“Our message to violent drug-dealing gang members could not be more clear: our federal and state law enforcement team knows exactly who you are, and we are coming after you,” U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider said in a statement. “Today, our neighborhoods are safer because these violent gang members are off our streets.”

The Detroit News highlighted the racketeering strategy, which carries long prison sentences, and how prosecutors used the charge against members of the Seven Mile Bloods gang in the crime series "Death by Instagram" two years ago.

The Detroit men charged Thursday are:
  • Dionne Peterson, aka "Chapo Streeter" and "Streets," 34, who prosecutors say was a lieutenant in the gang.
  • Deshawn Peterson, aka "Red," 30, who also is accused of being a lieutenant.
  • Luther Peterson, aka "Mook," 26, who also is identified as a lieutenant.
Prosecutors charged three other men who were identified in the indictment as lower-ranking IJU members. They are.
  • Dayquan Johnson, aka "Day Day," 23.
  • James Davis, aka "Jamo," 26.
  • Melvin Brown, aka "June," 21.
  • All seven defendants are either in state or federal custody.
Duane Peterson is serving a state prison case for assault and weapons crimes. His earliest release date is 2042.

Deshawn Peterson and Davis made brief appearances in federal court Thursday. They are being temporarily detained until a bond hearing Monday and are in the process of receiving court-appointed lawyers.

It's Just Us, abbreviated as IJU, was founded by the Peterson family in 2014 and operated primarily on the east side of Detroit, according to the indictment. The gang also was known as 458, Young N Turnt, 25 and Block Kings, or BK.

Prosecutors say the gang stashed guns and drugs in houses across the area and claimed certain bars and restaurants as part of the gang's turf.

"Patrons and owners recognized IJU members and gave them the privilege of carrying firearms inside the business and remaining at the business after hours," the indictment reads.

IJU members distributed drugs in Flint and Jackson and traveled to West Virginia cities, including Huntington and Parkersburg, according to the government.

"IJU members transported the drugs for sale by affixing them to the bumper or engine area of the car in magnetic boxes," the indictment reads. "Sometimes, they employed females to hide the drugs on their person."

Prospective members were required to sell drugs and commit acts of violence before joining IJU, according to the government. New members were required to get the letters IJU or numbers 458, tattooed on their bodies and wearing IJU-branded clothes, prosecutors said.

Members created a climate of fear in the community by committing acts of violence, threats and intimidation, according to the government.

The violence turned deadly on May 17, 2017, on the eastside of Detroit, prosecutors said.

That day, an unidentified person offered Duane Peterson and a second member $10,000 to kill Marcilis, who is referred to in the indictment as "C.M."

Duane Peterson and others, including Dayquan Johnson, Luther Peterson and Melvin Brown confronted Marcilis at B.O.B.'Z Lounge, according to prosecutors.

Marcilis retreated as IJU members shot at him and eventually fell on his face.

Duane Peterson and another member aimed their handguns at the back of Marcilis' head, prosecutors said. Peterson fired his handgun, killing the man, according to the indictment.

Investigators later recovered handguns from the roof of a nearby building. Forensic analysis linked the firearms to ammunition casings found near Marcilis' body.

After the Marcilis killing, Duane Peterson and a second unidentified member split the $10,000, according to the government.

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