In messages recovered from cellphone extractions, Trent and Austin discussed in detail a synthetic drug they could make, using either a combination of ketamine or morphine and K2. E.M.P.I.R.E. Because of the extraordinary work of our law enforcement partners, the defendants now face federal charges for their crimes., FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said: As the indictment alleges, the violence and drug activity committed by these gang members threatened the safety of our communities and placed innocent lives at risk. Count Fourteen (Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of Narcotics Conspiracy And Aiding and Abetting the Same). Investigators claim that Walter "Shells" Luster is the reputed leader of the Money Gang Cave. He tried to drop his flag. 0:45. Casanova is the 13th defendant to admit guilt in the FBI 's RICO case against the Brooklyn -based Gorilla Stone gang. Officials claim Pena went into hiding for three months before popping up again in June of that year, where he is accused of having fatally shot Francesco "Franky" Gonzalez, 23, in the face. Sligh is currently serving a five-year term of probation after being convicted of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree in January 2020 after being arrested with a handgun in Peekskill. Due to my incurable racism, I'm going to assume that whatever illiterate toad who named the Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation was attempting to pay homage to the Black Guerilla Family, a black-nationalist prison and street gang whose roots go back further than the Crips and Bloods. Woods was charged with the Slashing in New York County Supreme Court, and was released on bail in that case. Sligh faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison. As for Casanova, has pleaded guilty to racketeering and dealing a significant amount of illegal drugs as part of the RICO case against the Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation. Although the Government believes this particular shooting has no connection to Gorilla Stone, it does show that Austin is incredibly violent. Count Fourteen (Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of Narcotics Conspiracy and Aiding and Abetting the Same). In the course of this investigation, the Government has learned that Erskine acts as one of the Casanovas sentencing date has been pushed back to April 26th, 2023. One was named the 59 Brims after its LA counterpart, though it operated independently. In fact, the UGSN employed a rigid hierarchical structure, which included positions ranging from top-ranked members to street soldiers. On October 14, 2020, a .40 caliber firearm was found in Thomass car after a traffic stop in Queens. The gang, which also calls itself the Mac Balla Family, is based in the Morrisania section of The Bronx but has tentacles across the city, especially in Brooklyn and Staten Island, as well as upstate and New Jersey. 924(c)(1)(A)(i) and 2), Life in prison; Mandatory minimum of 5 years in prison to run consecutively to any other sentence imposed, Count Fifteen: Possession and Brandish of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime (18 U.S.C. window.ezoSTPixelAdd(slotId, 'adsensetype', 1); As alleged in the Indictment unsealed today in White Plains federal court[1]: DWIGHT REID, a/k/a Dick Wolf, CHRISTOPHER ERSKINE, a/k/a Beagle, WALTER LUSTER, a/k/a Shells, DESHAWN THOMAS, a/k/a Don, NAYA AUSTIN, a/k/a Baby, BRANDON NIEVES, a/k/a Untouchable Dot, AHMED WALKER, a/k/a Ammo, CASWELL SENIOR, a/k/a Casanova, BRANDON SOTO, a/k/a Stacks, DEZON WASHINGTON, a/k/a Blakk, ROBERT WOODS, a/k/a Blakk Rob, STEPHEN HUGH, a/k/a Chino, JORDAN INGRAM, a/k/a Flow, SHANAY OUTLAW, a/k/a Easy, ISAIAH SANTOS, a/k/a Zay, ROBERTA SLIGH, a/k/a Trouble, and BRINAE THORNTON, a/k/a Luxury, are members of a racketeering conspiracy known as Gorilla Stone. Share this article: What is Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation? Giving back to the community through a variety of venues & initiatives. Washington is a Peekskill-based member of Gorilla Stone. 1028A(a)(1), 1028(b) and 2). Another was the GSG - Gorilla Stone Gangstas. Victoria Bosah
New York City residents deserve communities free of dangerous drugs and the violence that comes with them, and HSI will continue working with our law enforcement partners to bring these offenders to justice. This effort will enhance the safety and quality of life in our community. Messages recovered from Sotos Instagram account and other cellphones show that he was instrumental in planning the murder. Count Thirteen (Narcotics Conspiracy); and Hugh faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison. Calderon and Rios then allegedly put out a hit on Russell, who was killed by three associates, the charges state. ins.style.height = container.attributes.ezah.value + 'px'; Hunt, U.S. Drug Enforcement (DEA), New York Division, and Bronx County District Attorney Robert Johnson announce the 217 count Grand Jury indictment of 23 alleged leaders and members of the Untouchable Gorilla Stone (UGSN) and the Black Stone Gorilla (BSGG) - a set of the Bloods gang and its affiliates that operated throughout the Bronx, with an emphasis on Castle Hill and Co-op City. HUGH shot at rival gang members to maintain and increase his position in the Gorilla Stone racketeering enterprise operating in the Southern District of New York. 102 Raymond Avenue Crips. The gang features a money unit and a murder unit. BRONX, N.Y. - Special Agent in Charge James J. E.M.P.I.R.E.). Senior admitted that as part of the racketeering activity, on or about July 5, 2020, while at a party in Florida that included gang members, he discharged a firearm at an individual with whom he was having a gambling dispute. Thomas Leahy. The reach of UGSN, as determined during the course of the investigation, extended far beyond the borders of the Bronx. In short, Gorilla Stone has sophisticated financial operations for a street gang. Last week, Naya Austin was convicted of being a prolific drug dealer for the gang and committing a gunpoint robbery at a hotel in Peekskill, New York. Count One (Racketeering Conspiracy); On February 2, 2020, during a drug deal where the customer refused to pay Santos, Santos robbed the customer and brandished his gun while threatening the customer. Seniors pending robbery chargethe underlying conduct for which was captured on high-quality surveillance videoin New York County Supreme Court provides a concrete example of how he has relied on the gang for acts of violence. Sligh is a Peekskill-based member of Gorilla Stone and close associate of defendant Austin. First, Thomas is a prolific narcotics trafficker. On September 21, 2020, BRANDON SOTO, to further the Gorilla Stone enterprise, participated in and facilitated the murder of a minor victim, and aided and abetted the same, in Poughkeepsie, New York. EXCLUSIVE: Woman Who Blamed Casanova For Breaking Her Jaw Drops Lawsuit. He missed his target, then was killed by cops. A scuffle ensues and eventually a fellow Gorilla Stone member, Bobby Williams, places the victim in a chokehold until the victim lost consciousness and is dropped to the floor. ins.className = 'adsbygoogle ezasloaded'; That doesnt include their control of a bustling underground market of contraband at Rikers, where a single loose cigarette, known as a finger, can fetch $10 and vulnerable inmates pay protection money to avoid being stabbed or beaten. (212) 637-2600, Human Trafficking & Child Sexual Exploitation, Department of Justice Harassment Prevention Resource. The Gorilla Stone gang allegedly sold crack cocaine and marijuana in the Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn and Westchester and used shocking acts of violence to advance their interests, according to the indictment. He is also charged with carrying out the gunpoint robbery with Austin and Washington, which is described above. Official websites use .govA .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. indictment (20-cr-626). Austin is charged in the following counts: Count One (Racketeering Conspiracy); This case is being prosecuted by the Offices White Plains Division. Three things became apparent from review of those cellphone extractions. Count Thirteen (Narcotics Conspiracy); and Inside a Blood Set. Their unabashed criminal behavior, as alleged, included the murder of a 15 year-old and even extended to defrauding programs meant for people suffering economic hardship due to the pandemic. They are the new Mafia, a ruthless Bronx-based cabal of drug dealers and gunrunners that officials call the most dangerous gang in the city. Other gangs fear them.. Luster faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison. Count Thirteen (Narcotics Conspiracy); and He was heard remarking on the youth of the gangs newest prison arrivals. Count Three (Violent Crime in Aid of Racketeering); The gang is also heavily involved in the rap industry, law enforcement sources say. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. Austin was facing a mandatory minimum sentence of 24 years in prison, but she took a plea deal, yet she was still sentenced to a long time behind bars. Naya Austin, the highest-ranking female member of the Gorilla Stone Reign Cave gang, has been sentenced to 19.5 years in prison for her involvement in a sweeping RICO case. Count Thirteen (Narcotics Conspiracy); and Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: "As alleged in the Indictment, members of Gorilla Stone committed terrible acts of violence, trafficked in narcotics, and even engaged in brazen fraud by exploiting benefits programs meant to provide assistance in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The money unit rakes in millions from dealing heroin, crack, pot and prescription pills like OxyContin. A number of the defendants were arraigned in Bronx Supreme Court before Justice Steven Barrett. In text messages recovered from Hughs phone, approximately 30 minutes after the shooting, Hugh texts another member of Gorilla Stone: Tell Ammo [defendant Walker] its situated. Hugh followed that message up with: I would never want to bring di[s]grace to the family you heard. In other words, Hugh appears to admit to carrying out the shooting at Walkers behest to defend Gorilla Stones reputation. It is also alleged they regularly discussed criminal activities of fellow gang members that had occurred in other New York counties or in other states. Public Service Announcement on Sexual Assault in Public Housing. Last December, federal authorities charged 18 alleged members of UGSN on charges including racketeering, murder, narcotics, firearms and fraud. As part of the racketeering conspiracy offense, SENIOR admitted to participating in a shooting in Florida on July 5, 2020, a robbery in New York City on August 5, 2018, and conspiring to traffic over 100 kilograms of marijuana. Please click here for further information. container.appendChild(ins); Assistant US Attorney Shiva Logarajah claims the gang is "highly organized and highly efficient.". Shell casings were recovered from the scene of the shooting after it happened. var pid = 'ca-pub-3315857087083691'; Cellphone location data and license plate reader Count Fourteen (Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of Narcotics Conspiracy and Aiding and Abetting the Same). Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. 5 Walker is currently on Federal Probation after that convictionand a conviction for narcotics conspiracy as part of the same case in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Making sure that victims of federal crimes are treated with compassion, fairness and respect. SENIOR pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Philip M. Halpern. On January 12, 2018, ROBERT WOODS maimed and assaulted an individual with a dangerous weapon, and aided and abetted the same, by slashing the individual in the face. This is part of our ongoing drive to combat gun violence and drugs, to make the streets of the Bronx even safer for our deserving, hard-working citizens., This operation is another example of the NYPD targeting a group of individuals responsible for a disproportionate amount of violence and narcotic trafficking, said Police Commissioner William J. Bratton. Count Eleven (Possession with Intent to Distribute 28 grams and more of Crack Cocaine); Count Nine (Violent Crime in Aid of Racketeering); Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Even after this latest arrest, based on information provided to the Government from a confidential informant, Santos has continued to traffic in narcotics. In other words, Erskine explicitly admits that getting grants into D.A. Count Six (Possession and Brandishing a Firearm in Relation to Count Five); Based on extractions from his cellphone and Austins cellphone, Hugh was intimately involved with crack cocaine distribution across Westchester County. Woods is charged in the following counts: Count One (Racketeering Conspiracy); And it was only months later that Sligh was seemingly looking for another firearm in the conversation discussed above. The total maximum term of prison on these two counts is 60 years, with a mandatory minimum term of five years in prison. He and his top associate, Eli Blood Eli Rios, 38, who is doing life upstate for homicide, oversee an extensive network in the state and city jails as head of a Mafia-like commission that dictates all family matters, including the sanctioning of hits on rivals and turncoats, the investigator said.