“SEV-O” GANG MEMBERS INDICTED FOR SHOOTINGS, ROBBERIES AND STEALING $200,000 FROM ATM MACHINES

Twelve Defendants Charged in Conspiracy; Posed with Riches on Social Media

Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that 12 members of the “Sev-O” gang have been indicted in a conspiracy that includes four shootings, three robberies and a check scam that netted them more than $200,000 from ATM machines. 

 District Attorney Clark said, “These young men engaged in street violence, as well as electronic thievery, and brazenly posed with wads of cash and bragged about their exploits on social media. Officers of the 44th Precinct were instrumental in making this case.” 

District Attorney Clark said that the defendants, who range in age from 17 to 23 years old, allegedly belong to an offshoot of the Bloods and call themselves Sev O because most of them reside near East 170th Street and Clay Avenue in the Claremont section of the Bronx. 

They were variously charged in a 71-count indictment including first, second, third, fourth and fifth-degree Conspiracy, second-degree Attempted Murder, second and fourth degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon, second and third-degree Assault, first, second and third-degree Robbery, fourth-degree Grand Larceny, Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument and other charges. 

Five of those indicted were already in jail and seven were arrested yesterday. Four of the defendants have been arraigned before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Steven Barrett and are due back in court on January 19, 2017 and the rest are awaiting arraignment. 

Five of the defendants are charged with first-degree Conspiracy and could face a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of life in prison if convicted. The others could face up to 8 1/3 to 25 years in prison if convicted of second-degree Conspiracy. A thirteenth person was charged only with Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument. 

 According to the investigation, members of the group allegedly engaged in four shootings at rival crews. On November 22, 2015, in the vicinity of 1398 Clay Avenue, it is alleged that defendant Joel Baba (“Jay Gunz”) and Deiondre Harris (“Stackz) were acting together, and Harris shot towards members of a rival gang, grazing a man in the head. On November 28, 2015, during a conversation with a person on Facebook, Harris posted a screenshot of a news article referring to a recent shooting in which a man was grazed in the head, then stated to the person, “We going to jail…I hit something in the head.” 

 In one of the robberies charged as an overt act in the indictment, on July 13, 2014, in the vicinity of Fordham Road and Webster Avenue, defendants Emmanuel Bruntson (“Kase”), 23, and Latif Evans (“La La”), 20, and others allegedly surrounded a young boy on a bus, robbed him of his cell phone and ID, displayed a blade and told the victim that if he snitched they knew where he lived and would kill him. 

 According to the indictment, the group obtained bank cards, PIN numbers and forged checks. In numerous transactions, they deposited the checks into ATMs and withdrew the cash, for a total in excess of $200,000. 

 The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Paul Irace of the Gangs/Major Case Bureau, under the supervision of Christine Scaccia, Chief of the Gangs/Major Case Bureau. District Attorney Clark would also like to thank Police Officers Jawuan Hubbard and Sean Brown, formerly of the 44th Precinct; the Field Intelligence Officers of the 44th Precinct, and the Bronx Grand Larceny Squad for their assistance in this case.  

An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.

DEFENDANTS: 

LAQUAN HEYWARD, A/K/A QUAN (10/7/94), 364 East 170th Street, Bronx, NY, REMANDED 

ANDRE CURRY-CRUZ, A/K/A FLEX (12/17/94), 3190 Rochambeau Avenue, Bronx, NY 

RASHAUN POPE, A/K/A RAY (4/18/97), 1241 College Avenue Bronx, NY $10,000 BAIL SET

DEVON VINES, A/K/A DEV (5/27/93), 1355 Clay Avenue, Bronx, NY REMANDED

RONNIE SULLIVAN, A/K/A ZAY (1/12/99), 1487 Teller Avenue, Bronx, NY

JOEL BABA, A/K/A JAY GUNZ (11/5/97), 1405 College Avenue, Bronx, NY 

LATIF EVANS, A/K/A LA LA (12/11/95), 3190 Rochambeau Avenue, Bronx, NY 

TYQUAN SMITH, A/K/A MOOKIE (12/26/95), 150 West 139th Street NY, NY 

DEIONDRE HARRIS, A/K/A STACKZ (3/14/95), 306 East 171st Street, Bronx, NY 

EMMANUEL BRUNTSON, A/K/A KASE (9/6/93), 15 East Clarke Place, Bronx, NY 

DAVON DELKS, A/K/A DAY DAY (1/1/99), 306 East 171st Street, Bronx, NY 

BRYAN VINES, A/K/A TREY (2/24/92), 739 Arnow Avenue Bronx, NY $100,000 BAIL SET Charged only with Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument: RAMEL LOGAN (8/12/96), 1810 Lexington Avenue NY, NY RELEASED