Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces Murder Charges Against Bronx Gang Member For 2011 Murder Of Jose Webster

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, James J. Hunt, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced additional charges in a Superseding Indictment against a member of the “MacBallas” gang based in the Andrew Jackson and Melrose Houses in the Bronx.  In the Superseding Indictment, which was returned today, NATHANIEL FLUDD, a/k/a “Juntao,” is charged with the September 15, 2011, murder of Jose Webster, a/k/a “Spillz.”

FLUDD and a co-defendant were previously charged with the 2011 murder of Daniel Delgado in an Indictment unsealed on June 27, 2018.  That Indictment also charges 20 members and associates of the MacBallas with racketeering, narcotics trafficking, robbery, and firearms offenses. In addition to the new charges related to the Webster murder, the Superseding Indictment re-alleges the charges that had previously been brought in the Indictment against FLUDD and 19 others. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote.  FLUDD and the 19 other defendants will be arraigned on the new charges later in the week.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “As alleged, Jose Webster was murdered in 2011 by Nathaniel Fludd and other members of the violent MacBallas gang. We thank our law enforcement partners for their extraordinary efforts investigating this murder. With their help, we will continue our efforts to eradicate this senseless gang violence from our communities.”

DEA Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt said:  “The comprehensive investigations into gang-related crime have an uncanny knack for uncovering and linking additional crimes to defendants. In this case, we identified not just one, but two murders committed by one of the gang members, Nathaniel Fludd.  I commend the agents, detectives, and prosecutors for their diligent work on this investigation.”

Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD’s Bronx Violent Crimes Squad and the New York Field Division of the DEA.

The charges contained in the Superseding Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.