Recording Artist Gang Leader Pleads Guilty To Racketeering And Narcotics Trafficking Conspiracies

 

Caswell Senior, a/k/a “Casanova,” Admits to a Shooting and a Robbery, and Having a Gang Leadership Role, and is Thirteenth Defendant to Plead Guilty

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that recording artist CASWELL SENIOR, a/k/a “Casanova,” pled guilty today to racketeering and narcotics offenses arising out of his leadership role in the Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation Bloods Gang (“Gorilla Stone”) in Westchester County, New York City, and Florida.  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.  SENIOR pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Philip M. Halpern. 

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said:  “Like twelve of his co-defendants, Caswell Senior, an accomplished recording artist and performer, now stands convicted of playing a leadership role in Gorilla Stone, a particularly violent Bloods gang that operates throughout New York and across the country.  In addition to his supervisory role, Senior was an active, hands-on participant in the gang’s senseless violence, including a shooting in Miami and contributing to a robbery at a Manhattan diner.  Dismantling violent gangs and stopping gun violence continues to be one of my highest priorities.  Thanks to the dedication of our partners at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Senior now awaits sentencing for his dangerous conduct.”      

According to the Indictment, public court filings, and statements made in court:

Beginning in at least 2004 and lasting until December 2020, SENIOR participated in and was associated with the Gorilla Stone racketeering conspiracy.  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.  A victim suffered serious bodily injury because of the shooting.  Thereafter, other party attendees discharged multiple firearms.  Additionally, SENIOR stipulated that as part of a separate August 5, 2018 robbery in Manhattan, a victim was restrained and suffered serious bodily injury.  In connection with his guilty plea, SENIOR further stipulated that he was an organizer or leader of a criminal activity that involved five or more participants and he agreed to traffic at least 100 kilograms of marijuana.

SENIOR, 35, of Montville, New Jersey, is scheduled to be sentenced by United States District Judge Philip M. Halpern on December 6, 2022, at 11:00 a.m.  SENIOR pled guilty to one count of conspiring to conduct and participate in the conduct of the affairs of a criminal enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity and one count of conspiring to distribute over 100 kilograms of marijuana.  The total maximum term of prison on these two counts is 60 years, with a mandatory minimum term of five years in prison. 

The maximum and mandatory minimum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

SENIOR is the thirteenth defendant in the Gorilla Stone case to plead guilty.  The twelve other defendants who previously pled guilty are: DESHAWN THOMAS, a/k/a “Don,” NAYA AUSTIN, a/k/a “Baby,” BRANDON NIEVES, a/k/a “Untouchable Dot,” DONAVAN GILLARD, a/k/a “Donnie Love,” JARRETT CRISLER, Jr., a/k/a “Jayecee,” DEZON WASHINGTON, a/k/a “Blakk,” STEPHEN HUGH, a/k/a “Chino,” JORDAN INGRAM, a/k/a “Flow,” SHANAY OUTLAW, a/k/a “Easy,” ROBERTA SLIGH, a/k/a “Trouble,” BRINAE THORNTON, a/k/a “Luxury,” and JAMAL TRENT, a/ka/ “Trap Smoke.” 

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force, which is comprised of special agents and task force officers from the FBI, US Probation, New York State Police, New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, NYPD, Westchester County PD, Westchester County DAs Office, Putnam County Sheriff's Office, Rockland DAs Office and the Yonkers, New Rochelle, Mount Vernon, Greenburgh, White Plains, Peekskill, Ramapo and Clarkstown Police Departments.