Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”); and Edward A. Caban, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging BRUCE MORRIS, a/k/a “G,” with murder through the use of a firearm and a conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine. MORRIS was arrested and was presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stewart D. Aaron. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, almost eight years ago, Bruce Morris murdered Jerome Jemison in the Bronx in connection with a long-running drug conspiracy. Thanks to the hard work of the prosecutors in this Office and our law enforcement partners at the NYPD and FBI, Morris will finally be held to account for this heinous crime. With these charges, we continue our daily work of investigating and prosecuting those who perpetrate these senseless acts – no matter how many years have passed. We hope this prosecution brings some measure of comfort to the victim’s loved ones.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: “Firearms and illegal narcotics continue to infiltrate and plague our city, posing a grave danger to New Yorkers. In 2016, Bruce Morris allegedly murdered Jerome Jemison – prematurely ending the life of another over a drug trafficking operation. The FBI remains steadfast in its mission to remove firearms from the streets and deliver justice for those fallen victim to unnecessary gun violence, regardless of when the crime was committed.”
NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban said: “Gun violence goes hand-in-hand with the illicit drug trade, and today’s charges show the tragic consequences of that reality. The NYPD and our law enforcement partners remain committed to investigating drug-related murders, no matter how long it takes. We also remain committed to disrupting and dismantling the actors and enterprises that fuel such drug-related violence, as well as to removing from our streets all illegal firearms and everyone allegedly willing to use them. I commend the NYPD investigators and FBI agents involved in this important case, as well as the prosecutors at the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, for their indispensable work.”
As alleged in the Indictment:[1]
MORRIS shot and killed Jerome Jemison on August 11, 2016, in the Bronx, New York, in relation to an eight-year crack cocaine distribution conspiracy.
MORRIS, 42, of the Bronx, New York, is charged with one count of murder through use of a firearm, which carries a statutory maximum sentence of death or life in prison, and one count of narcotics conspiracy, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The minimum and maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the NYPD.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Weinberg, Camille L. Fletcher, and Jeffrey W. Coyle are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
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