Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and James O’Neill, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging a total of 13 members and associates of the Blood Hound Brims gang (“BHB” or the “Gang”), a subset of the national Bloods street gang, with various racketeering, narcotics, and firearms offenses, including three attempted murders.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “As alleged, the Blood Hound Brims gang was built for crime, with a leadership structure, subgroups known as ‘pedigrees,’ a system to impose discipline, and dues paid to cover prison guns, drugs, commissary funds, and lawyer fees. The Blood Hound Brims’ brand of havoc that allegedly included drugs, guns, and violence affected several neighborhoods in New York City and Westchester and reached as far as Pennsylvania. Thanks to the work of the FBI and NYPD, today we arrest and put federal charges on thirteen of this violent gang’s alleged members and associates, including its founder and leader.”
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney stated: “The violence that accompanies the drug trade doesn’t just impact the gang members who make the choice to pick up a firearm and aim it at their rivals, or allegedly in this case, at their fellow gang members. Many times innocent people get caught in the crossfire during turf wars. The FBI NY Metro Safe Streets Task Force works day in and day out to track these violent offenders and get them out of the communities they terrorize.”
As alleged in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court[1]:
The BHB was a criminal enterprise that operated principally in the greater New York area, from at least 2005 up to and including 2016. The BHB was a faction of the Bloods street gang, which operates nationwide, and is under the New York Blood Brim Army (“NYBBA”). The BHB operated within and around various locations in New York, including New York City, Westchester County, Elmira, and in Pennsylvania, as well as within and outside federal and state penal systems.
The BHB used a hierarchical structure that was organized, in part, by New York City borough, and that was maintained, in part, through the payment of dues. The founder and leader of the Gang was LATIQUE JOHNSON, and other members and associates of the BHB referred to JOHNSON as the “Godfather.” The Gang was divided into several “pedigrees,” each of which had its own leadership structure which was approved by JOHNSON. Leadership positions within the pedigrees included, among others, treasurers who collected dues from members of a particular pedigree, and individuals who performed security and disciplinary functions for the pedigree. In addition to JOHNSON, GREEN, SANCHEZ, MURRAY, MORTON, CHERRY, KAID, GRAYSON, ROSATIO and EVANS all held leadership positions within the Gang at different times.
Members of the BHB had regular meetings, sometimes called “pow wows” or “9-11s,” at which members were required to pay dues. Some of the meetings were among members of a particular pedigree, and other meetings were for all members of the Enterprise. Word of the meetings was disseminated via text message, word-of-mouth, and flyers. The BHB’s business, including rivalries with other gangs, shootings, the arrest of gang members, guns, and drugs, was regularly discussed at these meetings. “Kitty dues” – money that paid for commissary funds, lawyers, guns, and drugs, and that served as tribute to JOHNSON – were collected at these meetings. The BHB maintained its own rules and constitution that new members were required to learn. Members of the BHB also used code words and secret phrases to communicate with each other both while in prison and on the street in order to avoid detection by law enforcement.
One of the BHB’s principal objectives was to sell cocaine base, commonly known as “crack cocaine,” powder cocaine, and heroin, which members and associates of the BHB sold throughout the greater New York area and in Pennsylvania.
Members and associates of the BHB engaged in multiple acts of violence against rival gangs. These acts of violence included assaults and attempted murders, and were committed to protect the Gang’s drug territory, to retaliate against members of rival gangs who had encroached on the territory controlled by the BHB, and to otherwise promote the standing and reputation of the Gang vis-à-vis rival gangs. These acts of violence also included assaults and attempted murders against members and associates of the BHB itself, as part of internal power struggles within the Gang.
For example, on or about April 3, 2009 in Greenburgh, New York, CHERRY and MORTON attempted to murder KAID during a power struggle within the BHB, during which MORTON shot and injured KAID, who survived the shooting. Then, on or about January 28, 2012 in the Bronx, New York, JOHNSON and MURRAY attempted to murder two members of a rival gang when JOHNSON fired into a fried chicken restaurant, injuring two individuals who survived the shooting. The violence continued, and on or about September 26, 2012 in the Bronx, New York, JOHNSON, KAID and CANNON attempted to kill two other members of a rival gang at whom KAID fired gunshots.
Count One of the Indictment charges LATIQUE JOHNSON, BRANDON GREEN, INES SANCHEZ, DONNELL MURRAY, THOMAS MORTON, DAVID CHERRY, SAEED KAID, ERIC GRAYSON, MARQUES CANNON, MANUEL ROSARIO, MICHAEL EVANS, and TERRELL PINKNEY with participating in a racketeering conspiracy.
Count Two charges JOHNSON and MURRAY with assault and attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering in connection with the January 28, 2012 shooting at members of a rival gang.
Count Three charges JOHNSON, KAID and CANNON with assault and attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering in connection with the September 26, 2012 shooting at members of a rival gang.
Count Four of the Indictment charges JOHNSON, GREEN, MURRAY, MORTON, CHERRY, KAID, GRAYSON, CANNON, ROSARIO, EVANS, and PATRICK DALY with participating in a narcotics conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine, powder cocaine and heroin.
Count Five of the Indictment charges GREEN, MURRAY, MORTON, CHERRY, KAID, GRAYSON, CANNON, ROSARIO, EVANS and PINKNEY, with firearms offenses in connection with the racketeering and narcotics conspiracies charged in Counts One and Four, respectively.
Counts Six and Seven of the Indictment charge JOHNSON with firearms offenses in connection with the racketeering and narcotics conspiracies charged in Counts One and Four, respectively, and with use of a firearm in connection with assault and attempted murder in aid of racketeering in connection with Count Two.
Nine of the 13 defendants, INES SANCHEZ, THOMAS MORTON, DAVID CHERRY, ERIC GRAYSON, MANUEL ROSARIO, MICHAEL EVANS, and TERRELL PINKNEY were taken into federal custody yesterday or this morning and will be presented before United States Magistrate Judge Henry Pittman later today. MARQUES CANNON was arrested in the Northern District of New York and was presented before a magistrate judge. PATRICK DALY was arrested in the Western District of New York and was presented before a magistrate judge. SAID KAID is currently incarcerated in state custody on other charges, and will be presented at a later date. LATIQUE JOHNSON is already in federal custody on prior charges and will be presented on the new charges at a later date. BRANDON GREEN and DONNELL MURRAY remain fugitives. The case of United States v. Latique Johnson, et al, S1 16 Cr. 281 (PGG) has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Paul G. Gardephe.
Charts containing the names, ages, residences, charges, and maximum penalties for the defendants are set forth below. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
| COUNT | CHARGE | DEFENDANTS | MAX. PENALTIES | |||
| 1 | Racketeering conspiracy 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) | LATIQUE JOHNSON BRANDON GREEN INES SANCHEZ DONNELL MURRAY THOMAS MORTON DAVID CHERRY SAEED KAID ERIC GRAYSON MARQUES CANNON MANUEL ROSARIO MICHAEL EVANS TERRELL PINKNEY | 20 years in prison | |||
| 2 | Assault and attempted murder and Conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering activity 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959 & 2 |
LATIQUE JOHNSON DONNELL MURRAY | 10 years in prison | |||
| 3 | Assault and attempted murder and Conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering activity 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959 & 2 |
LATIQUE JOHNSON SAEED KAID MARQUES CANNON | 10 years in prison | |||
| 4 | Narcotics conspiracy 21 U.S.C. § 846 | LATIQUE JOHNSON BRANDON GREEN DONNELL MURRAY THOMAS MORTON DAVID CHERRY SAEED KAID ERIC GRAYSON MARQUES CANNON MANUEL ROSARIO MICHAEL EVANS PATRICK DALY |
Life in prison Mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison | |||
| 5 | Using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of, a crime of violence or drug trafficking crime 18 U.S.C. § 924(c) | BRANDON GREEN DONNELL MURRAY THOMAS MORTON DAVID CHERRY SAEED KAID ERIC GRAYSON MARQUES CANNON MANUEL ROSARIO MICHAEL EVANS TERRELL PINKNEY |
Life in prison Mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison | |||
| 6 | Using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of, a crime of violence or drug trafficking crime 18 U.S.C. § 924(c) |
LATIQUE JOHNSON | Life in prison Mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison | |||
| 7 | Using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of, a crime of violence 18 U.S.C. § 924(c) |
LATIQUE JOHNSON | Life in prison Mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison | |||
| DEFENDANT | AGE | RESIDENCE | |||
| LATIQUE JOHNSON a/k/a “La Brim” a/k/a “Straight 2 Business” a/k/a “Breezy” a/k/a “Boss Dog” |
36 | In Custody | |||
| BRANDON GREEN a/k/a “Light” a/k/a “Moneywell” |
33 | Bronx, NY | |||
| INES SANCHEZ a/k/a “Meth” |
36 | Bronx, NY | |||
| DONNELL MURRAY a/k/a “Don P” |
37 | Bronx, NY | |||
| THOMAS MORTON a/k/a “10 Stacks” |
40 | Elmhurst, NY | |||
| DAVID CHERRY a/k/a “Showtime” |
35 | Queens, NY | |||
| SAEED KAID a/k/a “O-Dog” |
36 | In Custody | |||
| ERIC GRAYSON a/k/a “Gistol” |
33 | Bronx, NY | |||
| MARQUES CANNON a/k/a “Paper Boy” |
31 | Syracuse, NY | |||
| MANUEL ROSARIO a/k/a “Top Dolla” |
37 | New York, New York | |||
| MICHAEL EVANS a/k/a “Puff” |
36 | Bronx, New York | |||
| TERRELL PINKNEY a/k/a “BX” |
37 | Bronx, New York | |||
| PATRICK DALY | 54 | Middleport, New York |
Mr. Bharara thanked the FBI and the NYPD, as well as the Criminal Investigators at the United States Attorney’s Office, for their work on the investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Abigail S. Kurland, Jared Lenow and Max Nicholas are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
