Seven Defendants Charged In Manhattan Federal Court With Committing Murder, Robbery, Narcotics, And Firearms Offenses

Nazeem Francis, Jonathan Colon, and Julio Ozuna Are Charged with the September 2018 Murder of Christopher Pierce

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Dermot Shea, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today the unsealing of a Superseding Indictment charging NAZEEM FRANCIS, a/k/a “Naz,” JONATHAN COLON, a/k/a “Johnny Blaze,” a/k/a “JB,” JULIO OZUNA, a/k/a “JJ,” a/k/a “Josh Balla,” a/k/a “Chocolate,” PRINCE GAINES, a/k/a “Poodie,” ERICK OLEAGA, a/k/a “E.D.,” VICTOR MARTINEZ, and KHALIL SUGGS, a/k/a “KI,” with crimes including murder, robbery, robbery conspiracy, narcotics distribution conspiracy, and firearms offenses. 

Five defendants were arrested today and will be presented this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Sarah L. Cave.  Two defendants were already in custody and will be presented at a later date.  The case has been assigned to United States District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil. 

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “As alleged in the indictment, the defendants brought violence and drugs to the streets of the Bronx.  Now, thanks to our outstanding law enforcement partners at the FBI and the NYPD, these defendants face charges in federal court.”

FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. said: "This investigation illustrates the extremes violent gang members will go to, all in the pursuit of making easy money.  The arrests and announcement today also demonstrate that while much of the world is rightly slowing down, FBI special agents and detectives on the New York FBI Metro Safe Streets Gang Task Force will continue the extremely critical work of keeping criminals from putting more lives in danger."

According to the allegations in the Superseding Indictment[1] unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:

On or about September 3, 2018, FRANCIS, COLON, and OZUNA aided and abetted the shooting and killing of Christopher Pierce in the Bronx, New York, following the attempted robbery of Pierce’s friend, a marijuana dealer.  FRANCIS, COLON, and OZUNA are also charged with attempted robbery and robbery conspiracy based on their participation in the botched robbery that led to Pierce’s death.

COLON, OZUNA, GAINES, OLEAGA, MARTINEZ, and SUGGS are charged with participating in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine from in or about 2018 through in or about March 2020. 

On or about November 18, 2019, SUGGS brandished a firearm, and aided and abetted the same, in furtherance of the drug trafficking conspiracy.

On or about January 19, 2020, OZUNA robbed an individual at gunpoint.  OZUNA is charged with robbery, robbery conspiracy, and brandishing a firearm based on his participation in that gunpoint robbery.

A chart containing the names, charges, and maximum and minimum penalties for the defendants is 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.

Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, as well as NYPD’s 43rd Police Precinct and Bronx Narcotics.

This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit.  Assistant United States Attorneys Allison Nichols and Jamie Bagliebter 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.

COUNT	CHARGE	DEFENDANTS	MAX. PENALTY
Count One	Murder through the Use of a Firearm  18 U.S.C. §§ 924(j) and 2	NAZEEM FRANCIS  JONATHAN COLON  JULIO OZUNA	Death or life imprisonment;  Mandatory minimum of five years’ imprisonment
Count Two	Attempted Robbery  18 U.S.C. §§ 1951 and 2	NAZEEM FRANCIS  JONATHAN COLON  JULIO OZUNA	20 years’ imprisonment
Count Three	Robbery Conspiracy  18 U.S.C. § 1951	NAZEEM FRANCIS  JONATHAN COLON  JULIO OZUNA	20 years’ imprisonment
Count Four	Narcotics Conspiracy  21 U.S.C. § 846	JONATHAN COLON  JULIO OZUNA  PRINCE GAINES  KHALIL SUGGS  ERICK OLEAGA  VICTOR MARTINEZ	40 years’ imprisonment  Mandatory minimum of 5 years’ imprisonment
Count Five	Firearm Offense  18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c) and 2	KHALIL SUGGS	Life  Mandatory minimum of 7 years’ imprisonment
Count Six	Robbery  18 U.S.C. §§ 1951 and 2	JULIO OZUNA	20 years’ imprisonment
Count Seven	Robbery conspiracy  18 U.S.C. § 1951	JULIO OZUNA	20 years’ imprisonment
Count Eight	Firearm Offense  18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c) and 2	JULIO OZUNA	Life  Mandatory minimum of 7 years’ imprisonment

[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.

Bronx Man Charged With Queens Murder

  Geoffrey S. Berman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Darcel D. Clark, Bronx District Attorney, announced the unsealing yesterday of a Superseding Indictment charging JERRY ROJAS, a/k/a “Feddi,” with the January 13, 2020, murder of Vladimir Olivo, 42, in the vicinity of Northern Boulevard and 208th Street in Queens, New York.  The case has been assigned to United States District Judge Jesse M. Furman.  ROJAS was arrested yesterday and presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thérèse Wiley Dancks in the Northern District of New York.

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “As alleged in the Indictment, Jerry Rojas murdered Vladimir Olivo earlier this year.  Thanks to the outstanding work of the NYPD, DEA, and the Special Agents of our Office, Rojas now faces federal murder charges for this terrible crime.  I want to specially thank District Attorney Clark for the collaboration between our offices that helped make this prosecution possible.”

As alleged in the Superseding Indictment unsealed yesterday in Manhattan federal court[1]: 

JERRY ROJAS, a/k/a “Feddi,” is a member of the Black Stone Gorilla Gang, a racketeering enterprise that operates principally in the New York City metropolitan area and in the jails and prisons of New York City and the State of New York.  In order to enrich the enterprise, preserve and protect the power of the enterprise, and enhance its criminal operations, BSGG members and associates committed, conspired, attempted, and threatened to commit acts of violence, including murder and assaults; distributed and possessed with intent to distribute narcotics; committed robberies; engaged in bank fraud and wire fraud; and obtained, possessed, and used firearms.  BSGG members also evaded prosecution by law enforcement authorities through acts of intimidation and violence against potential witnesses to crimes committed by the gang.

On or about January 13, 2020, ROJAS shot and killed Vladimir Olivo in the vicinity of Northern Boulevard and 208th Street in Queens.

ROJAS is also charged with participating in a conspiracy to distribute heroin, cocaine, cocaine base, oxycodone, and marijuana from in or about 2011 through in or about March 2020, and using a firearm in furtherance of that conspiracy.           

ROJAS, 26, is charged in the following counts of the Superseding Indictment:

COUNT	CHARGE	MAX. PENALTY
Count One	Racketeering Conspiracy 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d)	Life imprisonment
Count Ten	Narcotics Conspiracy 21 U.S.C. § 846	Life Mandatory minimum of 10 years’ imprisonment
Count Eleven	Firearms Offense 18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c) and 2	Life Mandatory minimum of 5 years’ imprisonment
Count Twelve	Murder in Aid of Racketeering 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959 and 2	Death or life imprisonment; Mandatory minimum of life imprisonment
Count Thirteen	Murder through the Use of a Firearm 18 U.S.C. §§ 924(j) and 2	Death or life imprisonment; Mandatory minimum of five years’ imprisonment

Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD, DEA, and the Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.  Mr. Berman also thanked the New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force of the United States Marshals Service for its work in apprehending ROJAS.

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 descriptions of the Indictment constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation