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

MAYOR DE BLASIO AND COMMISSIONER SALAS TARGET REPEAT PRICE GOUGERS PREYING ON NEW YORKERS

DCWP files case against Metro Drugs for $37,500 for price gouging of face masks; City has received 4,000 complaints and issued 1,000 violations total since March 5th

  Mayor Bill de Blasio and Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) Commissioner Lorelei Salas today announced the Department filed a case against Metro Drugs (931 Lexington Avenue) for knowingly increasing the price of face masks in violation of DCWP’s price gouging regulations under the City’s Consumer Protection Law. DCWP inspected Metro Drugs twice and both times the pharmacy was selling face masks at drastically increased prices—as high as $200 for 20 masks. In total, DCWP received 23 complaints about Metro Drugs and issued them 75 violations for price gouging of face masks. The case will be heard at the City's Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH) where DCWP is seeking up to $37,500 in fines. This is the first of several cases that DCWP will be filing against repeat offenders of its price gouging regulations.

"We have zero tolerance for this behavior in New York City," said Mayor Bill de Blasio. "Any company who tries to take advantage of New Yorkers during this crisis will have their feet held to the fire. My message: just don’t do it.”

“We will prosecute businesses using this public health crisis to take advantage of New Yorkers who are concerned for their health and we urge consumers to file a complaint if they are overcharged,” said DCWP Commissioner Lorelei Salas. “To the business community, if you incurred additional costs to supply these items, we will take that into account but what we cannot tolerate is businesses that are knowingly preying on vulnerable consumers for a profit. Do the right thing. Don’t overcharge.” 

DCWP is actively inspecting stores based on consumer complaints. Businesses found to be overcharging consumers 10 percent or more for any personal or household good or service that is needed to prevent or limit the spread of or treat COVID-19 will be issued a violation. Examples of covered products include disinfectants, soap, and cleaning products, diagnostic products and services, medicines, and tissues. Since March 5, DCWP has received more than 4000 complaints and issued more than 1000 violations for price gouging. DCWP encourages consumers who are overcharged to file a complaint at nyc.gov/dcwp or by contacting 311 and saying “overcharge.” Consumers who believe they were victimized by price gouging should keep their receipts and any information about the store where the transaction occurred, and file a complaint with DCWP. If the price gouging occurred while DCWP’s regulations were in effect, DCWP can still prosecute the illegal activity.

On March 5, the Commissioner declared face masks in short supply and that declaration was extended with the addition of hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes on March 10. The declarations were made under the Rules of the City of New York (6 RCNY 5-38), which allows the commissioner to declare certain items temporarily in short supply for 30 days during extraordinary circumstances. On March 16, the Agency promulgated an emergency Rule under the City’s Consumer Protection Law that makes price gouging illegal for any personal or household good or any service that is needed to prevent or limit the spread of or treat new coronavirus (COVID-19). The Rule (NYC Administrative Code 20-701(b)) makes it illegal to increase prices by 10 percent or more during a 60 day period. The Rule can be extended once for an additional 60 days. The Rule covers any personal or household good or service—such as disinfectants, soap, and cleaning products, diagnostic products and services, medicines, and tissues—that is needed to prevent or limit the spread of or treat COVID-19. The fine for price gouging is up to $500 per item or service. If businesses are paying more to obtain these items themselves, they must provide proof to DCWP and any increase must be comparable. If a business paid $2 more per item, they cannot charge customers $50 more.

COVID-19 New Rules For Testing From Councilman Andy King

Understanding New Rules for COVID-19 Testing

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has directed health care facilities to immediately stop testing non-hospitalized patients for COVID-19 unless test results will impact the clinical management of the patient. In addition, the department also advised providers and hospitals to not test asymptomatic people. This will help direct medical attention to New Yorkers who need it most and will also help preserve PPE for healthcare workers providing medically necessary care for hospitalized patients. Effective immediately, NYC Health + Hospitals will adopt this new guidance. We will:

v  Continue to have clinicians in our call center talk to thousands of New Yorkers every day to have them stay at home if they don’t need to come to the ED;

v  No longer do testing by appointment and instead use testing centers/tents as a place for patients to go as ED diversion;

v  Reserve testing for patients needing hospitalization, or as part of an ED decompression strategy as clinically appropriate.

Here's the message you can pass on to patients, family and neighbors:

v  In line with New York City Department of Health recommendations, NYC Health + Hospitals is no longer testing patients for COVID-19 who do not require hospitalization.

v  If you are sick with fever, cough, shortness of breath, or sore throat, you must stay inside and isolate yourself from others.

v  Isolate yourself for at least 7 days from when your symptoms started. You must also be without fever during the last 3 days of your isolation.

v  Please only go to the emergency room if you are severely ill.

v  We are asking every New Yorker, regardless of symptoms, to stay inside your home.

v  Staying home can save the life of another New Yorker.

Together we can slow the spread and protect those at higher risk of severe illness

STAY INFORMED - PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD - STAY IN PRAYER! CM-King