FIFTEEN GANG AFFILIATED DEFENDANTS CHARGED WITH NUMEROUS CRACK-COCAINE SALES AT NYCHA’S FOREST AND McKINLEY HOUSING PROJECTS FOLLOWING A TEN-MONTH LONG JOINT INVESTIGATION

Bronx District Attorney Robert T. Johnson announced today that a grand jury has charged fifteen reputed members or associates of the street gangs Payback Bloods and Jump-Off Bloods with selling crack-cocaine at two neighboring New York City Housing Authority developments in the Morrisania section of the Bronx.

The defendants were charged with Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the 3rd degree, a Class B felony offense, Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in or near School Grounds, also a Class B felony offense, and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the 7th degree, a Class A misdemeanor. Conviction on a Class B felony drug charge is punishable by a maximum sentence of up to 9 years imprisonment for a first offense and up to 12 years imprisonment for a second offense.

Mr. Johnson said the arrests were the result of a ten-month long joint investigation with the NYPD’s Major Case Unit and Bronx Homicide Task Force, the 42nd Precinct Detective Squad and the Bronx DA’s Major Case / Gang Prosecutions Bureau. Gang activity at the Forest - McKinley Housing Projects became the focus of the investigation in September 2006 in the wake of a double murder and the community’s concern about other shootings, robberies and drug sales in the area.

Leonard Crocket, 25, and Jason Semidey, 20, were gunned down on a basketball court at the McKinley Houses on August 19, 2006. Gavin Murray, 20, of 1998 Davidson Avenue, was arrested and charged with the murders on October 26, 2006, a little over a month after the joint investigation into gang activity was initiated. Murray is awaiting trial while a second suspect in the two murders is still being sought. Murray, an alleged member of the street gang 240 Crew, has no connection to those named in the indictments announced today.

During the course of the ten-month investigation, undercover detectives made a total of 38 “drug buys” from the defendants who allegedly were involved in street level dealing as freelance operators. There was no evidence of any organized drug trafficking involving those named in the indictments. In addition to the arrests announced today, some 29 other people were taken into custody during the investigation and charged with a variety of offenses including attempted murder, robbery and illegal gun possession.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Cristina Park and Adam Oustatcher of the Major Case / Gang Prosecution Bureau.