31 Arrested In Hudson Valley Gang Bust, Charges Include Murder of 2 Teens
More than 30 alleged members of rival Hudson Valley gangs were arrested on a number of federal charges, including the murders of two local teens.
On Thursday in White Plains and Manhattan federal court, two indictments were unsealed charging 31 members and associates of two rival Poughkeepsie gangs, Uptown and Downtown.
“There is no question that gang activity in our community has resulted in drug dealing, shootings, violent crimes and homicides, and this cannot be tolerated,” Dutchess County District Attorney William V. Grady said.
The gangs are charged with murders, attempted murders, racketeering conspiracy, narcotics conspiracy and firearms offenses.
The rivalry between the two gangs led to at least two murders, officials say.
The murder of Downtown gang member Daquell LeBlanc, who was killed by a single gunshot wound to the chest at the age of 16 in Dec. of 2012.
The murder of 18-year-old Caval Haylett, an innocent bystander and local high school basketball star. He was killed by a single gunshot wound to the head while attending a barbecue in March of 2016.
“Two young lives were lost in the alleged ongoing criminal activity of these street gangs,” FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said. “We will not sit idly in the midst of violence. “As gang rivalry continues to stir strife in our community, we won't stop or slow down in our pursuit to take these members off the streets and keep our residents safe.”
According to the indictments:
Uptown is a criminal organization whose members referred to themselves by several different names, the “Spready Gang,” the “400 Savages,” the “Boogotti Boys,” and the “Mob Stars.”
Uptown is based within the eastern portion of Poughkeepsie, from east of Hamilton Street to the city line and, more specifically, within the Hudson Gardens housing development, commonly referred to as the “Bricks.”
Uptown gang members and associates control the narcotics trade within the Bricks, distributing primarily heroin, crack cocaine, and marijuana.
Uptown gang members stored shared guns in various locations known to gang members to protect the narcotics business, to protect each other from rival gangs and to strike against rival gangs.
The Uptown case charged 12 including leaders Douglas Owens and Jihad Williams.
Downtown went by the names the “420 Boys,” “L-Block,” “Most Hated,” “Hamo Gang,” the “C-Eazy Gang,” and the “Bully Hard Hunna” faction of the Bloods street gang.
Downtown’s base of operations was located in the western portion of Poughkeepsie, from west of Hamilton Street to the Hudson River and, particularly, within the Martin Luther King and Rip Van Winkle housing developments, commonly referred to as the “Ville” and “Rip.”
Downtown gang members and associates controlled the narcotics trade within the Ville, Rip, and the surrounding area, also distributing resale amounts of heroin, crack cocaine, and marijuana.
Downtown gang members also stored their shared firearms in different locations known to members and associates, which allowed Downtown gang members to arm themselves quickly when confronted by rivals and to protect each other and their narcotics business.
The Downtown case charged 19, including leader Ronald Johnson.
“When gangs flourish, neighborhoods suffer, parents grieve, and children die; it is as simple as that. And we will not sit by and let that happen,” Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said.
Eleven were arrested in and around Dutchess County, one was was arrested in North Carolina and one was arrested in Florida. 18 were in custody on state charges and will be transferred to federal custody in the next day.
Uptown Indictment
CHARGE | DEFENDANTS | MAXIMUM PENALTIES |
| Count OneRacketeering Conspiracy
| DOUGLAS OWENSa/k/a “Born Truth” JIHAD WILLIAMS a/k/a “Goodie” NICHOLAS HARRIS a/k/a “Bados” DIMETRI MOSELEY a/k/a “Pancho” JAQUEZ HILL a/k/a “Quezzy” a/k/a “Quez” MARKEL GREEN a/k/a “Booge” RAHEIM MILLER a/k/a “Bigs” a/k/a “Bigs Miller” a/k/a “Trippy” CHRISTIAN BLADES a/k/a “C Blades” a/k/a “JT” ASHANTI BUNN a/k/a “Shan D” RAYSHAWN CASANOVA a/k/a “Cass” a/k/a “Uber Jack” TREQUON DANCY a/k/a “Trigga Tre” a/k/a “Tre Pound” RASHMI RUPARELIA a/k/a “Baby Rash” | 20 years in prison |
| Count TwoMurder in Aid of Racketeering
| MARKEL GREENRAHEIM MILLER
| Life in prison |
| Count ThreeMurder in Aid of Racketeering | NICHOLAS HARRISDIMETRI MOSELEY JAHQUEZ HILL | Life or the death penalty with a mandatory minimum of life |
| Count FourFirearms Offense | RASHMI RUPARELIAJIHAD WILLIAMS
| Life in prison with a mandatory minimum of 5 years’ in prison |
| Count FiveFirearms Offense | CHRISTIAN BLADESASHANTI BUNN RAYSHAWN CASANOVA | Life in prison with a mandatory minimum of 10 years’ in prison |
| Count SixFirearms Offense | MARKEL GREENRAHEIM MILLER
| Life in prison with a mandatory minimum of 10 years’ in prison |
| Count SevenFirearms Offense | NICHOLAS HARRISDIMETRI MOSELEY JAHQUEZ HILL | Life in prison with a mandatory minimum of 10 years’ in prison |
Downtown Indictment
CHARGE | DEFENDANTS | MAXIMUM PENALTIES |
| Count OneRacketeering Conspiracy
| RONALD JOHNSONa/k/a “Top Gun” MARKUS ANDERSON a/k/a “Sparks” SAVON BAGBY a/k/a “Baggs” NATQUAN CATTS a/k/a “Nate” a/k/a “Scoop” JAHQUEZ COLEMAN a/k/a “Quez the Rapper” a/k/a “Quez” WALTER COLEMAN a/k/a “BB” CHEVEZ DERELLO a/k/a “Vezy” LEONARD DERELLO a/k/a “Lenny Boy” TYRECK DOUGLAS a/k/a “Little Ty” ERVING FERZAN a/k/a “Erv” RAKEE JOHNSON a/k/a “Spaz” a/k/a “Zetho” COREY LATIMER a/k/a “Fonzi” ANTOINE MCKINNON a/k/a “Twon” a/k/a “Cuzzi” WAYNE MORGAN a/k/a “Chum Chum” GORDON RIDDICK a/k/a “Stacky G’s” a/k/a “Stacks” KEENAN WATTS a/k/a “Milleone” a/k/a “Mills” | 20 years in prison |
| Count TwoAttempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering
| TYRECK DOUGLASGORDON RIDDICK MARKUS ANDERSON
| 10 years in prison |
| Count ThreeAttempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering | TYRECK DOUGLAS | 10 years in prison |
| Count FourNarcotics Conspiracy | CARLOS OCASIOa/k/a “Pimp” a/k/a “Leak” KWAMENE WILLIAMS a/k/a “Kwa” a/k/a “Rich Quality” GLORIOUS LANDUM a/k/a “Gus” RAKEE JOHNSON a/k/a “Spaz” a/k/a “Zetho”
| Life in prison with a mandatory minimum of 10 years’ in prison |
| Count FiveFirearms Offense | MARKUS ANDERSON JAHQUEZ COLEMAN CHEVEZ DERELLO LEONARD DERELLO RAKEE JOHNSON COREY LATIMER ANTOINNE MCKINNON GORDON RIDDICK
| Life in prison with a mandatory minimum of 5 years’ in prison |
| Count SixFirearms Offense | TYRECK DOUGLAS | Life in prison with a mandatory minimum of 10 years’ in prison |
| Count SevenFirearms Offense | GLORIOUS LANDRUM |
The indictments come following a joint investigation by the FBI’s Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force, the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department, the Dutchess County District Attorney’s Office, and the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office into the gang war between Uptown and Downtown, which has led to multiple fatal and non-fatal shootings between 2012 and today in the City of Poughkeepsie.
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