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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Office of Public Information (609) 882-2000
Capt. Al Della Fave ext. 6514
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Sgt. Jeanne Hengemuhle ext. 6515

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 14, 2007


 
 
Arrest of Bloods gang members from North Jersey
Operation targeted leadership of violent ‘Sex Money Murder’ set

Arrest List Addendum -[pdf]

Totowa, New Jersey –Targeting the most violent street gangs, a State Police-led coalition today arrested more members of the Bloods street gang set named Sex Money Murder (SMM). The arrests include the three-person state leadership committee of this well-established set, which has members in every county of New Jersey. The raids also resulted in the seizure of drugs and weapons.

The announcement by First Assistant Attorney General Anne Milgram, State Police Deputy Superintendent Gayle Cameron, and Division of Criminal Justice Director Gregory Paw came from State Police Troop B Headquarters in Totowa. Those gang members arrested this morning were processed in Totowa and transported to Monmouth County Jail by bus.

SMM has an estimated New Jersey membership of 3,000 people. They are considered one of the most violent sets, and have been involved in murders, weapons and drug distribution, money laundering, assaults and related crimes. This collaborative investigation targeted the gang’s presence in northern New Jersey, predominantly in Paterson, Passaic, Hackensack and Lincoln Park.

“This murderous set of the Bloods has terrorized neighborhoods throughout New Jersey,” said First Assistant Attorney General Anne Milgram. “Today’s arrests take us one step closer to ending their violent reign by ending the gunfire, ending the bloodshed, and ending the drug dealing that has plagued cities in our state.”

“When word gets out that we have arrested all three leaders on the state committee, it will stun every SMM member out there,” said Lieutenant Colonel Gayle Cameron, Deputy Superintendent of Investigations for the State Police. “They won’t know who to trust or when we’ll be coming through their doors.”

“This investigation showed the darker side of gang life,” LTC Cameron added. “Our detectives gathered evidence of physical punishments ordered by the leaders to keep underlings in line. Contrary to music video myths, none of the gang leaders we arrested were living the good life. There were no upscale homes, or luxury cars—nothing that would seem at all attractive to youth considering the gang lifestyle—only violence, fear, jail and the death of friends and family.”

“We don’t stop with today’s arrests,’’ said Criminal Justice Division Director Gregory A. Paw. “We will continue to develop new leads through intelligence gathered by the State Police and other agencies, and we will continue to prosecute members of these violent street gangs.”

Intelligence revealed a clearly defined hierarchy controlled by county O.G.s (Original Gangsters) and 5-star generals who report to the state committee. The state committee, in turn, reports to the Bronx, New York, where the set got its start.

A key powerbase for SMM is their influence in the corrections system. A “prison committee” is in control of inside operations. The prison committee reports to the state committee, which sometimes tasks the prison committee with assaults on inmates, or protection of inmates. Communication is often conducted via mobile phones smuggled to inmates.

This operation, known as Sex Money Murder North, began approximately one year ago with the gathering of intelligence. The first arrests came on May 3, 2007 when seven members of SMM were charged with narcotics distribution. All were from the section of Paterson known as “Murderville,” and three of those seven were high-ranking members.

In July 2006, Operation Nine Connect targeted the Nine-Trey set of the Bloods, and provided a rich reward in intelligence, which led to other investigations, including one that focused on the SMM presence in central and southern New Jersey. The initial SMM operation was brought to a close with a series of more than two-dozen arrests on February 1, 2007.

Tactical teams of law enforcement officers backed up by police canines, undercover detectives, and intelligence resources located at the ROIC ( Regional Operations Intelligence Center in State Police Headquarters, West Trenton) ensured the maximum safety for troopers and officers making today’s arrests.

Operation Sex Money Murder North was a cooperative effort involving six agencies including the New Jersey State Police, N.J. Division of Criminal Justice, N.J. State Parole Board, Passaic County Sheriff’s Department, Paterson Police Department, and the Newark Police Department


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