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TRENTON – Acting Attorney
General Paula T. Dow and Criminal Justice
Director Stephen J. Taylor announced that
two top deputies in the Nine Trey set of
the Bloods street gang were sentenced to
state prison today on charges of racketeering
and, in the case of one of the men, conspiracy
to commit murder.
According to Director Taylor,
James Pringle, 37, of Newark, was sentenced
to 23 years in state prison, including 11
without possibility of parole, by Superior
Court Judge Edward M. Neafsey in Mercer
County. He was sentenced to 13 years in
state prison, including 11 years of parole
ineligibility, on a charge of first-degree
conspiracy to commit murder, and a consecutive
term of 10 years in state prison on a charge
of first-degree racketeering. Pringle pleaded
guilty to those charges on Dec. 22.
In addition, Jermaine Little,
36, of Newark, was sentenced to 10 years
in prison by Judge Neafsey on a charge of
first-degree racketeering. He also pleaded
guilty on Dec. 22.
Supervising Deputy Attorney
General Andrew Butchko prosecuted the cases
and handled the sentencing hearing for the
Division of Criminal Justice Gangs &
Organized Crime Bureau.
The charges were contained
in a June 7, 2007 state grand jury indictment
which charged a total of 48 members and
associates of the Nine Trey set of the Bloods
gang, including its top leaders. The indictment
was the result of a joint investigation
by the New Jersey State Police and the Division
of Criminal Justice called Operation Nine
Connect.
The indictment also charged
David “Duke” Allen, 37, who
allegedly ran the gang from Trenton State
Prison. The investigation revealed that
Pringle and Little were two of Allen’s
top deputies. Pringle held the title of
“OG” or “Original Gangster,”
and Little held the title of “OOG”
or “Double Original Gangster.”
In pleading guilty, Pringle
admitted that he conspired with gang members
in a plot to kill another Nine Trey member
in Atlantic City. The Atlantic City Police
Department, Atlantic County Prosecutor’s
Office and State Police intervened to prevent
the murder from being carried out.
Another gang leader, Michael
Smart, was tried in January 2009, convicted
and sentenced to 70 years in prison, including
40 years without possibility of parole,
for crimes that included his participation
in the murder conspiracy in Atlantic City
as well as the attempted murder of a Crips
gang member who was shot in Irvington.
Of the 59 defendants initially
charged in Operation Nine Connect, including
those named in the June 2007 indictment,
pleas have been obtained from approximately
48 defendants. The other guilty pleas have
resulted in sentences between five and 16
years in state prison. Charges are pending
against Allen and the other remaining defendants.
The indictment is merely an accusation and
they are presumed innocent until proven
guilty.
Acting Attorney General
Dow credited the detectives and investigators
with the State Police and the Division of
Criminal Justice who carried out the investigation,
as well as the numerous deputy attorneys
general who coordinated the investigation,
presented it to the grand jury and prosecuted
cases. She also thanked the many law enforcement
agencies that assisted in the investigation
and arrests, including the FBI, Newark Police
Department, Trenton Police Department, Atlantic
City Police Department, Pleasantville Police
Department, Washington Township Police Department
(Mercer County), Atlantic County Prosecutor’s
Office, Cape May County Prosecutor’s
Office, Cumberland County Prosecutor’s
Office, Essex County Prosecutor’s
Office, Mercer County Prosecutor’s
Office, Monmouth County Prosecutor’s
Office, Tinton Falls Police Department,
Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, Bordentown
City Police Department, New Jersey Department
of Corrections, and State Parole Officers.
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