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TRENTON
– Attorney General Anne Milgram and
Criminal Justice Director Gregory A. Paw
announced that a state grand jury has returned
three indictments charging 23 alleged members
of the violent Sex Money Murder set of the
Bloods street gang. Eighteen defendants
were charged with first-degree racketeering,
including two leaders in Trenton and the
leader in Ocean and Monmouth counties. Five
men were indicted on murder charges in two
fatal shootings in Long Branch last year.
The
racketeering charges resulted from a joint
investigation by the New Jersey State Police
and the Division of Criminal Justice. The
murder charges stem from investigations
by the Long Branch Police Department, the
Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office
Major Crimes Unit, the State Police and
the Division of Criminal Justice.
According
to Director Paw, the first indictment was
voted Aug. 24 but sealed by the court until
today. It charges 14 Trenton defendants
with first-degree racketeering, which carries
a potential sentence of 10 to 20 years in
prison. The 27-count indictment also charges
the two leaders of the set in Mercer County,
Antonio Merritt, 27, and Bobby Williams,
22, with leading a narcotics trafficking
network. If convicted, they will face 25
years to life in prison on that charge alone.
A
second indictment, obtained today by the
Division of Criminal Justice, charges three
men with murder in the gang-related shooting
death of Michael Montgomery, 27, on Nov.
21, 2006 in Long Branch. They are Valdo
Thompson Jr., 21, of Jackson, who is the
alleged leader of the gang in Ocean and
Monmouth counties, Carl Holdren, 19, of
Lakewood, and Quemere McClendon, 21, of
Long Branch. They will face 30 years to
life in prison if convicted. They also were
charged with attempted murder in the shooting
of Keith Logan, 26, who was gunned down
with Montgomery but survived. The indictment
charges McClendon, Paul Lewis, 19, of Long
Branch, and Darnell Stovall, 20, of Lakewood,
with murder and felony murder in the fatal
shooting Dec. 14, 2006 of Keith Mason, 28,
during a robbery attempt at his Long Branch
home.
“The
deadly violence and drug trafficking of
this set of the Bloods stretched from North
Jersey to South Jersey, and from Trenton
to the Shore,” said Attorney General
Milgram. “Gang violence today is like
a cancer in our state. We will move aggressively
to rout it out wherever we find it. This
case is an excellent example of how we will
work together with county prosecutors to
rid the state of gang violence.”
“This
is an excellent example of an intelligence-driven
investigation aimed at dismantling this
violent gang from the leaders down to their
gun-toting soldiers,” said Director
Paw. “By teaming prosecutors with
investigators from the outset, we will maximize
the returns we get from our prosecutions.”
“The
indictments handed down today deal a significant
blow to this criminal enterprise that preyed
upon residents in several New Jersey counties,”
said Colonel Rick Fuentes, Superintendent
of the New Jersey State Police. “The
prosecution of these perpetrators will ensure
that they are no longer a negative influence
on the quality of life in the affected areas.”
Monmouth
County Prosecutor Luis A. Valentin stated
“The City of Long Branch had two gang
related murders in less than one month during
2006. Clearly, this demonstrates that gang
violence must be recognized as the serious
threat that it is in Monmouth County and
the State of New Jersey. By these indictments
and through other cooperative efforts, law
enforcement agencies are forming meaningful
partnerships to attack the very real dangers
posed by gang activity.”
Supervising
Deputy Attorney General Debra A. Conrad
and Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor
Richard E. Incremona presented the cases
to the grand jury. Supervising Deputy Attorney
General John-Robin Quelch, Chief of the
Division of Criminal Justice Gangs &
Organized Crime Bureau, is also assisting
in these cases.
The
investigation by the State Police and Division
of Criminal Justice began in February 2006
and involved assistance from the Trenton
Police Department and U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration, along with numerous other
federal, county and local agencies. The
investigation revealed a hierarchical command
structure in Mercer County through which
Merritt and Williams allegedly directed
subordinates in the distribution of cocaine
and heroin. The gang used violence, including
assaults and murders, to enforce internal
discipline and protect its territory and
members from rival gangs. On March 31, 2006,
a 7-year-old girl was badly wounded when
she was caught in the crossfire during a
shootout between Sex Money Murder and the
rival Gangster Killer Bloods set at the
Roger Gardens housing complex in Trenton.
The shooting caused a public outcry about
the impact the gang war in Trenton was having
on innocent victims.
The
investigation initially focused on gang
operations in Mercer County, but expanded
into other counties including Essex, Passaic,
Monmouth, Middlesex and Ocean. In June,
authorities arrested the three alleged members
of Sex Money Murder’s state leadership
committee in North Jersey, among other defendants,
as a result of a related investigation by
the State Police, Division of Criminal Justice,
State Parole Board, Passaic County Sheriff’s
Department, Paterson Police and Newark Police.
The
first indictment charges each of the 14
Trenton racketeering defendants with one
or more additional charges ranging from
drug offenses to attempted murder. That
indictment includes several first-degree
drug charges. A 15th defendant, not named
in the racketeering count, was charged with
possession of heroin and a gun. Quassim
Hallet, 26, of Trenton, an alleged member
of the gang, was charged in the indictment
with attempted murder for allegedly firing
a gun at a car driven by Merritt, the alleged
ringleader, on Nov. 25, 2006, during an
internal gang dispute. The gunfire shattered
the driver and passenger side windows of
the car. Hallet faces 10 to 20 years in
prison if convicted of the attempted murder
charge.
A
third indictment, returned by the state
grand jury today, charges one Monmouth County
man with possession and distribution of
cocaine, and a second county man with possession
of cocaine.
The indictments are merely accusations and
the defendants are presumed innocent until
proven guilty. The Trenton indictment was
handed up to Superior Court Judge Maria
Marinari Sypek in Mercer County. The other
indictments were handed up to Superior Court
Judge Linda R. Feinberg in Mercer County,
who assigned those cases to Superior Court
in Monmouth County.
Assisting
the State Police and the Division of Criminal
Justice were the U.S. Attorney’s Office,
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI,
Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office,
Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, Monmouth
County Prosecutor’s Office, Ocean
County Prosecutor’s Office, Asbury
Park Police Department, Dover Township Police
Department, Ewing Police Department, Freehold
Borough Police Department, Jackson Township
Police Department, Lakewood Police Department,
Long Branch Police Department and Trenton
Police Department.
First
Indictment
>>
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Indictment (884k
pdf) plug-in
- Defendants
(Name,
DOB - all Trenton residents)
-
- Antonio
Merritt,
Jan. 8, 1980
-
Felicita Gee,
Sept. 29, 1974
- Antwon
Yeager,
April 16, 1983
- Bobby
Williams,
Oct. 4, 1984
- Khalfini
Richardson,
July 8, 1972
- Michael
Davis,
Jan. 19, 1980
- Bobby
Davis Jr.,
June 20, 1982
- Antoine
Taylor,
Oct. 2, 1960
- Oliver
Harris,
Dec. 7, 1981
- James
Edens,
March 24, 1979
- Shawn
Davis,
July 12, 1975
- Bayshawn
Nelson,
August 7, 1984
- Capital
Wellons,
August 27, 1985
- Quassim
Hallet,
April 5, 1981
- Mycal
Boone,
Feb. 14, 1987
- Charges
(with potential penalties and defendants
named in count) -
- Count
1 - Racketeering,
1st degree, 10-20 years/$200,000 (all
defendants except Boone)
- Count
2 -
Leader of Narcotics Trafficking Network,
1st degree, 25 years- Life/$750,000
(Merritt)
- Count
3 -
Leader of Narcotics Trafficking Network,
1st degree, 25 years- Life/$750,000
(Williams)
- Count
4 -
Attempted Murder, 1st degree, 10-20
years/$200,000 (Hallet)
- Count
5 -
Possession of Weapons for Unlawful
Purpose, 2nd degree, 5-10 years/$150,000
(Hallet)
- Count
6 -
Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine,
2nd degree, 5-10 years/$150,000 (Williams,
Nelson, Richardson, Shawn Davis &
Bobby Davis Jr.)
- Count
7 - Distribution
of Cocaine, 1st degree, 10-20 years/$200,000
(Williams)
- Count
8 - Distribution
of Cocaine, 2nd degree, 5-10 years/$150,000
(Williams and Bobby Davis Jr.)
- Count
9 -
Distribution of Cocaine within 1000
Feet of School, 3rd degree, 5-10 years/$150,000
(Williams and Bobby Davis Jr.)
- Count
10 -
Distribution of Cocaine within 500
Feet of Certain Public Property, 2nd
degree, 5-10 years/$150,000 (Williams)
- Count
11 -
Employing a Juvenile in a Drug Distribution
Scheme, 2nd degree, 5-10 years/$500,000
(Williams)
- Count
12 -
Distribution of Cocaine, 1st degree,
10-20 years/$500,000 (Williams and
Shawn Davis )
- Count
13 -
Distribution of Cocaine, 2nd degree,
5-10 years/$150,000 (Williams and
Nelson)
- Count
14 - Possession
of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute,
1st degree, 10-20 years/$500,000 (Wellons
and Williams)
- Count
15 - Possession
of Weapons (Mac 10) During Commission
of Certain Crimes, 2nd degree, 5-10
years/$150,000 (Wellons)
- Count
16 - Sale
of a Simulated Document, 3rd degree,
3-5 years/$15,000 (Merritt and Williams)
- Count
17 - Conspiracy
to Distribute Heroin, 2nd degree,
5-10 years/$150,000 (Merritt, Gee
and Harris)
- Count
18 -
Possession of Heroin with Intent to
Distribute, 1st degree, 10-20 years/$500,000
(Merritt, Gee and Harris)
-
Count 19 -
Distribution of Heroin, 2nd degree,
5-10 years/$150,000 (Merritt)
- Count
20 - Conspiracy
to Distribute Cocaine, 2nd degree,
5-10 years/$150,000 (Michael Davis)
- Count
21 -
Distribution of Cocaine, 2nd degree,
5-10 years/$75,000 ( Michael Davis
)
-
Count 22 -
Distribution of Cocaine within 500
feet of Certain Public Property, 2nd
degree, 5-10 years/$150,000 (Michael
Davis)
- Count
23 -
Distribution of Cocaine, 2nd degree,
5-10 years/$150,000 (Edens)
- Count
24 -
Possession of Heroin with Intent to
Distribute, 2nd degree, 5-10 years/$150,000
(Taylor)
-
Count 25 - Obstructing
Administration of Law or Other Governmental
Function 4th degree, 18 months/$10,000
(Taylor)
- Count
26 -
Possession of Heroin with Intent to
Distribute, 2nd degree, 5-10 years/$150,000
(Yeager and Boone)
- Count
27 -
Possession of Weapons (handgun) During
Commission of Certain Crimes, 2nd
degree, 5-10 years/$150,000 (Yeager
and Boone)
Top
Second
Indictment
>>
View
Indictment (709k pdf) plug-in
- Defendants
- Valdo
Thompson Jr.,
Jackson, DOB: 10/2/85
-
Carl Holdren,
Lakewood, DOB: 7/19/88
- Zackery
Butts,
Freehold, DOB: 2/24/85
- Quemere
McClendon,
Long Branch, DOB: 6/20/86
- Paul
Lewis,
Long Branch, DOB: 7/5/88
- Darnell
Stovall,
Lakewood, DOB: 6/23/87
- Charges
(with potential penalties and defendants
named in count) -
- Count
1 -
Racketeering, 1st degree, 10-20 years/$200,000
(Thompson, Holdren, Butts, McClendon)
- Count
2 - Conspiracy
to Commit Murder, 1st degree, 10-20
years/$200,000 (Thompson, Holdren
and McClendon)
- Count
3 -
Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful
Purpose, 2nd degree, 5-10 years/$150,000
(Thompson, Holdren and McClendon)
- Count
4 -
Attempted Murder, 1st degree, 10-20
years/$200,000 (Thompson, Holdren
and McClendon)
- Count
5 - Possession
of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose,
2nd degree, 5-10 years/$150,000 (Thompson,
Holdren and McClendon)
-
Count 6 - Murder,
1st degree, 30 years- Life (Thompson,
Holdren and McClendon)
- Count
7 - Conspiracy
to Commit Robbery, 2nd degree, 5-10
years/$150,000 (Holdren)
- Count
8 -
Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful
Purpose, 2nd degree, 5-10 years/$150,000
(Holdren)
- Count
9 -
Robbery, 1st degree, 10-20 years/$200,000
(Holdren)
-
Count 10 -
Conspiracy, 2nd degree, 5-10 years/$150,000
(McClendon, Lewis and Stovall)
- Count
11 - Possession
of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose2nd
degree, 5-10 years/ $150,000 (McClendon,
Lewis and Stovall)
- Count
12 -
Burglary, 2nd degree, 5-10 years/$150,000
(McClendon, Lewis and Stovall)
- Count
13 - Robbery,
1st degree, 10-20 years/$150,000 (McClendon,
Lewis and Stovall)
- Count
14 - Felony
Murder, 1st degree, 10-20 years/$150,000
(McClendon, Lewis and Stovall)
- Count
15 - Murder,
1st degree, 30 years- Life (McClendon,
Lewis and Stovall)
- Count
16 -
Endangering the Welfare of a Child,
3rd degree, 3-5 years/ $15,000 (McClendon,
Lewis and Stovall)
- Count
17 -
Witness Tampering, 2nd degree, 5-10
years/$150,000 (McClendon and Lewis)
-
Count 18 -
Distribution of Cocaine, 3rd degree,
3-5 years/$75,000 (Thompson)
- Count
19 -
Conspiracy to Commit Murder, 1st degree,
10-20 years/$150,000 (Thompson, Holdren
and Butts)
- Count
20 - Possession
of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose,
2nd degree, 5-10 years/$150,000 (Thompson,
Holdren and Butts)
- Count
21 - Attempted
Murder, 1st degree, 10-20 years/$200,000
(Thompson, Holdren and Butts)
- Count
22 -
Possession of Cocaine with Intent
to Distribute, 3rd degree, 3-5 years/$75,000
(Thompson)
- Count
23 -
Prohibited Weapons (Sawed-Off Shotgun),
3rd degree, 3-5 years/$15,000 (Thompson)
- Count
24 -
Certain Persons Not to Have Weapons,
2nd degree, 5-10 years/$75,000 (McClendon)
Top
Third
Indictment
>>
View
Indictment (105k pdf) plug-in
- Defendants
- Wesley
Kelly,
Asbury Park, DOB: 10/10/79
- Michael
Gunther,
Howell, 3/10/77
- Charges
(with potential penalties and defendants
named in count):
- Count
1 - Possession
of Cocaine, 3rd degree, 3-5 years/$75,000
(Kelly)
- Count
2 -
Distribution of Cocaine, 2nd degree,
5-10 years/$150,000 (Kelly)
- Count
3 - Possession
of Cocaine, 3rd degree, 3-5 years/$75,000
(Gunther)
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