120 men between the ages of 19 and 55 were arrested Wednesday (April27) morning, in what is being called the biggest gang bust in New York City history. The pre-dawn sweep was orchestrated through a series of raids that targeted over 100 public housing locations in the northern Bronx. Approximately 700 federal law enforcement agents and NYPD officers worked in collaboration with the reinforcement of helicopters and armored trucks to round up alleged members of the 2Fly YGZ (Young Gunnerz) and the Big Money Bosses (BMB). Of the ten dozen who were detained, 87 suspects have been charged in connection with racketeering conspiracy, narcotics conspiracy, narcotics distribution, and firearms offenses. Police are still looking to capture up to 30 men listed in association with the two indictments that netted the massive group; United States v. Laquan Parrish [alleged leader of 2 Fly YGz] and United States v. Nico Burrell [alleged leader of Big Money Bosses].
Some members of the rival groups are reported to be responsible for facilitating a large scale trade of marijuana and oxycodone, some for numerous acts of violence that have claimed the lives of innocents caught in the middle of their 9-year beef. Up to five deaths are being cited in connection with their long standing conflict, including the murder of Keshon Potterfield, 18; Alexander Walters, 17; Donville Simpson, 17; Jeffery Delmore, 15; and Sadie Mitchell, age 92. 24-year-old Jamal Blair had been pulled out of Elmira Correctional Facility to face arraignment in Manhattan Federal Court, for a new set of charges in connection with Wednesdays indictments. He had already been serving on a 16 1/2 year manslaughter conviction as the shooter who pulled the trigger that resulted in the death of the senior, Mitchell, when she was struck by a stray bullet while watching television in 2009.
Much of the investigation leading up to the arrests had been done via various social media outlets, including YouTube recordings, as authorities were able to obtain search warrants for up to 100 Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Preet Bharara defended the magnitude of the operation, saying: "If you live in public housing, you also have the right to live in a clean and safe development,” the federal prosecutor said. “It’s clear that many are not getting that.”
Source: complex.com
