Date: May 30, 2024 Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov Twenty-four people have been charged for their respective roles in gang-related offenses, including conspiracy to commit bank fraud; conspiracy to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine; Hobbs Act robbery; and use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. The defendants are scheduled to appear this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark III in Newark federal court; four defendants remain at large. “Street gangs that are allegedly engaged in violence and narcotics distribution drastically diminish quality of life for those who live in affected communities. As alleged, members and associates of the Booker T street gang committed serious crimes, including using a firearm to commit a robbery, conspiring to distribute fentanyl, and conspiring to commit bank fraud. The charges in this case against 24 defendants demonstrate that, along with our law enforcement partners, we will work tirelessly to root out alleged gang-related criminality in order to make our communities safer,” said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger. “As law enforcement officers, our most important job is to protect the citizens of the communities we serve,” Jenifer L. Piovesan, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office, said. “Today’s arrests are a great example of how we, along with our law enforcement partners, can make a positive impact in our communities by going after and arresting bad actors who plague the communities law abiding citizens call home.” “ATF remains unwavering in our pursuit of trigger pullers and firearms traffickers,” Ross A. Marchetti, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said. “Utilizing crime gun intelligence allows law enforcement to disrupt the shooting cycle by focusing on those individuals and criminal organizations responsible for the gun violence that plagues our neighborhoods. The arrests today demonstrate ATF’s commitment to working with our local, state, and federal partners to address the violent gang and drug-related activity that endangers the safety of our communities. Our collaborative efforts are essential in bringing accountability to violent offenders, combatting threats to the public, and reducing violent crime.” “These arrests underscore the importance of collaborative work in law enforcement,” Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said. “No one should feel unsafe in their own neighborhood, and the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office remains committed to addressing the public safety concerns of our residents. By working closely with our local, state, and federal partners, we are expanding and sharing resources that will ensure that those who commit a crime are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.” “Today’s large-scale operation serves as a great example of the strong partnerships between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in New Jersey,” Christopher Nielsen, Inspector in Charge of the Philadelphia Division for the US. Postal Inspection Service, said. “The ability to share resources and intelligence has resulted in dismantling a criminal network involved in violent crimes, narcotics trafficking, and bank fraud schemes – which impacts all citizens in our state. Postal Inspectors are proud to be part of the task force working to combat and prevent these crimes.” “The successful takedown of this criminal network and removal of violent actors from our community is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our law enforcement officers as well as the critical partnerships between the Jersey City Police Department and leading state and federal agencies in protecting public safety,” Jersey City Public Safety Director James Shea said. According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Several defendants are members and associates of a neighborhood-based street gang that operates in the area of the Booker T. Washington Housing Complex in Jersey City. The Booker T street gang is responsible for multiple acts of gang-motivated violence in Jersey City, including homicides and shootings. The investigation revealed that the gang runs a drug trafficking operation in and around the housing complex and distributes large quantities of controlled substances, including heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine. Eleven members and associates of the organization are charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin, more than 40 grams of fentanyl, and a quantity of cocaine. In addition, from December 2022 through May 2024, members, associates, and individuals affiliated with the Booker T street gang engaged in a fraudulent check scheme. The defendants charged in the bank fraud conspiracy obtained fraudulent checks, including checks they had printed; stolen checks they had altered; or checks that had been purchased from, or traded with, other conspirators or third parties in exchange for a fee or percentage of profits. The defendants then deposited the fraudulent checks into bank accounts that they controlled in order to gain access to the funds. The bank fraud scheme resulted in losses exceeding $100,000. Fifteen defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Two individuals associated with the Booker T street gang – Juan Hemingway, aka “Hort,” and Stephon Murphy, aka “Turk,” are charged with Hobbs Act robbery and unlawful use of a firearm arising from an armed robbery that occurred on May 6, 2024, during which Hemingway and Murphy robbed the victim of items including controlled substances. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of IRS - Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan; special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the supervision of Acting Special Agent in Charge Ross A. Marchetti in Newark; investigators of the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Esther Suarez; postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division; and detectives of the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Director James Shea, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked special agents of the DEA’s New Jersey Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz; deputy United States marshals of the United States Marshals Service, under the direction of U.S. Marshal Juan Mattos; Officers with Customs and Border Protection, New York Field Office, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Francis J. Russo; officers of the Belleville Police Department, under the direction of Chief Matthew Eiskant; officers of the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Anthony Cureton; officers of the Newark Department of Public Safety, under the direction of Director Fritz Fragé; officers of the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Armando B. Fontoura; officers of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone; officers of the Port Authority Police Department, under the direction of Superintendent Edward T. Cetnar; and members of the Bayonne Police Department, under the direction of Chief Robert Geisler. The investigation was conducted as part of the Jersey City Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). The Jersey City VCI was formed in 2018 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Jersey City Police Department for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Jersey City. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New Jersey Division, the U.S. Marshals, the Jersey City Police Department, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, Hudson County Jail, and the New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys George Barchini and Christopher Fell of the Office’s OCDETF/Narcotics Unit. The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
