Insane. . .
Today, the Southern District of New York went public with their Federal Racketeering case against the Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation. 18 members of the Brooklyn collective are being charged with racketeering, murder, narcotics, firearms, and fraud offense.
Brandon ‘Stacks’ Soto, one of the key members, is being charged in connection with the murder of a minor in Poughkeepsie on September 21, 2020. We’re not sure why these charges have been brought to light now, was the Tr3yway case ending this week with the sentencing of Kooda B. He’s also a member of the Gorilla Bloods, which we’re assuming the FEDs are now going after less than 20 people in hopes of having cooperators.
Of the 18 members, 17 were arrested today, with 1 member on the run. The one person that hasn’t been found yet is Roc Nation rapper, Casanova. He was hit with Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering, Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances, and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
If convicted on all crimes, he faces mandatory life in prison, which is shocking if he did indeed have involvement. These murder incidents among the crew stretched from Manhattan, New Rochelle, and Peekskill. However, the camp pedaled drugs through all five boroughs of the city and New Jersey.
If you remember back in 2018, Casanova’s entourage and members of 6ix9ine’s crew had an altercation at Barclays. The confrontation led to a weapon being discharged prior to an Adrien Broner fight. That led to Tekashi missing his chance to perform on Showtime, as he was kicked out of the arena.
However, while the FEDs main focus was getting Tr3yway behind bars, they immediately turned their attention to Casanova and the Apes. We believe this single incident put them on the government’s radar, which opened pandora’s box for a bunch of under-the-radar things no one knew about.
Take a look at the entire charges below.
Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “As alleged in the Indictment, members of Gorilla Stone committed terrible acts of violence, trafficked in narcotics, and even engaged in brazen fraud by exploiting benefits programs meant to provide assistance in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of that, communities across the Southern District – from Poughkeepsie to Peekskill to New York City – suffered. Most shocking, as alleged in the indictment, a minor was murdered in furtherance of the gang’s activities. Because of the extraordinary work of our law enforcement partners, the defendants now face federal charges for their crimes.”
We are still looking for Caswell Senior, aka Casanova, in connection with this case. He has connections to both NY and NJ. If you have information about his whereabouts, please call us at 1-800-CALL-FBI. pic.twitter.com/W38fCnBFpt
— FBI New York (@NewYorkFBI) December 1, 2020
As alleged in the Indictment unsealed today in White Plains federal court[1]:
DWIGHT REID, a/k/a “Dick Wolf,” CHRISTOPHER ERSKINE, a/k/a “Beagle,” WALTER LUSTER, a/k/a “Shells,” DESHAWN THOMAS, a/k/a “Don,” NAYA AUSTIN, a/k/a “Baby,” BRANDON NIEVES, a/k/a “Untouchable Dot,” AHMED WALKER, a/k/a “Ammo,” CASWELL SENIOR, a/k/a “Casanova,” BRANDON SOTO, a/k/a “Stacks,” DEZON WASHINGTON, a/k/a “Blakk,” ROBERT WOODS, a/k/a “Blakk Rob,” STEPHEN HUGH, a/k/a “Chino,” JORDAN INGRAM, a/k/a “Flow,” SHANAY OUTLAW, a/k/a “Easy,” ISAIAH SANTOS, a/k/a “Zay,” ROBERTA SLIGH, a/k/a “Trouble,” and BRINAE THORNTON, a/k/a “Luxury,” are members of a racketeering conspiracy known as Gorilla Stone.
On September 21, 2020, BRANDON SOTO, to further the Gorilla Stone enterprise, participated in and facilitated the murder of a minor victim, and aided and abetted the same, in Poughkeepsie, New York.
On July 20, 2020, STEPHEN HUGH shot at rival gang members in New Rochelle. HUGH shot at rival gang members to maintain and increase his position in the Gorilla Stone racketeering enterprise operating in the Southern District of New York.
On June 12, 2020, NAYA AUSTIN, DEZON WASHINGTON, and JORDAN INGRAM committed a gunpoint robbery of a rival drug dealer in Peekskill, New York. AUSTIN, WASHINGTON, and INGRAM committed the robbery in order to maintain or increase their position in the Gorilla Stone racketeering enterprise operating in the Southern District of New York.
On August 28, 2018, BRINAE THORNTON shot at a rival gang member in Brooklyn, New York, and aided and abetted the same. THORNTON shot at the rival gang member to maintain and increase her position in the Gorilla Stone racketeering enterprise operating in the Southern District of New York.
On January 12, 2018, ROBERT WOODS maimed and assaulted an individual with a dangerous weapon, and aided and abetted the same, by slashing the individual in the face. WOODS slashed the individual in part to maintain and increase his position in the Gorilla Stone racketeering enterprise operating in the Southern District of New York.
In August 2020, NAYA AUSTIN and SHANAY OUTLAW, without lawful authority, knowingly used the identification of others to file fraudulent applications for COVID-19-related unemployment benefits, and aided and abetted the same.
* * *
Seventeen of the 18 defendants are in custody.
Charts containing the names, charges, and maximum penalties for the defendants are set forth below. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI’s Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force – which comprises agents and detectives from the FBI, Yonkers Police Department, Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, WCDPS, PPD, Putnam County Sheriff, Mount Vernon Police Department, NYPD, Greenburgh Police Department, New Rochelle Police Department, Ramapo Police Department, and U.S. Probation – as well as the outstanding investigative work of the CPPD and DOCCS, Office of Special Investigations. Ms. Strauss also thanked the FBI’s Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force, the FBI’s Newark, Albany, and Tampa Divisions, the New York City Department of Correction, Correction Intelligence Bureau, and the New York State Department of Labor for their assistance in the investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division and Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Shiva H. Logarajah, Jacob Warren, and David R. Felton are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
|
COUNT |
DEFENDANT(S) |
MAX. TERM OF IMPRISONMENT |
| Count One: Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering (18 U.S.C. § 1962(d)) | DWIGHT REID
CHRISTOPHER ERSKINE WALTER LUSTER DESHAWN THOMAS NAYA AUSTIN BRANDON NIEVES AHMED WALKER CASWELL SENIOR BRANDON SOTO
DEZON WASHINGTON ROBERT WOODS STEPHEN HUGH JORDAN INGRAM SHANAY OUTLAW ISAIAH SANTOS ROBERTA SLIGH BRINAE THORNTON |
Life in prison as to all defendants except OUTLAW, for whom the maximum term is 20 years in prison
|
| Count Two: Travel Act Murder
(18 U.S.C. §§ 1952 and 2)
|
BRANDON SOTO | Life in prison |
| Count Three: Attempted Murder and Attempted Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering (18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(5), (a)(6), and 2)
|
STEPHEN HUGH | 10 years in prison |
| Count Four: Possession and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence (18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c)(1)(A)(i), (ii), (iii) and 2)
|
STEPHEN HUGH | Life in prison; Mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison to run consecutively to any other sentence imposed
|
| Count Five: Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering (18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3) and 2)
|
NAYA AUSTIN
DEZON WASHINGTON JORDAN INGRAM
|
20 years in prison |
| Count Six: Possession and Brandish of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence (18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c)(1)(A)(i), (ii), and 2)
|
NAYA AUSTIN
DEZON WASHINGTON JORDAN INGRAM
|
Life in prison; Mandatory minimum of 7 years in prison to run consecutively to any other sentence imposed
|
| Count Seven: Attempted Murder and Attempted Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering (18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(5), (a)(6), and 2)
|
BRINAE THORNTON | 10 years in prison |
| Count Eight: Possession and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence (18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c)(1)(A)(i), (ii), (iii) and 2)
|
BRINAE THORNTON | Life in prison; Mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison to run consecutively to any other sentence imposed
|
| Count Nine: Maiming and Assault in Aid of Racketeering (18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(2), (a)(3), and 2) | ROBERT WOODS | 30 years in prison
|
| Count Ten: Possession with Intent to Distribute Crack Cocaine (21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B) and 18 U.S.C. § 2) | NAYA AUSTIN
|
40 years in prison; Mandatory minimum of 5 years in prison |
| Count Eleven: Possession with Intent to Distribute Crack Cocaine (21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B) and 18 U.S.C. § 2)
|
CHRISTOPHER ERSKINE
NAYA AUSTIN JORDAN INGRAM |
40 years in prison; Mandatory minimum of 5 years in prison |
| Count Twelve: Possession with Intent to Distribute Crack Cocaine (21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B) and 18 U.S.C. § 2)
|
BRANDON SOTO | 40 years in prison; Mandatory minimum of 5 years in prison |
| Count Thirteen: Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances (21 U.S.C. § 846)
|
DWIGHT REID
CHRISTOPHER ERSKINE WALTER LUSTER DESHAWN THOMAS NAYA AUSTIN BRANDON NIEVES AHMED WALKER CASWELL SENIOR BRANDON SOTO DEZON WASHINGTON ROBERT WOODS STEPHEN HUGH JORDAN INGRAM ISAIAH SANTOS ROBERTA SLIGH BRINAE THORNTON JAMAL TRENT |
Life in prison; Mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison |
| Count Fourteen: Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime (18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c)(1)(A)(i) and 2)
|
DWIGHT REID
CHRISTOPHER ERSKINE WALTER LUSTER DESHAWN THOMAS NAYA AUSTIN BRANDON NIEVES AHMED WALKER CASWELL SENIOR BRANDON SOTO DEZON WASHINGTON ROBERT WOODS STEPHEN HUGH JORDAN INGRAM ROBERTA SLIGH BRINAE THORNTON |
Life in prison; Mandatory minimum of 5 years in prison to run consecutively to any other sentence imposed |
| Count Fifteen: Possession and Brandish of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime (18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c)(1)(A)(i), (ii), and 2)
|
ISAIAH SANTOS | Life in prison; Mandatory minimum of 7 years in prison to run consecutively to any other sentence imposed |
| Count Sixteen: Aggravated Identity Theft (18 U.S.C. §§ 1028A(a)(1), 1028(b) and 2) | NAYA AUSTIN
SHANAY OUTLAW |
20 years in prison;
Mandatory minimum of two years in prison |