NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — Twenty-four alleged gang members of the violent criminal street gang Own Every Dollar, or OED, have been charged with crimes including narcotics trafficking, murder and robbery, federal and state prosecutors announced on Tuesday.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams announced in a press conference that 16 defendants are charged, including the gang’s leadership, which federal prosecutors allege “murdered five victims over the past two years, committed 12 attempted murders and seven robberies or attempted robberies.”
Williams said the group, which mainly operated in Washington Heights as well as the Bronx and Queens, is charged as an organized crime entity — terrorizing New Yorkers.
“Our indictment alleges that for the past four years, OED has wreaked havoc in this city, committing multiple murders, multiple armed robberies, shootings, assaults and also dealing dangerous drugs, including fentanyl,” he added.
At Tuesday’s news conference, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg also announced a 90-count indictment with separate charges against ten members, including two also charged by the federal government.
The DA’s indictment, which includes charges of enterprise corruption and conspiracy on Tuesday, was part of a parallel investigation by the Southern District of New York.
“They scouted their robbery victims, who were mostly patrons of nightclubs and restaurants, by scouring social media for personal information and then tracked those persons,” he said in the conference.
One of the alleged crimes is the murder of Jeffrey Sanchez, who was fatally shot in the back outside the Opus Lounge on West 202nd Street during a robbery on Sept. 20, 2021, by OED members.
Prosecutors said the duo then stood over Sanchez, ripping his watch and jewelry from him as he lay motionless on the sidewalk.
In some cases of violence, the victims were innocent bystanders.
Bragg said the 10 defendants will be arraigned on Wednesday and each face “significant sentencing exposure.”
Meanwhile, according to federal officials, 11 of the defendants charged with conspiracy to commit racketeering face a maximum of life in prison, while four charged with murder in aid of racketeering might even face the death penalty.
* Article from: audacy.com
