Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark and New York City Police Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell announced on Thursday, April 7, that 20 people, including four adolescent offenders, have been charged with various offenses related to murder, non-fatal shootings, and stabbings mainly in the areas of East Gun Hill Road, Hull Avenue and Decatur Avenue in Norwood and the surrounding areas.

 

According to the investigation, the defendants, alleged members of the G-Side/Drilly gang, a subset of the Bloods Sex Money Murder gang, allegedly carried out a total of 32 acts of violence that spanned a three-year period, between Sept. 20, 2018 and March 15, 2022.

 

Clark said the 82-count indictment included charges of conspiracy, murder, manslaughter, attempted murder, criminal possession of a weapon, reckless endangerment, assault, attempted assault and grand larceny. The defendants allegedly carried out fatal shootings, as well as non-fatal shootings and stabbings, killing two people and leaving six people wounded. They are prominent in the Drill rap scene, and in music videos that were posted to YouTube, they allegedly boasted about the acts of violence that they or their associates carried out. A total of 18 guns were seized during the investigation and three defendants were also charged for allegedly committing an act of violence while held in Rikers Island.

 

According to the Urban Dictionary, drill is a branch of rap music that can be compared to trap music. Both are about life in the streets, but while trap music is about the trap (hence the name) and the drug dealing side of things, drill music is about the violent side of the streets. “Drill is aggressive, dark, violent, and about guns and shootings,” according to Urban Dictionary.

 

On Jan. 9, 2019, at approximately 1 p.m., four defendants, including one teen, and other individuals surrounded an 18-year-old CUNY Prep student as he left the school and attempted to rob him. They allegedly attacked the victim with multiple weapons, including a knife. The victim was seriously injured and required emergency resuscitation and life-saving blood transfusions. Video surveillance captured the incident. The goal of CUNY Prep is to offer out-of-school youth opportunities to pursue an alternative pathway to earn their High School Equivalency Diploma within a college-going culture.

 

On July 20, 2020, as reported, in front of 3343 Decatur Avenue, six defendants, including two who were teens at the time, began to chase victim, James Rivera, 24. Four defendants allegedly shot at Rivera multiple times, and one defendant also allegedly attempted to stab him when he fell on the ground. The victim died of a gunshot wound to the back.

 

On Sept. 29, 2020, at around 2 p.m. on East Fordham Road, as reported, two juvenile defendants allegedly fired shots at their target in a busy commercial area near a subway station, endangering the lives of multiple people, including children. No one was injured.

 

On April 25, 2021, inside the Robert N. Davoren Center in Rikers Island, three defendants allegedly assaulted a rival gang member.

 

On March 17, 2021, four defendants went to an apartment on Hull Avenue and allegedly shot Delilah Vasquez, 20, at close range in the forehead, killing her. Video surveillance shows the defendants allegedly entering and fleeing the building. As reported by Norwood News at the time, the victim’s mother was threatened by a gang in the aftermath of the killing.

 

On June 28, 2021 at around 10 p.m., two defendants fired multiple shots at their target in front of 3573 Dekalb Avenue. The shooting left three innocent bystanders—a 66-year-old woman, 39-year-old man and 31-year-old man—wounded.

 

On the evening of Oct. 22, 2021, as reported by Norwood News at the time, two defendants waited outside a barbershop on East Gun Hill Road for approximately 15 minutes, then entered and allegedly fired multiple shots at their target. The individual who was getting a haircut at the time, tried to hide behind a chair and was shot in the stomach and leg. He was taken to the hospital and survived. Surveillance video of the incident shows patrons in the barber shop running for cover.

 

In the context of the charges, Clark said, “These defendants allegedly engaged in dozens of acts of violence, including murder and attempted murder, over the last three years, with the most recent just a few weeks ago. The defendants allegedly committed multiple shootings, some in broad daylight, killing two people and injuring innocent bystanders.”

 

She added, “These defendants terrorized residents of the Fordham/Bedford Park neighborhoods who were forced to run for their lives as bullets flew. We thank the NYPD for their intense work on this investigation. We are doing all we can to battle the gun scourge, but more must be done to deviate young people from a life of gangs and senseless violence.”

 

For her part, Sewell said, “Today’s sweeping indictment highlights the focused efforts that continue to identify the relatively small percentage of people responsible for much of our city’s crime and disorder.” She continued, “I commend the members of the NYPD’s Gun Violence Suppression Division and Violence Reduction Task Force, along with our partners in the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, for remaining steadfast in our obligation to protect New Yorkers in every community. We vow to keep dismantling gangs and crews, and working hard to prevent the senseless violence so often associated with their activities.”

 

18 guns recovered and 20 Alleged G-Side/Drilly Gang Members Indicted for 32 acts of violence including Murders, Non-fatal Shootings and Stabbings in Fordham/Bedford Park area. Listen to the announcement from DA Clark and the NYPD @NYPDnews pic.twitter.com/BBEAMeiwLL

— Bronx DA Darcel D. Clark (@BronxDAClark) April 7, 2022

Seven defendants were arraigned Tuesday, April 5, by Bronx Supreme Court Justices George Villegas and Naita Semaj and are due back in court later this month. The remaining defendants, who are in custody already, are awaiting arraignment. If convicted of the top count of first-degree conspiracy, four of the defendants face a minimum of 15-25 years to a maximum of life in prison.

 

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Morgan Dolan, counsel in the Homicide Bureau, under the supervision of Christine Scaccia, chief of the Homicide Bureau, and under the overall supervision of James Brennan, deputy chief of the Trial Division, and Theresa Gottlieb, chief of the Trial Division.

 

Clark thanked Assistant District Attorney Patrick Kenny of Trial Bureau 50, Assistant District Attorney Keturah Ladd of the Violent Criminal Enterprise Bureau, and professional staff of the Homicide Bureau and Grand Jury Unit, for their involvement in the investigation.

 

She also thanked NYPD Detective Michael Delgardo, lead detective of the Violence Reduction Task Force, and NYPD Detectives Patriciann Caputo and Brandon Ravelo, also of the Violence Reduction Task Force; NYPD Captain Brian McCaughey, commanding officer of the Gun Violence Suppression Division, Zone 2; NYPD Lieutenant Paul Prendergast of the Violence Reduction Task Force; and Sergeants Bladimir Falette and John McFarland of the Violence Reduction Task Force. Finally, Clark thanked both the 46^th precinct and 52^nd precinct detective squads and field intelligence officers; and the Department of Correction’s Correction Intelligence Bureau for their assistance.

 

Seven defendants were arraigned Tuesday by Bronx Supreme Court Justices George Villegas and Naita Semaj and are due back in court later this month. The arraigned defendants are Brayan Hernandez, AKA Breezo, 17, Bronx; Jaheim Buchanan, AKA Jah, 17, Bronx; Anthony Brea, AKA Chubbs, 17, Bronx; Michael Brito, AKA Yogi, 20, Bronx; Ali Doby, AKA Lee Drilly, 19, Bronx; Claurvin Rosario, AKA Pegotes, AKA Kelvin Rodriguez, 21, Bronx; and Omar Gibbs, AKA Leeky, 20, Bronx.

 

The remaining defendants, who are in custody already, are awaiting arraignment. The defendants are Richard Santiago, AKA Swift, 21, Bronx; John Martinez, AKA Suave Drilly, 23, Bronx; Tabu Harris, AKA Spazz Drilly, 21, Bronx; Careem Williams, AKA Houdini, 20, Bronx; Mario Jimenez, AKA MB, 19, Bronx; True Bell, 18, Bronx; Nasir Carter, AKA Nas Fourty, 19, Bronx; Donjuan Patterson, AKA Bobby Drilly, 17, Bronx; Precious Williams, AKA PW Jet, 21, Bronx; Daniel Abreu, AKA D-Dot, 18, Bronx; Brandon Beltres, AKA Nonstop, 19, Bronx; Angel Rodriguez, AKA Milly2Drilly, 20, Bronx; and Briant Gonzalez, AKA Faze Drilly, 23, Bronx.

 

If convicted of the top count of first-degree conspiracy, four of the defendants face a minimum of 15-25 years to a maximum of life in prison.

 

A person arrested and accused of a crime is innocent unless and until convicted in a court of law.