The New York City Police Department has just made history for the largest gang bust in the city.
During the early morning hours of April 27, the NYPD, in conjunction with several other federal agencies, arrested 120 Bronx gang members at more than 100 locations near the Eastchester Gardens public housing complex in Williamsbridge, police said.
A statement by Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said the 120 members represent the rival street gangs of 2Fly YGz (2Fly) and the Big Money Bosses (BMB) were charged with racketeering conspiracy, narcotics conspiracy, narcotics distribution, and firearms offenses.
Roughly 80 percent of those taken into custody will face federal criminal charges for a number of violent offenses—including at least 7 homicides.
The NYPD-led operation involved efforts from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
Other notables: Bronx Gang Squad, HSI’s Violent Gang Unit, the New York Field Division of the DEA, and the ATF’s Joint Firearms Task Force, as well as the United States Marshals’ Service, the New York State Office of Special Investigation—Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, and the New York State Police, the Department of Investigation, and the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office.
Bharara publicized each gang member’s indictment in the statement.
“Today, we seek to eviscerate two violent street gangs – 2Fly and BMB – that have allegedly wreaked havoc on the streets of the Northern Bronx for years, by committing countless acts of violence against rival gang members and innocents alike. The gangs’ alleged victims include not only a 15 year-old child stabbed and left to die in the street, as well as a 92 year-old woman shot by a stray bullet in her own home, but also extend to the thousands of residents of Eastchester Gardens and its surrounding neighborhoods terrorized for years by the gangs’ open-air drug dealing and senseless violence.”
Along with the arrests, federal and local officers executed search warrants at four locations tied to the gang members. From the locations, they seized: seven guns, ammunition, crack, marijuana, counterfeit currency, and drug paraphernalia, among other evidence.
During the investigation, agents and officers also made “thousands” of wiretap calls, which recorded gang member discussions on racketeering and narcotics activities.
In the statement, NYPD’s Commissioner William J. Bratton said:
“As alleged, these individuals engaged in open-air drug sales near homes and schools in the Bronx, pushing poison onto our streets. Allegedly, they also committed numerous acts of violence and at least eight murders in the course of their illicit operations. This includes the murder of a 92 year-old innocent bystander who was killed by a stray bullet inside her home. I want to thank the members of the NYPD’s Bronx Gang Squad and our law enforcement partners for dismantling these gangs. I commend them for their dedication and precision throughout this long-term investigation.”
2Fly is a subset of the “Young Gunnaz,” or “YG” street gang, and BMB is a subset of the “Young Bosses,” or “YBz” street gang—both operating in New York City.
