Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark and New York City Police Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell announced on Tuesday, May 24, that 21 men and one teen, alleged members of the River Park Towers gang, have been charged in a 65-count indictment with conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, attempted assault, criminal possession of a weapon and numerous other charges related to multiple shootings in and around the River Park Towers complex in the Morris Heights section of The Bronx.

 

Another indictment charges seven of the defendants with attempted murder, weapons possession, and other charges for an incident on August 17, 2020, in which they fired approximately 11 shots into a building vestibule, and barely missed the head of one of the targets. A third indictment is for an incident on Rikers Island on April 25, 2021, when members of the River Park Towers gang and their allies committed a gang assault on a member of the Crips gang.

 

The defendants were also charged with an animal cruelty misdemeanor. They were livestreaming a pigeon that flew into the area and likened the bird to a Crip who wandered into their neighborhood. One defendant said, “If we get a hundred views, we’ll kill it.” They reached that number and beat the pigeon to death with a cane on Facebook live.

 

In the context of the announcement, Clark said, “These defendants allegedly engaged in gun violence, committing six shootings, one which injured a rival gang member. They allegedly fired wildly on the streets without regard for the lives of anyone else. They allegedly possessed a gun used in shootings that they posed with on social media and rapped about the violence. I thank the NYPD for their partnership in 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.”

 

Clark added, “I am calling on rappers from The Bronx to stop using music to encourage shootings and use it to better the community. I am asking to have a summit with aspiring rappers and the rap stars who come from The Bronx, record companies, radio stations and social media so we can find solutions to prevent further violence.”

For her part, Sewell said, “These long-term, gun violence suppression division investigations are carefully constructed, precisely focused tools that have a huge impact on eradicating gun violence and improving life for all New Yorkers.”

 

The police commissioner added, “They underscore the importance of our mission to protect those who cannot protect themselves, in this case against a violent crew whose members stand accused of multiple shootings, assaults and other crimes, and I want to thank the NYPD case detectives, our officers in the Warrants Section, and the prosecutors in the Bronx District Attorney’s office for working together to achieve the safe and successful outcomes resulting in today’s indictments.”

 

Clark said six of the defendants, Jessie Battice, Shahiem Spencer, Jalias Perez, Jaylen Johnson, Daniel Agyemang, and Ernest Taluy were arraigned before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Judith Lieb on May 20. For Jalias Perez, bail was set in the amounts of $250,000 cash/$500,000 bond/$500,000 partially secured bond at 10% with a 72-hour examination of surety. The other five were remanded in custody as defense counsel reserved bail applications.

Clark said three defendants, Daniel Collins, Lashar Williams, and Sheriff Jarjou, were arraigned on May 23, before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Judith Lieb and all were remanded in custody.

 

The district attorney said eight defendants are currently incarcerated on other charges and will be arraigned in the coming days. The remaining six defendants are still being sought.

 

According to the investigation by the NYPD gun violence suppression division and the Bronx District Attorney’s violent criminal enterprise bureau, from on or about January 2, 2020, to on or about March 16, 2022, the defendants were members or associates of “the RPT (River Park Tower) organization,” which operated in and around the River Park Towers housing development between the Major Deegan Expressway and the Harlem River.

According to the investigation, the defendants agreed to engage in acts of violence, including murder and the assault of members of rival street crews; and to acquire, possess and use firearms in furtherance thereof, in order to maintain and preserve the power and status of the RPT organization.

 

According to the investigation, around the time of the shootings, members would brag about their acts of violence, and their easy access to firearms in their music videos, while taunting members of the opposition. They also utilized various social media platforms to recruit and gain a following and would not only taunt rival groups and display firearms on social media, but commit shocking acts on social media for views, including the killing of a pigeon on Facebook live.

 

Officials said the conspiracy indictment includes seven shootings and eight gun possessions. One of the guns is tied by ballistics evidence to three shootings which they talked about on social media, while holding the distinctive black and tan firearm.

 

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Keturah Ladd and Joseph Russo of the Violent Criminal Enterprise Bureau, under the supervision of Ronald Sannicandro and Ilya Kharkover, Deputy Chiefs of the violent criminal enterprise bureau, Jonathan Abramovitz, supervisor of the Rikers Island prosecution bureau, and Jose Arocho, deputy chief of the Rikers Island prosecution bureau, L. Newton Mendys, chief of the violent criminal enterprise bureau, and under the overall supervision of Denise Kodjo, deputy chief of the investigations division, and Wanda Perez-Maldonado, chief of the investigations division.

 

Clark thanked Julie Trivedi, former chief of the violent criminal enterprise bureau, who she said was instrumental in bringing the case. She also thanked counsel to the investigations division, Mary Jo Blanchard, Assistant District Attorney Anthony Kuhn, and intelligence analyst, Blanca Canales, both of the crime strategies bureau, and trial preparation assistant, Danielle Jackson, of the violent criminal enterprise bureau, for their assistance.

 

The district attorney also thanked Detective Patriciann Caputo, Detective Michael Delgardo, Detective Brandon Ravelo, Detective Adam Landesberg, Sergeant Bladimir Falette, Sergeant John McFarland and Lieutenant Paul Prendergast, all of the violence reduction task force; Captain Brian McCaughey, Commanding Officer of the gun violence suppression division, Zone 2; Deputy Chief Michael Kletzel, commanding officer of the NYPD fugitive enforcement division, and Deputy Chief Jason Savino, commanding officer of the NYPD gun violence suppression division.

 

In addition, she also thanked the field intelligence officers, neighborhood coordination officers, and public safety officers of the 46^th and 52^nd precincts for their work on the case, as well as Captain Vincent Fuca and investigator, Juan Rivera, of the NYC Department of Correction’s correction intelligence bureau and investigator, Walter Holmes, the Bronx district attorney Riker’s Island liaison.

 

The list of the defendants and charges are as follows:

Indictment #71881-22 (conspiracy)

Karim Grant, 23 AKA Kay Hound

Ibrahim Asare, 25 AKA Ace Hound (incarcerated)

Jessie Battice, 32 AKA Fly Jess (incarcerated)

Victor Rodriguez, 34 AKA Vic (house arrest in N.J.)

Shaheem Spencer, 28 AKA Shizzy Hound (incarcerated)

Lashar Williams, 20 AKA Tmac (incarcerated)

Brandon Long, 22 AKA Blane

Raheem Patterson, 24 AKA Rah (incarcerated)

Daniel Collins, 20 AKA Dthang (incarcerated)

Dewayne Wiggins, 18 AKA Lotti (incarcerated)

Kevin Anthony, 19 AKA Tdot

Omar Gaines, 19 AKA Bando

Daniel Agyemang, 18 AKA Stunna (incarcerated)

Joseph Agyemang, 18 AKA Gunna

Jerome Hughes, 18 AKA Rome (incarcerated)

Joshua Adams, 18 AKA Jelly (incarcerated)

Amnbo Darby, 22 AKA Stackz (incarcerated)

Kareem Felder, 19 AKA Reem

Sheriff Jarjou, 18 AKA Reefy (incarcerated)

Angel Rodriguez, 20 AKA Milly (incarcerated)

Ernest Taluy, 20 AKA Edai (incarcerated)

Jalias Perez, 17 AKA Baby Gz (incarcerated)

 

 

Indictment # 71879-22 (attempted murder)

Jaylen Johnson, 19, AKA JB (incarcerated)

Jerome Hughes (incarcerated)

Amnbo Darby (incarcerated)

Sheriff Jarjou (incarcerated)

Kevin Anthony

Lashar Williams (incarcerated)

Joseph Agyemang

 

Indictment # 71880-22 (Rikers incident)

Angel Rodriguez (incarcerated)

Joshua Adams (incarcerated)

Lashar Williams (incarcerated)

Ernest Tahuy (incarcerated)

Jerome Hughes (incarcerated)

 

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

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story referred to River Park Towers being in Highbridge, rather than Morris Heights. This has since been corrected. Apologies for the error.