Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, and Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch announced Thursday, April 17, that 20 alleged members of the “800 YGz” gang have been charged with a conspiracy of violence, including a murder and 14 non-fatal shootings that they said turned the West Farms neighborhood in The Bronx into a shooting gallery.

 

“Brazen, senseless violence threatened the lives of school children, shoppers, along with anyone who walked down the street in daytime, violating the basic right to be safe,” Clark said. “These defendants allegedly shot at rival gangs without any regard for the innocent bystanders caught in between the line of fire. In one incident, they shot a man in the head and killed him. Half the defendants were teenagers when they committed these crimes. We must provide more resources for young people, so they don’t choose gangs or guns.”

 

The defendants have been named as Ernest Ofori, 22, aka Nesty, Thierno Diallo, 22, aka Dolo, Jonathan Westberry, 22, aka JB (currently incarcerated), Axel Ava, 23, aka Assassin (currently incarcerated), Abdoulaye Maregae, 22, aka, Africa (currently incarcerated),  Jose Chavez, 24, aka, Chapo (currently incarcerated), Jonathan Figueroa, 21, and 13 others named John Doe, who were adolescent at the time of the crme and whose real names are not being disclosed. Of those unnamed defendants, six are currently incarcerated, one is aged 19, two are aged 18, and of those two, one is also known as Lil Rah.

 

For his part, Adams said, “My number one job is protecting New Yorkers who want to live in peace and protecting our children from violence in the parks and on our playgrounds, for the people of The Bronx and all across the five boroughs. Investigators recovered nine firearms in this case, part of the more than 21,300 now permanently off our streets since I took office.”

 

He added, “New York City remains the safest big city in America, and it keeps getting safer thanks to this team. I want to thank DA Clark and her team, as well as Police Commissioner Tisch and the brave men and women of the NYPD, for their relentless pursuit of these violent criminals. Thanks to their partnership and dedication to public safety, our city is moving in the right direction. The train has left the station, and crime is not on it.”

 

Meanwhile, Tisch said, “The 800 YGz crew terrorized neighborhoods in The Bronx with a wave of gun violence. These ruthless gang members showed zero regard for children and other innocent lives, shooting up schoolyards and city buses in broad daylight, but thanks to the dedicated NYPD investigators, that reign of terror ends today. Every New Yorker deserves to feel safe, and I thank the Bronx District Attorney’s Office for their partnership in taking down this violent gang.”

 

Clark said the defendants are variously charged in a 73-count indictment with second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, attempted murder in the second degree, first-degree reckless endangerment, second-degree robbery, third-degree robbery, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, second-degree conspiracy, and fourth-degree conspiracy.

 

She said detectives from the NYPD Gun Violence Suppression Division/Bronx Violence Reduction Task Force and the Bronx Warrant Squad arrested seven of the defendants on April 15, and they were arraigned before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Joseph McCormack. She said five were remanded in custody, one had bail set, and one was placed on supervised release. Prosecutors said they are due back in court on April 21, that three defendants have not yet been arrested, and ten are currently incarcerated and will be arraigned on this indictment at a future date.

They said the nearly three-year investigation found the defendants, alleged members of the “800 YGz” gang, based at 800 East 180^th Street, allegedly carried out 15 shootings in or near West Farms against rival gang members. They said investigators recovered nine firearms over the course of the investigation and five of the guns recovered were linked ballistically to 24 other shootings in The Bronx and Upper Manhattan.

 

They said the incidents outlined in the indictment occurred between April 2021 and July 2024 and the defendants regularly met inside a building at 800 East 180^th Street and allegedly used the location as headquarters before or after carrying out crimes.

 

They said of the most serious incidents was a shooting on June 8, 2022 at around 11:28 a.m. near 2234 Walton Avenue, when three of the defendants, including one who was just 15 at the time, shot Rafael Jiminez, 29, in the head, killing him.

Another was on Dec. 4, 2023 at 4:10 p.m. on Adams Place when several of the defendants got into a running gun battle with rival gang members, shooting one man in the head. They said he recovered, and fourteen shell casings were recovered on the block.

 

Yet another was on Aug 28, 2023 at around 2:55 p.m. in front of 997 East 179^th Street when two of the defendants acting in concert with another unidentified person allegedly opened fire on rival gang members, just a few feet away from a man and woman with three young children. Prosecutors said video footage shows the gunman shooting over the family, their faces filled with fear and one child clinging to an adult for protection.

 

On April 1, 2023, at around 6:30 p.m. at a courtyard next to Middle School 129, Academy for Independent Learning and Leadership, on Mapes Avenue, the defendants, upon seeing rival gang members on a scooter nearby, allegedly started shooting across the courtyard. They said video shows children running for their lives. Prosecutors said that at the same location on Dec. 4, 2022, defendants can be seen on video ushering numerous kids off the basketball court of the schoolyard, then firing multiple shots at rivals.

 

They said on March 1, 2024, at around 1:54 p.m. in front of 926 East Tremont Avenue, four of the defendants allegedly approached a barber shop and fired shots into it from the sidewalk. They said the target returned fire and people outside scattered while patrons in the barber shop ducked for cover during the gun battle.

Prosecutors said that on Feb. 23, 2023, at around 4:42 p.m. near Westchester Avenue and West Farms Road, two of the defendants acting in concert allegedly fired six rounds at a man walking to the MTA bus at the busy intersection. They said video surveillance shows the target and several bystanders rolling on the ground and seeking cover under the bus.

 

As reported, on the same day and at the time City officials were making the announcement at the Office of the Bronx District Attorney, a 20-year-old man was shot in Williamsbridge.

 

For some other gang-related coverage, click here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

 

The case is being prosecuted by Christine Scaccia, chief of the Homicide Bureau, and Major Case Assistant District Attorney Sonja Jamelo of Trial Bureau 60, under the overall supervision of James Brennan, deputy chief of the Trial Division, and Theresa Gottlieb, chief of the Trial Division.

 

Clark thanked NYPD Detectives Brian Green, Carlos Pineda and Patrick Nichols, and Sergeant Christopher Neil, all of the Gun Violence Suppression Division, the Bronx Warrant Squad, Detectives from Bronx Precinct Squads, and the NYPD Firearms Analysis Section.

 

The defendants are deemed innocent unless and until convicted in a court of law.