Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced Friday, Oct. 18, that eight alleged members or associates of the “Shiesty 66” gang were indicted for a bank fraud scheme that allegedly netted them over $10 million, following an investigation by her office’s investigations division, the NYPD, the U.S. Secret Service, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

 

Indictment 1 (IND-74483-24) charges Souleman Traore, AKA Solo, 24, of New Rochelle; Lahaji Traore, AKA Soufi, 24, of Washington Avenue, Bronx; and Amadou Balde, 24, of Franklin Avenue, Bronx. Indictment 2 (IND-74473-24) charges Moussa Cisse, 23, of Hoe Avenue, Bronx; Abubacarr Daffeh, AKA AB, 25, of Briggs Avenue, Bronx; and Seth Young, AKA Lemonhead, 25, of Alcott Place, Bronx.

 

Indictment 3 (IND-74471-24) charges Keon Gulley, 31, of Carroll Place. Bronx, and Indictment 4 (IND-74474-24) charges Sekou Kaloka, 29, of Union Avenue, Bronx.

 

Clark said, “The defendants allegedly conspired to steal millions of dollars, recruiting vulnerable people as partners in fraud. At one point, they allegedly attempted to steal $12.6 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds. The defendants allegedly spent the money as quickly as they stole it, on luxury items.”

 

Meanwhile, NYPD Interim Commissioner Thomas G. Donlon, who, as reported, announced on Sept. 21, that he was the subject of a raid on his home by federal agents less than a week into his new job, said of the gang charges, “We are committed to identifying and investigating alleged gang members and ending the illegal schemes used to fund their criminal activities, as highlighted by this indictment. The NYPD will always vigorously collaborate with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those involved in deceit and fraud.”

 

Clark said the defendants are variously charged over four indictments with enterprise corruption, grand larceny, forgery, criminal possession of stolen property, and related charges. She said the defendants were all arraigned before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Margaret Clancy who set bail on six defendants and remanded two in custody. They are due back in court in November.

 

Prosecutors said that the investigation began in November 2021 after reports of shots fired near East 166^th Street and Sheridan Avenue in the Concourse section of The Bronx led to the identification of alleged members of the Shiesty 66 gang. They said public profiles of the gang on social media revealed some of its members were allegedly involved in “card cracking” in which they recruited people on social media to give them access to their debit card information, deposited a phony check in the account, immediately withdrew cash at an ATM, gave the account holder a kickback, and then the card was reported stolen.

According to the investigation, between April 28, 2022, and September 11, 2023, the defendants, acting in concert with each other, engaged in a card-cracking, check-washing, and bank fraud scheme. Prosecutors said allegedly exploited loopholes in the banking system to commit fraud throughout the tri-state area and the West Coast.

 

The court heard that in one instance, one of the defendants attempted to get the information needed to deposit a stolen U.S. Treasury check worth $12.6 million meant for Mount Sinai Medical Center as part of COVID-19 relief funds.

 

Prosecutors said the defendants allegedly used the stolen money to buy clothes from Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Cartier, and Burberry, as well as Rolex and Audemars Piguet watches, and lavish trips where they chartered boats in Paris, Miami, Kuwait, and other destinations.

 

Patrick J. Freaney, special agent in charge of the New York field office of the U.S. Secret Service, said the gang members thought nothing of, as alleged, planning exorbitant acts of fraud to fleece taxpayers in the name of personal gain. “Our investigators are committed to disrupting this type of wanton criminality, particularly when the fraud seeks to exploit funding dedicated to those in dire need,” he said.

 

Meanwhile, Daniel B. Brubaker, inspector in charge of the New York division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, said in part, “These stolen funds were allegedly used to support the defendants’ lavish lifestyles. This far-reaching investigation by postal inspectors and our law enforcement partners involved victims from across the country.”

 

He continued, “Postal Inspectors work aggressively to pursue mail thieves and protect our customers from falling victim to fraudulent schemes. Today’s indictments are a shining example of our partnership with the NYPD, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Bronx District Attorney’s Office. The message to other would-be mail thieves is this: we will utilize every resource at our disposal, travel across the country to identify victims, and leverage every partnership to bring you to justice.”

 

The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Jaclyn Wood, supervisor in the Violent Criminal Enterprise Bureau, and Assistant District Attorney Pia Freedman of the Financial Frauds Bureau, under the supervision of Newton Mendys, chief of the Violent Enterprise Bureau, Herman Wun, chief of the Financial Frauds Bureau, and Craig Cecchini, chief of the Special Investigations Bureau, under the overall supervision of Denise Kodjo, deputy chief of investigations division and Wanda Perez-Maldonado, chief of the investigations division.

 

Clark thanked Mary Jo Blanchard, counsel to the investigations division, Trial Preparation Assistants Debra Abreu of the financial frauds bureau and Alexandra Tomkin of the investigations division, Intelligence Analyst Jonathan Mulhern of the crime strategies bureau, Principal Accountant Investigator Jim Antonino, and the digital forensic laboratory of the Bronx District Attorney’s Office for their assistance in the case.

The also thanked NYPD Detective Ryan Blair of the violent crime squad, NYPD Intelligence Research Specialist Britney Ford, NYPD Detective Daniel Alessandrino of the financial crimes task force, Special Frauds Squad; U.S. Secret Service Agent Christine Miller, and U.S. Postal Service Inspector Tad Conklin for their work on the investigation.

 

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

 

In an earlier statement, Donlon said of the separate raid on his home that it was unrelated to his work as police commissioner and that documents that had come into his possession around 20 years ago were removed during the search.

 

As reported, during his announcement of Donlon as the latest police commissioner, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Donlon served as New York’s director of the Office of Homeland Security, ran the FBI National Threat Center and the FBI NYPD Joint Terrorist Task Force, and worked as the cold case agent investigating the 1993 Twin Towers bombing, as well as the attacks in U.S. embassy in Africa and the USS Cole in Yemen by al-Qaeda. When questioned about the raid on Donlon’s homes during a press conference on Tuesday, Sept. 24, the mayor referred to the case as “a private matter.”

 

No charges have been brought against Donlon. On Sept. 22, The City reported that Tim Pearson, a top public safety adviser to the mayor and former NYPD inspector, was under federal investigation. He is one of several people close to the mayor, who, as reported, have resigned in recent weeks, amid a federal investigation into the mayor’s campaign finances linked to his 2021 mayoral campaign. The mayor himself, pleads not guilty to federal bribery charges in relation to same.

 

On Tuesday, Oct. 1, the mayor sought sanctions on federal prosecutors who charged him, alleging they leaked grand jury material and other sensitive information in “brazen violations” of the rules.

 

Bronxites have been giving their reactions to the situation which involves several Democrats in recent weeks, as well as their reaction to the recent charges brought against Republican district leader and former NYC Board of Elections employee, Nicole Torres,