Police said a second member of the local cure violence group, Bronx Risies Against Gun Violence (B.R.A.G.), Jermaine Greene, has been charged with firearm and drug offenses, following his arrest at Fordham Road subway station last month.

 

The NYPD said on Thursday, March 28, at around 5.42 p.m., inside Fordham Road and Jerome Avenue “4” subway station, officers observed a person entering the emergency gate without permission or authority to do so. “The individual was stopped on the southbound platform of the location,” a police spokesperson said. “He provided identification upon request. Shortly thereafter, computer checks revealed that he had active warrants.”

 

Police said the man was later placed under arrest without incident. They said a search carried out on the basis of the arrest found that he was in possession of a loaded 9mm ghost gun and a large quantity of narcotics. As reported, ghost guns are firearms for which the parts are purchased online and later assembled at home.

 

Police said Greene, 42, of Sheridan Avenue in the Claremont section of The Bronx was charged with criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of controlled substance, fare evasion, criminal use of drug paraphernalia, and trespassing.

 

As reported, according to its website, B.R.A.G. currently operates in three locations in The Bronx. B.R.A.G. North covers Wakefield, B.R.A.G. Northwest serves Fordham and Belmont, while B.R.A.G. West covers University Heights and Morris Heights.

 

B.R.A.G. works with teens and young adults between the ages of 16 and 25, mentoring and assisting in their development of conflict resolution skills. According to their website, between July 2017 and June 2021, B.R.A.G. responded to 1,035 disputes, organized 10,973 “interruption activities,” and worked through 2,353 “completed mediations.”

NYPD Chief of Transit Michael Kemper said of Greene’s arrest last month, “When people question the value of fare evasion enforcement – look no further than THIS example. A convicted murderer (on parole) was packing heat when he beat the subway fare yesterday. He apparently didn’t get the memo that the NYPD is hyper focused on transit safety. He also didn’t get the memo that law-abiding New Yorkers are fed up with open lawlessness at the turnstiles.”

 

Kemper continued, “Well…how’d that work out for him? Jermaine Greene, a gun-toting repeat offender, entered a Bronx subway station last night without paying the fare. Your dedicated cops from Transit District 11 confronted him and recovered this loaded ghost gun and felony-weight crack cocaine. We’ve been vocal. The public’s been vocal. Subway safety begins at the turnstiles, and our efforts to prevent disorder and lawlessness at the fare gates remains an important part of our overall public safety strategy.”

 

The police chief concluded, “Whether it’s good old fashion subway policing or the embrace of innovative technology, the NYPD will remain steadfast in keeping weapons and dangerous criminals out of our subways. New Yorkers deserves nothing less.”

 

Norwood News reached out to New York court administration, the Bronx District Attorney (DA)’s office, and the NYPD for details of Greene’s prior arrests/convictions. The DA’s office said Greene was on [supervised] parole for a murder in Delaware, and they referred us to NYS Parole Division of NYS Department of Corrections (DOCCS) for more details.

 

A DOCCS representative later said, in part, “Releasee, Jermaine Greene, is a COOP/interstate case supervised under the Interstate Compact Agreement.” The representative said Greene was being supervised by DOCCS for his convictions for a second-degree murder and second-degree assault that occurred in Kent County, Delaware, in 2004. They said Greene was incarcerated in the State of Delaware from April 19, 2004 to Feb. 5, 2022.

The representative said Greene’s supervised parole records indicate that he had “a projected maximum expiration date of April 17, 2026,” and added that his March 28, 2024 arrest in Bronx County represents his only known arrest during this term of supervision. They added that as a COOP/interstate case, his out-of-state criminal history is not reflected in New York State’s incarcerated look-up system, which only reflects a prior robbery offense.

 

The representative added that after determining Greene had violated the conditions of his parole in “an important respect,” and following an investigation, DOCCS issued a parole warrant. They added that the State of Delaware has been notified and DOCCS is awaiting a response.

 

When contacted for comment on the 2nd arrest of a B.R.A.G. member, a spokesperson for B.R.A.G. said, “Bronx Rises Against Gun Violence is aware of the arrest of one of its staff. We take this matter seriously and are conducting a comprehensive internal inquiry to ensure the safety, welfare and trust of our program participants and the communities we support.”

 

The spokesperson also said that B.R.A.G. remains committed to identifying areas in The Bronx with high incidences of gun violence and connecting with young people in the community. “Our aim is to provide alternative ways to resolve conflict and help develop a positive mindset, demonstrating our unwavering dedication to the Bronx community,” the spokesperson said.

 

The spokesperson said B.R.A.G. runs 23 cure violence programs and the team is comprised mainly of “credible messengers,” people from the impacted neighborhoods who can build a good rapport with youth and other residents due to their prior history of engaging in activities that exposed them to risk for involvement in the justice system.

 

B.R.A.G. adopted the cure violence (CV) model to prevent future violence by engaging with “violently injured youth” and their communities. Through activities like shooting responses and community events, they said the organization promotes non-violent norms and provides support resources.

In a study analyzing the efficacy of the cure violence method, they said a significant 63% reduction in the number of shooting victims in the Bronx neighborhood has been recorded. “This showcases the effectiveness of our interrupters’ efforts compared to pre-program rates, reinforcing our belief in the positive impact of our work,” they said.

 

Over time, Norwood News has covered a number of successful events hosted by B.R.A.G., which has been operating in the North Bronx for several years now, while other local groups have also sought to emulate B.R.A.G.’s work as a frame of reference for other anti-gun violence initiatives. B.R.A.G. is one of several community partners involved in New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ strategy to end gun violence, outlined in his “Blueprint to End Gun Violence” released in 2022, as reported.

 

As reported, MMCC’s restorative justice program also works with local youth on similar cure violence intervention initiatives, among other programs.

 

The mayor held a roundtable in 2022 with various district attorneys to discuss his anti-gun violence strategy, and Norwood  News readers later weighed in on the mayor’s blueprint announcement at the time.

As previously reported, Michael Rodriguez, 49, of Yonkers and a former representative for B.R.A.G., was sentenced for drug-related charges in Orange County, as announced by Orange County District Attorney (DA) David M. Hoovler on Thursday, Jan. 4.

 

 

Greene’s arrest was also recently reported by The NY Post, which also reported that Greene was on parole for a murder in Delaware.

 

Greene is deemed innocent of the latest charges, unless and until convicted in a court of law.

In the 94 federal judicial districts nationwide, U.S. probation officers play an integral role in the administration of justice, according to the federal court system. “Probation officers serve as the community corrections arm of the federal court system, and provide to the court two important services: investigation and supervision,” an extract from the court system’s website reads. “Their mission is to investigate and supervise offenders whom the courts have conditionally released to the community on probation, parole, or supervised release.”

 

On April 11, federal prosecutors and New York City Department of Investigation (“DOI”) officials announced that Dominic Coluccio, the former president of the United Probation Officers Association (the “UPOA”), the union that represents all current and former New York City probation officers, pled guilty the same day to one count of wire fraud in connection with a scheme to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from the UPOA and the UPOA’s active welfare fund and retirement welfare fund.

 

Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story incorrectly attributed to the comments from B.R.A.G. to Good Shepherd Services, the nonprofit which oversees B.R.A.G. We apologize for this error which has since been corrected.