Crime & Safety
Alleged Leader Of Drug, Prostitution Gang, 'The Squad,' Indicted
Former Concord man allegedly involved in human trafficking and threats while an alleged Merrimack drug dealer, rape victim died last month.
MANCHESTER, NH — For nearly the last three years, officials in Hillsborough County have been attempting to prosecute charges against a number of men and women allegedly involved in attempting to control the drug and prostitution trade in the Queen City, according to the New Hampshire Union Leader. Brandon Griffin, 30, lower middle right, is the alleged ringleader of a gang known as "The Squad" and has received a 101-count indictment against him for allegedly ordering members to trade and assault prostitutes, Tase and physically assault others, threaten rival drug gangs, and deal drugs in the city. Griffin was indicted last year for felony crack cocaine dealing in the spring of 2017, and is currently incarcerated.
The report details the investigation by the Hillsborough County Attorney's Office. Four other gang members have been indicted and others indictments will also be issued, the report noted.
One alleged member of the gang is former Concord resident Courtney Barrett, upper left, of King Street in Manchester, who was indicted on three counts of trafficking in persons, three counts of conspiracy to commit trafficking in persons, and four counts of tampering with witnesses and informants, in Hillsborough County Superior Court-North in November.
According to the indictment, between Jan. 1, 2016, and Aug. 22, 2017, he allegedly worked in concert with Griffin, and another alleged associated – Charles Morrison, upper middle left – and/or others to knowingly recruit, entice, harbor, transport, a woman knowing or believing that she would likely be the subject of trafficking and reportedly caused her to believe that if she did not perform services – selling controlled substances and commercial sex acts – that she would suffer serious harm. The indictment alleged that Barrett also threatened to strike her with a belt.
Morrison was indicted on a first-degree assault charge – allegedly slashing a person with a sharp instrument – early last year.
Barnett – who lived on Canton Circle in Concord about two years ago – was arrested a number of times in the capital city including for second-degree assault, simple assault, conspiracy to commit unauthorized use of a propelled vehicle, bail jumping, drunk driving, nonappearance in court, simple assault, and false imprisonment. In 2015, he was charged with sale of a controlled drug in Manchester and put on a probation hold but later, released.
One of Griffin's reported drug dealers and later, a victim, was Tori Caron, upper middle right, formerly of Meetinghouse Road in Merrimack, who had a number of run-ins with the law around the state including drug dealing and possession charges, receiving stolen property, and other charges. In the spring 2017, Manchester Police alleged that on three occasions, she sold crack cocaine with Griffin to an individual working with the police. She was indicted in Hillsborough County Superior Court-North on the charges. The report also alleged that after Caron stole drugs from Griffin, he allegedly cut her face, and at one point, allegedly raped her.
Caron passed away due to an apparent drug overdose on Dec. 15, 2017, in Merrimack.
Amanda Gurley, upper right, a homeless woman who has allegedly been involved in robbery and drug possession, was also mentioned in the report. She was the subject of a statewide manhunt after a robbery against an elderly Manchester woman went bad in January 2016.
Other supposed lieutenants of "The Squad" were John Gebo, lower middle left, and Kelvin Reddick, lower left, who were reportedly ordered to shoot up a number of homes thought to be locations of rival drug dealers in 2016.
Gebo later murdered Hans Odige. Gurley was also indicted on conspiracy to commit reckless conduct and reckless conduct-accomplice charged after the West End shooting. Gebo was arrested after a burglary incident in Derry a few months before the shooting after surveillance footage reportedly caught him inside the house. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Griffin – prosecutors allege – ordered the murder of Odige and has been charged with attempted murder.
Griffin's attorneys said in a statement that they were not impressed by the indictments and looked forward to seeing the evidence.
Read the full report on unionleader.com.
Images via police file photos; cell photo via Shutterstock.
