Belleville Men, Alleged Crips Gang Leaders Faces More Murder Charges

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Several reputed, high-ranking members of the New Jersey Grape Street Crips gang are facing new murder charges in Essex County.

On Wednesday, a Newark federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Ahmad Manley, a/k/a "Fresh," a/k/a "Moddi G," 30, of Summit, with racketeering-related murder and attempted murder charges related to a 2014 double homicide. Prosecutors said that Manley, who was previously charged by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office, has been out of custody on bail.

Additional murder charges were handed down on Wednesday against several other alleged members and leaders of the New Jersey Grape Street Crips, many of whom were arrested during a massive, 71-person gang bust in 2015.

• See related article: 71 Alleged Members of the Grape Street Crips Arrested For Drugs, Murder In New Jersey

According to prosecutors, the indictment charged the gang’s “second-in-command,” Kwasi Mack, a/k/a "Welchs," a/k/a "The Prince," a/k/a "Mini Me," 27, of Belleville, and Corey Batts, a/k/a "C-Murder," a/k/a "Cee," 31, of Newark, with a 2006 shooting that left one rival gang member dead and another wounded. In addition, Tony Phillips, a/k/a "Blue," 25, of Newark, was added to counts charging two attempted murders that took place in October of 2013.

The indictment also added a murder in aid of racketeering count against the alleged leader of the gang, Corey Hamlet, a/k/a "C-Blaze," a/k/a "Blaze," a/k/a "Blizzie," a/k/a "Castor Troy," 39, of Belleville, as well as Batts and Phillips, for a May 2013 murder.

According to the indictment, on March 3, 2014, Manley and Hamlet, the “long-time leader of the New Jersey Grape Street Crips,” were riding in Manley's Jeep Cherokee when they pulled alongside a car being driven by a person identified as "Victim 6." Although Hamlet allegedly aimed a firearm at Victim 6 and the car's other occupants, Victim 6 pulled away before any shots were fired, prosecutors stated.

However, a short time later, Manley found Victim 6, and a car chase ensued, prosecutors said. The chase allegedly concluded when Victim 6’s car crashed into other civilian vehicles at the intersection of Irvine Turner Boulevard and Spruce Street in Newark. Numerous shots fired from Manley’ s Jeep Cherokee at Victim 6’s vehicle struck Victim 6 and killed “Victim 7,” a passenger in Victim 6’s car. In addition, “Victim 8” - an innocent bystander who was a passenger in one of the civilian vehicles that had crashed at the intersection - was shot through the head and killed, prosecutors said.

“The double murder was part of an on- going feud between the Grape Street Crips and a rival (referred to in the indictment as “Victim One”) that resulted in numerous other murders and attempted murders, several of which are charged in today’s indictment,” prosecutors stated.

A ‘BROKERED TRUCE’

Prosecutors allege that in August of 2013, Hamlet authorized Batts and others to murder his reputed “rival.”

In October 2013, Hamlet allegedly met with Victim One at The Mall at Short Hills in Millbum in a meeting that had been set-up by “Victim Five,” a member of the New Jersey Grape Street Crips who was a close associate of Victim One and who attempted to broker a truce between Hamlet and Victim One, prosecutors said.

• See related article: Alleged N.J. Crips Gang Leader Held Meeting At Short Hills Mall: Prosecutor

Prosecutors allege that after the Short Hills meeting, Hamlet used a social media account to post a report from the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office purportedly indicating that Victim One had provided a statement to law enforcement. Just three days after Hamlet’s social media post, Batts, Manley, Phillips, and another gang member – allegedly acting on Hamlet’s orders - repeatedly shot and nearly killed Victim One and “Victim Four,” a bystander who was inside Victim One’s car.

Following the attempted murder of Victim One, Hamlet and other gang members perceived that Victim Five had been disloyal by attempting to put an end to the feud between Hamlet and Victim One, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors charge that in November of 2013, Aaron Terrell, 25, and Rashan Washington, 26, both of Newark, allegedly murdered Victim Five. Acting on Hamlet’s orders, Washington allegedly lured Victim Five into a Jeep Cherokee and then purposely left Victim Five alone, while Terrell shot Victim Five once in the head, authorities charge.

POTENTIAL SENTENCES

Prosecutors said that Hamlet, Mack, Manley, Batts and Phillips face a potential maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison for the racketeering conspiracy charge. Manley also faces a potential life sentence of life for the drug trafficking charges.

On the murder in aid of racketeering charges, Hamlet, Batts, and Phillips face a mandatory sentence of life in prison, prosecutors said.

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