Essex County Gang Bust: 12 Alleged N.J. Bloods Arrested, 9 Still At-Large

NEWARK, NJ — New Jersey State Police officials said that the agency's troopers helped to dismantle a large street gang network in Essex County after an inter-agency task force arrested 12 alleged members of the Newark-based “Red Breed Gorillas” set of the Bloods Street Gang on Friday.

According to state police, the arrests were the result of a 10-month investigation between a coalition of law enforcement agencies including the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice, Newark Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Task Force.

During the investigation, investigators allegedly discovered that an organized hierarchy of the Red Breed Gorillas Street Gang controlled the drug distribution in the area of Stratford Place and the Grace West Housing Complex on Irvine Turner Boulevard in Newark, which “contributed to increased violence and criminal activity in the area,” state police said.

On Friday, law enforcement officers arrested 12 suspects in a massive sweep, charging each with gang criminality and multiple CDS-related offenses.

Nine additional members of the gang have been identified, but have not been located, state police said Monday.

The remaining suspects all have active arrest warrants and are urged to surrender to law enforcement, authorities said.

Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police Rick Fuentes said that the arrested suspects were part of a gang that allegedly sold drugs near schools and “parks where children play.”

The arrestees included:

• Kevin Clayton, 25, Newark
• Aljuquan Thomason, 24, Newark
• Yasim Smith, 19, Newark
• Abdul Bryant, 20, Newark
• Lyonel Finklea, 30, Newark
• Bryant Hawkins, 39, Newark
• Elijah Evans, 24, Newark
• Quashyne Seburn, 24, Newark
• Terrance Shells, 19, Newark
• Alfatah Loyal, 31, Newark
• Tyree Oxford, 23, Newark
• Tyre Sorbino, 18, Newark

During the sweep, law enforcement officers seized:

• Glock .357 handgun
• 168 decks of heroin
• 94 vials of crack-cocaine
• $3,541 in U.S. currency

Police said that the following individuals are still at-large and have active arrest warrants:

• Ramon Finklea, 29, Newark
• Jahob Loyal, 27, Newark
• Yasin Hamilton, 25, Newark
• Kevin Loyal, 28, Newark
• Charlie Jones, 28, Newark
• Nyreek Loyal, 21, Newark
• Darnell Cogman, 44, Newark
• Jahwon Christian, 21, Newark
• Naim Stewart, 23, Newark

Anyone with information about the remaining suspects can contact the New Jersey State Police at (973) 351-1063. Anonymous tips are welcome, authorities said.

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