Bushwick Turf War Leads To Arrest Of A Dozen Gang Members, Brooklyn DA Says

BUSHWICK, BROOKLYN — A dozen gang members who shot up Bushwick streets to protect their turf from rival gangs now face 25 years in prison, prosecutors announced Thursday.

The True Bosses Only gang allegedly orchestrated 10 shootings and injured seven people to prevent rival gangs from claiming dominance in their neighborhood, according to a 59-charge claim from the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office.

Most recently, Gilbert “Gilly” Arciliares, 22, shot an innocent bystander at the intersection of Myrtle Avenue and Harmen Street when he fired a gun at two Elm Street Piru gang members on March 1st, prosecutors said.

It wasn’t the first time Arciliares shot and missed, said prosecutors.

Arciliares shot two innocent women on Sept. 11, 2016, when he fired a .380 caliber pistol at rival Piru members he spotted on Central and Greene avenues, prosecutors said.

One year before that, Arciliares stood on the corner of Wyckoff and Greene avenues and shot an MTA bus window, which shattered and left one passenger with cuts on her face from the broken glass, said prosecutors.

Fellow gang member Hector “Kash” Lleras also aimed and missed, according to prosecutors.

Lleras was standing outside Hi-Mango Market at 341 Knickerbocker Ave. on July 8, 2015, when he aimed his gun at a Piru gang member, missed and almost hit a man sitting in his parked car, said prosecutors.

The defendants — who had access to a small arsenal of “community guns” — did not appear to be chagrined by their poor aim and repeatedly boasted of their crimes on Facebook and YouTube to taunt rival Elm Street Piru, Loot and 900 gang members, said prosecutors.

Nine True Bosses Only gang members — Arciliares, Lleras, Carlos “Skrap” Lucas, 22, Patrick “Holly” Tucker, 25, Tyrece “Preme” Findlay, 20, Malik “Euros” Cherry, 20, Anthony “Gunna” Gooding, 21, Yasin “Ya-Ya” Shearin, 19, and Jamar “Headache” Lovander, 26 — were arraigned in Brooklyn supreme court in June and held on bail, prosecutors said.

Three unnamed defendants were also named in the 59-count indictment — which includes charges of conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, and assault — and were awaiting arraignment on Thursday afternoon, prosecutors said.

“This indictment describes a terrifying mix of deadly force and mindless obsessions with turf,” said Acting District Attorney Eric Gonzalez in a statement.

“We will never stop fighting against gun violence and this kind of senseless disregard for the safety of our children and neighbors.”

Photos, video and map courtesy of the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office