'Gorilla Stone' Gang Members Accused Of Drug Trafficking, Fraud

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — Eighteen members of the Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation gang were accused of racketeering, distributing drugs, fraud and more in a 16-count indictment Tuesday from the Southern District of New York.

One of the gang members was accused of murdering a Poughkeepsie teenager in September.

Acting United States Attorney Audrey Strauss said the gang members committed acts of violence, trafficked in narcotics and engaged in fraud by exploiting benefits programs meant to provide assistance in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

"Because of that, communities across the Southern District — Poughkeepsie to Peekskill to New York City — suffered," she said. "Most shocking, as alleged in the indictment, a minor was murdered in furtherance of the gang's activities."

The following were named in the indictments:

• Dwight Reid, a/k/a “Dick Wolf”
• Christopher Erskine, a/k/a “Beagle"
• Walter Luster, a/k/a “Shells”
• Deshawn Thomas, a/k/a “Don”
• Naya Austin, a/k/a “Baby”
• Brandon Nieves, a/k/a “Untouchable Dot”
• Ahmen Walker, a/k/a “Ammo”
• Caswell Senior, a/k/a “Casanova”
• Brandon Soto, a/k/a “Stacks”
• Dezon Washington, a/k/a “Blakk”
• Robert Woods, a/k/a “Blakk Rob”
• Stephen Hugh, a/k/a “Chino”
• Jordan Ingram, a/k/a “Flow”
• Shanay Outlaw, a/k/a “Easy”
• Isaiah Santos, a/k/a “Zay”
• Roberta Sligh, a/k/a “Trouble”
• Brinae Thornton, a/k/a “Luxury”
• Jamal Trent, a/k/a "Trap Smoke"

According to prosecutors, Soto, participated in and facilitated the murder of 15-year-old Jalani Jones, a Poughkeepsie High School student, Sept. 21. Soto was charged with travel act murder and faces life in prison if convicted.

Jones, who not identified in the charging documents, was shot in the head in broad daylight. The shooting happened shortly after 6 p.m. near the intersection of Main and Clinton streets in Poughkeepsie.

On July 20, Hugh shot at rival gang members in New Rochelle, authorities said, to "maintain and increase his position in the Gorilla Stone racketeering enterprise." His charges include attempted murder.

In Peekskill, prosecutors said, Austin, Washington and Ingram robbed a rival drug dealer at gunpoint June 12.

All gang members except for Trent, were charged with conspiracy to commit racketeering. The maximum prison sentence for that is life, except for Outlaw, for whom the maximum term is 20 years in prison.

Other charges include conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Seventeen of the 18 gang members are in custody.

Senior is said to be in Atlanta and is considered a fugitive, the Poughkeepsie Journal reported.

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