'Grimz' And 'Young Gunnaz' Gang Sweep: 40 From Newburgh And Poughkeepsie Now Serving Federal Time

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — A federal sting on two notorious Hudson Valley gangs is now closed with the sentence of the final defendant.

Southern District of New York U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton, announced the last sentencing of gang members and narcotics distributors that resulted from a long-running investigation by the FBI in Newburgh and Poughkeepsie.

In all, 26 of those arrested were convicted of being members, associates, and co-conspirators of the street gang the Young Gunnaz, including leader Kashad Sampson. An additional 12 defendants were convicted of being members and associates of the violent street gang the Double Nine Grim Reapers (“Grimz”), including Grimz leaders Jeremy Williams, Randy Jones, and James White.

Rodney George was the last in case to be sentenced and received 108 months in prison.

"For years, members and associates of the Young Gunnaz and the Double Nine Grim Reapers brought shootings, armed robberies, narcotics trafficking, and fraud to communities across the Hudson Valley," Clayton said. "Today's final sentencing marks the end of a years-long prosecution that removed over 40 of these violent gang members and drug traffickers from our streets. No gang should get to claim a block, a neighborhood, or a city as its own, and this Office will continue to work with our federal, state, and local partners to dismantle violent criminal organizations and protect the communities they prey upon."

Since at least 2018, the Grimz has been a brutally violent street gang, according to law enforcement. The Grimz was founded by co-defendants Jeremy Williams, a/k/a "Dubs," and Randy Jones, a/k/a "Nickelz," and has hundreds of members across New York State, including throughout Orange County, Dutchess County, and the New York State prison system.

The Grimz was described as a highly organized and efficient street gang with an organizational commitment to violence that strictly enforces its internal laws and celebrates gun violence. The highest-ranking members and leaders of the Grimz, like co-defendants James White, a/k/a "Infared" and Octavious Griffin, a/k/a "Tate," have so-called "serial numbers" within the Grimz, which include the name of a 9-millimeter firearm.

Since at least 2019, the Young Guns has been a violent street gang that operated through New York State and engaged in large-scale narcotics trafficking, wire fraud, armed robberies, and shootings, according to law enforcement. For the most part, the Young Gunnaz defendants were part of the PlayBoyGzz subset of Young Gunnaz, which was led by, among others, co-defendant Kashad Sampson, a/k/a "Shoca." Like the Grimz, senior members of YG glorified violence and demanded action from its members, according to the feds.

For years, the Grimz and Young Gunnaz terrorized communities in the Hudson Valley and demonstrated a complete disregard for human life, according to the DOJ.

The Grimz defendants were responsible for armed robberies and shootings in the City of Newburgh.

This included the November 3, 2020, attempted murder of a rival gang member. During that attempted murder, which involved co-defendants Justice Jackson, a/k/a "Tweak," Tyrell Simon, a/k/a "Rello," a/k/a "Insane," Thomas Rodriguez, a/k/a "Tom Tom," a/k/a "Checks," and others, Rodriguez shot a rival gang member multiple times while the rival gang member sat in his vehicle.

The rival gang member survived after receiving life-saving medical treatment at two different hospitals. The Grimz were also responsible for trafficking large amounts of crack cocaine and heroin, on the streets, and for trafficking K2, a synthetic cannabinoid, within the New York State prison system.

The Young Gunnaz defendants were responsible for at least 13 shootings, three armed robberies, and a large-scale narcotics trafficking conspiracy responsible for flooding the streets with fentanyl, heroin and crack cocaine.

Some of the Young Gunnaz defendants also participated in a widespread scheme to defraud the New York state unemployment insurance program during the COVID-19 pandemic. In total, these defendants made just over $1,000,000 through this scheme and caused at least one of their victims to fall into financial ruin because, as a result of Young Gunnaz fraud, the victim lost her total disability social security payment.

Sentenced in Young Gunnaz case:

• Kashad Sampson, a/k/a "Shoca"; 27; racketeering conspiracy, discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; 200 months prison, five years supervised release
• George Delgado, a/k/a "Groc"; 26; racketeering conspiracy, assault with a deadly weapon in aid of racketeering, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; 144 months prison, three years supervised release
• Gabriel Roman, a/k/a "Gabe"; 26; racketeering conspiracy, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, aggravated identity theft; 160 months prison, three years supervised release
• Dallas Archer, a/k/a "Muggas"; 29; racketeering conspiracy, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; 90 months prison; three years supervised release
• Bruce Allen, a/k/a "Bam"; 28; racketeering conspiracy, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; 154 months prison, three years supervised release
• Syncere Tatum, a/k/a "Syn"; 25; racketeering conspiracy, discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, 160 months prison, three years supervised release
• John Lalanne, a/k/a "JJ"; 27; racketeering conspiracy; brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; 120 months prison; four years supervised release
• Raekwon Jackson, a/k/a "Tree"; 26; racketeering conspiracy; discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; 170 months prison; four years supervised release
• Bashir Mallory, a/k/a "BG," a/k/a "Bear"; 22; racketeering conspiracy; discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; 140 months prison, five years supervised release
• Mekhi McDonald, a/k/a "Khi"; 22; racketeering conspiracy; discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; 168 months prison, four years supervised release
• Christopher Tate, a/k/a "Bag"; 23; racketeering conspiracy; narcotics conspiracy; 140 months prison, four years supervised release
• Kristopher Burgess Cunningham, a/k/a "KG"; 32; racketeering conspiracy; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; 90 months prison; three years supervised release
• Dejon Scott, a/k/a "Red Dot"; 30; racketeering conspiracy; 60 months in prison, three years supervised release
• Davon Waddell, a/k/a "Spotem," a/k/a "Light Skin Day Day"; 28; racketeering conspiracy, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; 164 months prison, four years supervised release
• Zyrell Williams, a/k/a "Zabb"; 21; racketeering conspiracy, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; 96 months prison, three years supervised release
• Demetrius Ware, a/k/a "Doom Doom"; 21; racketeering conspiracy, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; 90 months prison, three years supervised release
• Antonio Pittman, a/k/a"Ant"; 24; racketeering conspiracy, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; 84 months prison, three years supervised release
• Daquan Cueto; 24; racketeering conspiracy; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; 108 months prison; three years supervised release
• Christopher Johnson, a/k/a "Brisko"; 32; brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and drug trafficking crime, Hobbs Act robbery, narcotics conspiracy; 144 months prison, four years supervised release
• Harry Pimentel; 24; racketeering conspiracy; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; 130 months prison, four years supervised release
• Eric Steadman, a/k/a "Little Man"; 25; racketeering conspiracy, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; 120 months prison, three years supervised release
• Donald Leid, a/k/a "Big Lip Day Day"; 32; narcotics conspiracy, brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and a drug trafficking crime
• Tevin George, a/k/a "Tev Roc"; 32; brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; 84 months prison, five years supervised release
• Devin Williams, a/k/a "Twin," a/k/a "Dev"; 29; racketeering conspiracy; 54 months prison, three years supervised release
• Dante Johnson, a/k/a "D Rose"; 28; racketeering conspiracy; 60 months prison; three years supervised release
• George Tatum, a/k/a "Buddy"; 48; narcotics conspiracy; 140 months prison, five years supervised release
• Coleridge Lewter, a/k/a "Korrupt"; 45; narcotics conspiracy; 72 months prison; three years supervised release
• Rodney George, a/k/a "Taco"; 49; narcotics conspiracy; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking game; 108 months in prison; 5 years supervised release

Sentenced in Double Nine Grim Reapers case:

• Jeremy Williams, a/k/a "Dubs"; 37; racketeering conspiracy, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; 300 months prison, three years supervised release
• James White, a/k/a "Infared"; 47; racketeering conspiracy, narcotics conspiracy; 300 months prison, three years supervised release
• Messiah Jackson, a/k/a "Two"; 25; racketeering conspiracy, narcotics conspiracy, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
• Justice Jackson, a/k/a "Tweak"; 25; racketeering conspiracy, discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; 180 months in prison, five years supervised release
• Octavious Griffin, a/k/a "Tate"; 39; racketeering conspiracy, brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; 204 months prison, five years supervised release
• Markell Williams, a/k/a "15"; 25; racketeering conspiracy, discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; 204 months prison, five years supervised release
• Tyrell Simon, a/k/a "Insane," a/k/a "Rello"; 25; racketeering conspiracy, discharge of a firearm in furtherance of crime of violence; 180 months in prison; five years supervised release
• Joshua Hendrick, a/k/a "Hendrix"; 26; racketeering conspiracy; 121 months prison, three years supervised release
• Elijah Briggs, a/k/a "Eli"; 29; racketeering conspiracy; 87 months prison; three years supervised release
• Shamell Williams, a/k/a "Mello Trend"; 33; racketeering conspiracy; 87 months prison, three years supervised release
• Thomas Rodriguez, a/k/a "Tom Tom," a/k/a "Checks"; 34; racketeering conspiracy, attempted murder and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, narcotics conspiracy, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; 360 months prison, five years supervised release

Clayton praised the investigative work of the FBI's Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force, the City of Newburgh Police Department, the New York State Police, the Town of New Windsor Police Department, the Town of Newburgh Police Department, the New York City Police Department, and the Nassau County Police Department. Clayton also thanked the FBI's Westchester Safe Streets Task Force, the New York City Department of Correction, Correction Intelligence Bureau, the Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General, and the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department for their assistance in the investigation.

This case is being handled by the Office's White Plains Division, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer N. Ong, Ryan W. Allison and Margaret N. Vasu in charge of the prosecution.