Yellow Tape Money Gang Leader Convicted Of Racketeering, Attempted Murder

NEWBURGH, NY — The leader and founder of the Yellow Tape Money Gang in Newburgh was convicted Tuesday of racketeering, attempted murder, narcotics and witness tampering charges. Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said that Tyrin Gayle, 24, was convicted by a jury following a two-week trial in White Plains Federal Court.

“Gang leader Tyrin Gayle chose the name Yellow Tape Money Gang to glamorize the yellow tape surrounding the scenes of the gang’s many shootings and the money the gang raked in selling crack cocaine and heroin,” Kim said. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

“As the jury found today, during his leadership of that gang, Gayle not only engaged in ruthless violence, shooting an innocent bystander in the stomach, but also used minors to sell drugs and carry the gang’s guns. With today’s verdict, Gayle has been held to account for his vicious crimes,” he said.

According to court papers and evidence admitted at trial:

From 2015 to May 2016, TYRIN GAYLE led the Yellow Tape Money Gang, called “YTMG” for short, in the City of Newburgh. Members of YTMG engaged in, among other things, shootings, crack cocaine distribution, and heroin distribution. The gang’s adult members, including GAYLE, regularly used minors to sell their drugs, carry their guns, and commit their shootings. During that same period, YTMG, whose territory centered around the intersection of William Street and Hasbrouck Street, engaged in a violent rivalry with another Newburgh street gang, known as Southside, whose territory centered around the intersection of South Street and Chambers Street.

On December 11, 2015, GAYLE and two other YTMG members drove to the intersection of South Street and Liberty Street, where they opened fire on Southside gang members in broad daylight. At least one Southside member returned fire, causing the YTMG car to crash into a tree.

On February 21, 2016, in retaliation for a shooting of one YTMG member, GAYLE and others drove to the intersection of South Street and Chambers Street. When GAYLE was unable to locate any Southside gang members in the area, he and his fellow gang members instead took aim at an innocent bystander who happened to be in Southside territory at the time. During the ensuing drive-by shooting, that innocent bystander was shot in the abdomen.

For these and related activities, GAYLE was convicted of one count of racketeering conspiracy involving more than 280 grams of crack cocaine, which carries a maximum sentence of life; one count of attempted murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years; one count of assault and attempted murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years; one count of conspiracy to distribute more than 280 grams of crack cocaine, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life; one count of using a minor in drug operations, which carries a maximum sentence of life; one count of possessing, brandishing, and discharging a firearm in furtherance of racketeering and narcotics conspiracies, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, to be served consecutively to any other sentence, and a maximum sentence of life; and attempted witness tampering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years.

The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

GAYLE is scheduled to be sentenced on January 16, 2018, before Judge Seibel.

Kim praised the FBI, the ATF, the City of Newburgh Police Department and the Town of Newburgh Police Department for their outstanding work in this investigation. He also thanked the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Town of New Windsor Police Department, the New York State Police and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance with this case.

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