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Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, David M. Hoovler, the Orange County District Attorney, William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the FBI, Ashan M. Benedict, the New York Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Aaron Weaver, the Acting Chief of the City of Newburgh Police Department, announced additional charges on Friday against 10 alleged members of a street gang known as “Southside,” in Newburgh.
All 10 defendants are charged with racketeering conspiracy.
Three of the defendants are charged with conspiracy to distribute heroin and crack cocaine, and two of the defendants are charged with conspiracy to distribute heroin.
In connection with the racketeering conspiracy, 20-year-old Skylar Davis and 29-year-old Davonte Hawkins are charged with the August 2015 murder of Sammy Stubbs, who was shot in Newburgh during a botched robbery of a card game.
William Fennell, 26, and Troy Young, 23, are charged with the February 2017 murder of a rival from the other side of Newburgh, Gevontay Owens-Grant, during a Valentine's Day-themed party. Young and others also were injured during the shooting.
Davis, Young, 26-year-old Michael Simmons, 23-year-old Demetrice McLean and 25-year-old Calvin Lembhard are charged with the use and discharge of a firearm in connection with and in furtherance of the racketeering conspiracy.
Hawkins, Fennell, Ardae Hines, 29, and Donte Nugent, 24, are charged with the use and discharge of a firearm in connection with and in furtherance of the racketeering conspiracy and narcotics conspiracy.
Davante Nugent, 25, is charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition.
Nine of the defendants were already in custody in connection with charges contained in a previous indictment related to this prosecution, which led to the arrests of 21 individuals in June 2017.
Young was arrested and presented in White Plains federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy on Thursday. All of the defendants were arraigned Friday in White Plains federal court before United States District Judge Cathy Seibel.
As alleged in the Superseding Indictment filed in White Plains federal court: From at least 2014 through June 2017, the Southside Gang was a criminal enterprise centered in and around the intersection of South Street and Chambers Street in an area of Newburgh known as the “Southside.” In order to gain funds for the gang, protect the gang’s territory, and promote the gang’s standing, members of Southside engaged in, among other things, narcotics trafficking, robbery, and acts involving murder. To that end, Southside members sold heroin, crack cocaine, and marijuana in the gang’s territory, promoted their gang affiliation on social media sites such as Facebook, possessed firearms, and engaged in shootings as part of their gang membership.
Several members of the Southside gang also participated in conspiracies to distribute narcotics in and around Newburgh, including more than one kilogram of heroin and/or more than 280 grams of crack cocaine from at least in or about 2014 up to and including in or about June 2017.
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