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On Tuesday, Dec.. 1, Audrey Strauss, the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced a 16-Count indictment charging 18 members of the gang, known commonly as “Gorilla Stone," with committing crimes ranging from racketeering, murder, narcotics, firearms and fraud offenses.
One of the main defendants, included Brandon Soto, aka, "Stacks, who is charged in connection with the Monday, Sept. 21, murder of a 15-year-old in Poughkeepsie.
“As alleged in the Indictment, members of Gorilla Stone committed terrible acts of violence, trafficked in narcotics, and even engaged in brazen fraud by exploiting benefits programs meant to provide assistance in response to the COVID-19 pandemic," Strauss said.
According to the indictment, on Sept. 21, Soto, to further the Gorilla Stone enterprise, participated in and facilitated the murder of the 15-year in Poughkeepsie.
Some of the crimes listed in the indictment included shootings at rival gang members, murders, drug dealing, firearms dealing, gunpoint robberies, beating and slashing individuals, and making fraudulent applications for COVID-19 benefits.
Seventeen of the 18 defendants are in custody. One still outstanding member who has not been arrested includes well-known Rapper Casanova, Caswell Senior.
He faces up to life in prison for conspiracy to commit racketeering, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and possession of a firearm.
The FBI said Casanova has connections to both New York and New Jersey. If you have information about his whereabouts, call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
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