You are reading

Queens DA Takes Down Reputed Gang Networks in Queensbridge and Ravenswood

Melinda Katz holds a press conference Thursday morning to announce the indictment of 28 individuals variously charged with murder, attempted murder and weapons possession

Aug. 5, 2021 By Christian Murray

More than two dozen individuals from three warring gangs were nabbed in a massive take down yesterday at the Ravenswood and Queensbridge NYCHA developments, the Queens District Attorney announced today.

Twenty-eight reputed gang members were indicted by a Queens grand jury—variously charged with murder, attempted murder, assault, criminal possession of a weapon and other crimes.

The defendants are allegedly members of rival gangs operating out of the two NYCHA developments.

Two Queensbridge-based gangs—Jet Blue and the Makk Ballers–have been at war over who dominates that housing development. Meanwhile, a Ravenswood gang called “The Money the Motivation/Obligated to Money (MTM/OTM)” has been doing battle with various factions at Queensbridge.

The gang members and their crews often wage war by driving over to a rival’s turf to shoot their adversaries.

The 28 defendants are charged in a 141-count indictment. Two of the defendants are accused of carrying out the brazen killing of schoolteacher George Rosa, an innocent bystander caught in crossfire while walking his dog on July 25, 2020.

There were seven other people shot in and around the two NYCHA developments—all of whom have recovered from their injuries. Some were victims of drive-by shootings.

The indictment includes 23 counts of attempted murder in the second degree, 19 counts of attempted assault in the first degree, six counts of assault in the second degree, 54 counts of criminal possession of a weapon, as well as 19 counts of reckless endangerment.

“Gang warfare will not become the norm in Queens County,” Katz said, who held a press briefing Thursday morning. She noted that gangs are currently the biggest drivers of violence in New York City, and that with every gang shooting retaliation always follows.

“The indictment announced today covers multiple conspiracies, 20 acts of violence and related weapons possession incidents,” Katz said. “The violence—motivated by a desire for geographical supremacy by gang members—created a climate of fear in Queensbridge and Ravenswood.”

email the author: [email protected]
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

City Hall beef: Mayor Adams blasts Comptroller Lander for not traveling to DC to lobby feds for migrant crisis help

Mayor Eric Adams tore into city Comptroller Brad Lander Thursday, criticizing the city’s chief bean counter for not traveling to Washington D.C. to push the feds to provide more migrant crisis support.

During the tirade, Hizzoner said Lander, who’s frequently criticized the mayor’s handling of the migrant crisis, should have already gone to the nation’s capital to advocate for the city to get more funding for the influx — especially since Lander oversees the city’s finances.

Jamaica post office launches initiative aimed to help prevent dog bite attacks against postal workers following release of USPS rankings report

As part of the United States Postal Service (USPS) National Dog Bite Awareness Week campaign, the Jamaica Main Post Office is educating customers on the importance of dog bite prevention. Last year, the neighborhood had four incidents of postal employees being bitten by dogs. 

On Wednesday, June 7, USPS Safety Specialist Giovanni Ortiz distributed fliers with dog bite prevention tips to customers at the post office, located at 88-40 164th St. 

Crook steals backpack from straphanger on Brooklyn-bound L train in Ridgewood

Police from the 104th Precinct and the 33rd Transit District are searching for a crook who robbed a man of his backpack while on a Brooklyn bound L train Wednesday morning. 

Police say the 29-year-old victim was on the northbound L train that was approaching the Halsey Street subway station on the Queens/Brooklyn border at approximately 8:35 a.m. on June 7, when the crook approached the victim, snatched his bag and fled the station. The victim refused medical attention, police said.