FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, February 5, 2025
Fourteen Alleged 59 Brims/Bloodhound Brims Gang Members Charged in
Conspiracy Indictment for Murder and Shootings in South Brooklyn
Violence Terrorized Communities in Sheepshead Bay and Coney Island;
Thirteen Charged with Attempted Murder; Two Charged with Shooting Death of a Rival
[Note: materials shown at the press conference are available here]
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, together with New York City Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch, today announced that 14 alleged members of the 59 Brims/Bloodhound Brims street gang were variously charged in an indictment with murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, weapons possession, and related charges. In addition to the murder of a rival gang member, the defendants are variously charged in connection with 19 shooting incidents that left nine people injured – including four innocent bystanders.
District Attorney Gonzalez said, “”Gun violence hit a record low last year because of strategic enforcement and gang takedowns like today’s, which removed 14 alleged shooters responsible for a staggering level of violence in Coney Island and Sheepshead Bay. These defendants allegedly carried out 19 separate shootings, murdered a rival, and wounded innocent bystanders—lawlessly endangering our communities. We’ve shown that smart, focused enforcement works, and we will continue taking bold action to keep violent criminals off our streets and protect our neighborhoods. I commend our prosecutors and the NYPD for their tireless work in bringing this case forward.”
NYPD Commissioner Tisch said, “Today’s takedown highlights the NYPD’s relentless fight against dangerous street gangs that terrorize our neighborhoods with gun violence. Thanks to the NYPD’s joint efforts with the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office, we removed 18 illegal firearms from the hands of criminals, including repeat, violent offenders who had no business being back out on the streets in Brooklyn.”
The defendants are being arraigned before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justices Danny Chun and Craig Walker on a 129-count indictment in which they are variously charged with second-degree murder, second- and fourth-degree conspiracy, second-degree attempted murder, first- and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and related counts. [See defendant addendum]
The District Attorney said the indictment is the result of a long-term investigation by the District Attorney’s Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau and the NYPD’s Gun Violence Suppression Division into violence committed by members and associates of the 59 Brims and Bloodhound Brims street gangs, two sets of affiliated Bloods based primarily in Sheepshead Bay and Coney Island. The investigation centered on a series of violent incidents, including a homicide and numerous non-fatal shootings in the 61st, 60th, 67th, 73rd, and 69th Precincts beginning in February 2021.
Rival gangs to the defendants include Folk Nation, FNO, WOOO, and GWAY, a subset of the Gorilla Stone Bloods, according to the investigation. While the rivalry between the defendants’ gangs and Folk has been longstanding, it intensified after the April 29, 2021 homicide of Bloodhound Brim member Davonte Lewis, a.k.a. Dior, outside his high school in Midwood, and has grown into a years-long war.
It is alleged that the 59 Brims/Bloodhound Brims defendants signaled their intent to murder opposition gang members through music videos, recorded jail conversations, cellphone evidence, and Facebook and Instagram posts. Text messages among the defendants allegedly indicates their intent to not just intimidate their rivals but to murder or seriously wound them. One such text message conversation following a May 29, 2022 shooting that resulted in no injuries criticized the shooters for failing to place the intended victims in “critical condition” like they were supposed to.
On May 2, 2021, three days after the homicide of Davonte Lewis, defendant Karon Evans and others allegedly went into rival Folk territory in the vicinity of 3405 Foster Avenue in the 67th Precinct and Evans allegedly shot a rival Folk gang member multiple times in the stomach. The victim survived and suffered a lacerated liver.
It is alleged that 59 Brims/Bloodhound Brims members committed numerous additional shootings during the course of the conspiracy, including the following:
• On February 8, 2022, at approximately 3:10 p.m., defendant Omogoriola Omotosho and another individual, followed a rival gang member to 2926 West 25th Street, an alleged G-WAY home base in Coney Island, and allegedly started firing handguns at the rival on the street and into the lobby which was filled with residents of all ages. No one was injured but several people had to duck to avoid the gunshots. This building, which is located in the middle of Brims territory, has been the site of three separate shootings charged in the indictment.
• On May 29, 2022, at approximately 7:45 p.m., defendant Favorite, an associate, and two unidentified individuals shot at the direction of multiple people congregating around a vehicle at the intersection of West 25th Street and Mermaid Avenue. One of the intended targets returned fire, before running into the building at 2926 West 25th Street, the alleged homebase of G-WAY. No one was injured, but several pedestrians, including a family with a young child, had to duck for cover and narrowly avoided being hit by the crossfire.
• On October 9, 2022, at approximately 7:17 p.m., in front of 2957 Avenue W, the Sheepshead Bay Houses, defendants Ware and an accomplice (who has already pleaded guilty) allegedly fired multiple rounds at a perceived rival, striking him in the arm.
• On October 31, 2022, at approximately 5:10 p.m., in front of 2932 Avenue V, the Nostrand Houses, defendants Ware and Ron Thomas allegedly shot and killed Jamel Nicholson, a Folk gang member and prominent drill rapper, and shot and injured his girlfriend, who suffered gunshot wounds to the thigh and lower abdomen. She remained in critical condition for weeks.
• On June 23, 2023, at approximately 4:00 p.m., defendant Omotosho traveled to a sneaker store located at 9413 Fifth Avenue in Bay Ridge for a release of new sneakers. He and other Brims members then spotted a rival Folk gang member inside the store. After watching the rival exit the store at 4:10 p.m., and enter a parked car, Omotosho opened fire with a handgun into the vehicle. The rival gang member was not struck, but two innocent bystanders each suffered gunshot wounds. One was inside the car and the other was waiting in line to buy sneakers.
The investigation was conducted by New York City Police Department’s Gun Violence Suppression Division Detectives Tomas Krohn and Patrick Craig under the supervision of Assistant Chief Jason Savino, Deputy Inspector Craig Edelman, Lieutenant Christopher Siani and Sergeant James Haley. The investigation was also conducted by members of Brooklyn South Homicide Squad, the 60th Precinct Squad, the 61st Precinct Squad and Detective Investigators from the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office.
The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Daniel Stern, Senior Assistant District Attorney Radiyah Dobre, and Assistant District Attorney Douglas Steinberg, of the District Attorney’s Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Gillian DiPietro, Deputy Bureau Chief, Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Cilia, First Deputy Bureau Chief, and Assistant District Attorney Alfred De Ingeniis, Bureau Chief.
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An indictment is merely an accusation and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.
DEFENDANT ADDENDUM:
1. Davonte Manson, 23, of Brooklyn
2. Karon Evans, 21, of Brooklyn
3. Timothy Briggs, 22, of Brooklyn
4. Antoine Favorite, 20, of Brooklyn
5. Jaquell Scales, 21, of Brooklyn
6. Omogoriola Omotosho, 21, of Brooklyn
7. Omarion Harvey, 21, of Brooklyn
8. Logan Cadore, 20, of Brooklyn
9. Jordan Thomas, 30, of Brooklyn
10. Jermel Solise, 18, of Brooklyn
11. Tashawn Ware, 19, of Brooklyn
12. Ron Thomas, 22, of Brooklyn
13. Rashiem Brown, 16, of Brooklyn
14. Albiero Garcia, 15, of Brooklyn