A superseding indictment and criminal complaint were unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging 11 members of the 5-9 Brims, a violent set of the Bloods street gang, with crimes related to their participation in a criminal enterprise that made money through narcotics trafficking and financial scamming, and maintained its power through acts of violence, including murder.  The arraignments and initial appearances of six defendants arrested today are scheduled for this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Vera M. Scanlon. 

Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), John B. DeVito, Special Agent-in-Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New York Field Division (ATF), and Dermot F. Shea, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the superseding indictment.

“The 5-9 Brims is a violent criminal organization that has terrorized residents of Brooklyn and Queens by committing brutal acts of violence in public places, trafficking narcotics on the streets and defrauding victims through financial schemes,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue.  “This Office is working closely with our federal and local partners to dismantle criminal street gangs and prosecute their members to the fullest extent of the law.”  Mr. Donoghue thanked Homeland Security Investigations, New York, and the New York City Department of Investigation for their work on the case.

“These violent street gangs simply want to make money with as little effort as possible, which is why they’re venturing into unique criminal territory for gangs such as credit card fraud while maintaining their tried and true drug trafficking and murder activity,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney.  “The work our FBI New York Metro Safe Streets Task Force is doing is extremely important to the communities where these gangs are terrorizing people.  Those people don’t deserve to fear bullets flying by their homes while they sleep, or seeing people killed in the streets.  They deserve peaceful neighborhoods and safe places to live.”

“The members of the 5-9 Brims are alleged to have engaged in a host of illegal activity including acts of violence and murder,” stated ATF Special Agent-in-Charge DeVito.  “Thanks to great coordination and leveraging of resources with our local, state and federal partners these individuals will be brought to justice. I would like to thank the United States Attorney’s Office for their diligent work in prosecuting this case.

“Today’s takedown highlights our relentless work in stopping the violence carried out by large, established gangs and their ruthless offshoots. I commend our detectives, and federal partners, for their sustained focus on this case until all the major defendants could be arrested,” stated NYPD Commissioner Shea.

According to the indictment and other court filings, the 5-9 Brims is a set of the Bloods street gang that operates in Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx and elsewhere.  Gang members have committed acts of violence, including murder, robbery and assault, and engaged in drug-trafficking and fraud.  Between January 2012 and December 2019, the defendants committed crimes to further the interests of the gang, including earning money for the gang’s members, and enhancing the gang’s position with respect to rival criminal organizations. 

During the charged period, the 5-9 Brims were feuding with a rival faction of the 5-9 Brims, known as the “Real Ryte,” whose members also operated in Brooklyn.  The feud led to a series of violent confrontations and, as alleged, during this period several members of the 5-9 Brims conspired to murder members of Real Ryte.  Defendant Marvin Pippins, a 5-9 Brims member, allegedly shot and killed Sean Peart, a Real Ryte member, on December 19, 2015 in broad daylight while the victim was sitting in his car in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. 

On August 15, 2018, members of the 5-9 Brims carried out a violent assault against a bartender at Angels night club in Flushing, Queens, who had not shown proper respect for another member of the gang.  Defendant Yonette Respass, who was serving a sentence in a federal prison at the time, commissioned her younger female members, referred to as “drops,” to “pop that bottle” on the bartenders, stating “I want hands put on them.  I don’t even want no talking.”  That night, Defendants Jeffrey Bush, Louis Love, Rodolfo Zambrano and three of Respass’s “drops” met at Angels where they lured one of their bartender targets across the bar, and, while holding her by the hair, beat her head and threw a bottle at her. Bush recorded the assault on his cell phone, and the video was sent to the gang member on behalf of whom Respass allegedly ordered the attack.

Throughout the period charged in the superseding indictment, members of the gang supplemented their illegal drug business by committing numerous financial frauds, including  possession and use of stolen identities, fraudulent checks and access devices such as credit cards and bank account information.

Defendants Jeffrey Bush, Tyshawn Atkins, Louis Love, Marvin Pippins, James Sease, Montel Shuemake and Rodolfo Zambrano are charged in the superseding indictment with racketeering conspiracy for agreeing to commit crimes on behalf of the gang, including drug trafficking, identification and access device fraud, as well as multiple acts involving murder.  Defendant Marvin Pippins is also charged with murder in-aid-of racketeering in a retaliatory act of gang-related violence for killing Sean Peart; Marvin Pippins, James Sease and Montel Shuemake are charged with conspiring to murder additional members of a rival faction of the gang.  Defendants Jeffrey Bush, Louis Love, Rondolfo Zambrano, India Lane and Yonette Respass are charged with conspiracy to commit assault in-aid-of racketeering.  A number of the defendants are variously charged with narcotics and firearms-related offenses.  Pippins is a fugitive.

Two additional 5-9 Brims members, Jose Battle and Brian Jackson, were arrested on a complaint charging them with financial fraud.

The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section.  Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer M. Sasso, Drew G. Rolle and Nicholas J. Moscow are in charge of the prosecution.

The Defendants:

JEFFREY BUSH (also known as “Chuck” and “Chuck Taylor”)

Age:  35

Brooklyn, New York

TYSHAWN ATKINS (also known as “Breeze”)

Age:  25

Brooklyn, New York

INDIA LANE (also known as “Gorgeous Gangsta”)

Age:  29

Brooklyn, New York

LOUIS LOVE (also known as “Scoobz” and “Scoobie”)

Age:  29

Brooklyn, New York

MARVIN PIPPINS (also known as “Mukk”)

Age:  29

Brooklyn, New York

JAMES SEASE (also known as “Chop Whop”)

Age:  32

Brooklyn, New York

MONTEL SHUEMAKE (also known as “Buzzo”)

Age:  29

Brooklyn, New York

RODOLFO ZAMBRANO (also known as “Latinn Dinero”)

Age:  26

Brooklyn, New York

JOSE BATTLE (also known as “Strizzy”)

Age:  25

Brooklyn, New York

BRIAN JACKSON (also known as “Grape” and “Maxx Millii”)

Age:  29

Brooklyn, New York

YONETTE RESPASS

Age:  28

Bronx, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 19-CR-378 (S-1)(DLI)