Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Terrill Latney, an associate of the Red Stone Gorilla “set” of the Bloods street gang based in Riverhead, pleaded guilty before United States Magistrate Judge A. Kathleen Tomlinson to racketeering, including conspiring to distribute narcotics and participating in the murder of Thomas Lacolla on November 17, 2015.

Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the guilty plea.

“As a result of the outstanding work by our prosecutors, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Suffolk County East End Drug Task Force, Latney has been held accountable for his role in a large-scale narcotics distribution operation and a senseless act of violence that took a man’s life,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue.  “We hope today’s guilty plea begins to bring a measure of closure to the victim’s family.”

As alleged in the indictment and other court filings, Latney participated in the distribution of large quantities of crack cocaine, cocaine and heroin in the Riverhead area for nearly a decade.  On November 17, 2015, Latney assisted members of the Bloods in their attempt to kill a rival gang member.  Specifically, Latney drove three Bloods members to a location in Riverhead where they fired at least 39 shots into a vehicle that they erroneously believed was occupied by the rival gang member.  In fact, the car was occupied by Lacolla, who was killed in the fusillade. 

When sentenced, Latney faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. 

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.

The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division.  Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Boeckmann and Michael Maffei are in charge of the prosecution.   

Defendant:

TERRILL LATNEY (also known as “Motis” and “Mo”)

Age:  39

Mastic Beach, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-606 (S-2) (JS)

Earlier today, a superseding indictment was unsealed in federal court in Central Islip variously charging six members and associates of the Red Stone Gorillas “set” of the Bloods street gang with racketeering, murder, robberies, narcotics trafficking and firearms offenses.  The superseding indictment adds five new defendants, Jimmy Dean, Roger Foster, Corey Belcher, Willie Belcher and Eric Ross.  Those defendants were arrested this morning in various locations on the East End of Long Island, and will be arraigned this afternoon before United States District Judge Joanna Seybert.  Two defendants, the gang’s alleged leader Jimmy Dean and Terrill Latney, were already in custody, and will be arraigned at a later date. 

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), Timothy Sini, District Attorney, Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office (SCDA), Geraldine Hart, Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), Keith M. Corlett, Superintendent, New York State Police (NYSP), and David J. Hegermiller, Chief, Riverhead Police Department, announced the charges.

“Through murder, assaults and drug sales, these members and associates of the Bloods’ Red Stone Gorillas posed a grave danger to communities on eastern Long Island,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue.  “This Office, together with our federal and local law enforcement partners, will continue working tirelessly to prosecute defendants like these and eradicate violent street gangs throughout Long Island.”  Mr. Donoghue expressed his grateful appreciation to the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force and the Suffolk County East End Drug Task Force for their work on the case.

“These arrests are the culmination of several years of intensive investigation to take out the worst-of-the-worst gang members terrorizing Eastern Long Island communities,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney.  “These subjects have allegedly created such a violent environment in parts of the town where they operate that they were dealing out in the open, without fear.  We put a huge dent in that practice with the first round of arrests in this case, and today's action shows our FBI Long Island Gang Task Force and our law enforcement partners won’t stop until all of them are rounded up.”

“These are extremely dangerous gang members who are responsible not only for conspiring to commit murder, but for consistently driving crime on the East End through drug dealing and illegal firearm offenses,” stated Suffolk County District Attorney Sini. “Eradicating violent street gangs from our community is a top priority for my office. I thank all of our federal and local law enforcement partners for their continued partnership in the investigation and prosecution of gang members.”

“These Blood gang members and their associates engaged in violence and trafficked large quantities of narcotics for years on the East End of Long Island.  Thanks to the diligent work of the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force and the Suffolk County East End Drug Task Force— they have been stopped and will be held accountable for their heinous crimes,” stated SCPD Commissioner Hart. “The department will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to rid our communities of violent street gangs.”

“I commend our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners for their commitment to Project Safe Neighborhoods,” stated NYSP Superintendent Corlett.  “The arrests of these criminals are proof that, together, we are making our neighborhoods safer. Through our collaborative efforts, we will continue to target and apprehend gang members like the Blood Gang so they can no longer endanger the lives of New Yorkers through their heinous activities.”   

“We truly appreciate the unprecedented cooperation and assistance from our federal, state and county law enforcement partners in helping us to remove these criminals from our local communities here on the east end of Long Island,” stated Riverhead Police Chief Hegermiller.

As detailed in the superseding indictment and other court filings by the government, the defendants’ gang committed acts of violence and distributed large quantities of crack cocaine, powder cocaine and heroin in the Riverhead area on Long Island for nearly a decade.  On November 17, 2015, while attempting to carry out Dean’s order to kill an individual, Latney, and others fatally shot Thomas Lacolla as he sat in the intended victim’s car.  On August 1, 2015, Foster and others shot and wounded a suspected member of the rival Crips gang and a female bystander.  Following Dean’s arrest in 2016, Latney, Foster and others assumed control of the gang’s drug distribution operations.    

The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.  If convicted, the defendants face maximum sentences of up to life imprisonment.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer.  The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.

The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division.  Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Boeckmann and Michael Maffei are in charge of the prosecution.    

The Defendants:

Terrill Latney (also known as “Motis” and “Mo”)

Age: 39

Riverhead, New York

Corey Belcher (also known as “Dot”)

Age: 34

Riverhead, New York

Willie Belcher (also known as “Thug”)

Age: 33

Flanders, New York

JImmy Dean (also known as “Jim Dick”)

Age: 41

Calverton, New York 

Roger Foster (also known as “RJ” and “YG”)

Age: 22

Baiting Hollow, New York

Eric Ross (also known as “Smurks”)

Age: 27

Flanders, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-606 (S-2) (JS)

Earlier today, three separate indictments were unsealed in federal court in Central Islip charging 12 defendants as part of a coordinated federal and state takedown of several large-scale crack cocaine distribution operations in various areas of the East End of Long Island.  In addition, one defendant was charged in a complaint with possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and possession of crack cocaine.  The defendants facing federal charges were arrested today, arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judges Anne Y. Shields and Steven I. Locke, and all ordered detained pending trial.  Two additional defendants were arrested on related New York state drug charges by members of the East End Drug Task Force.  Three federal defendants remain fugitives. 

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), Timothy Sini, District Attorney, Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office (SCDA), Geraldine Hart, Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), George P. Beach II, Superintendent, New York State Police (NYSP), David Heggermiller, Chief, Riverhead Police Department (RPD) and Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent-in-Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New York Field  Office (ATF), announced the charges.

“The toxic mix of street gangs, drug dealing and illegal firearms poses a direct threat to the safety of our citizens and our community,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue.  “The Eastern District and our law enforcement partners in the FBI, ATF and Suffolk County will continue to target, penetrate and destroy criminal gangs that inflict addiction, violence and grief on the people of Suffolk County.”  Mr. Donoghue expressed his grateful appreciation to the NYSP Troop L and its Commander, Major David C. Candelaria, for their assistance in the investigation.  

“The epidemic of illegal drugs and associated criminal activity negatively affects individuals and communities across the country, from every background and walk of life,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney.  “As these arrests today demonstrate, the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force, along with our federal, state and local partners, will not rest until the individuals and criminal networks responsible for creating this atmosphere of lawlessness and violence are held accountable for their alleged crimes.”

“The defendants as alleged, were part of a ring made up of gang members that spread dangerous narcotics throughout their communities, stated ATF Special Agent-in-Charge Benedict.  “ATF stands with our law enforcement partners as a united front to prevent these illegal narcotics rings from harming our citizens. I would like to thank the United States Attorney’s Office and the District Attorney’s office for their work in prosecuting the case.”

“Because of the great collaboration among federal, state and local law enforcement, the East End of Long Island is safer,” stated Suffolk County District Attorney Sini. “My office will continue to work tirelessly with all of our law enforcement partners to eradicate violent street gangs from our communities. I want to particularly applaud the outstanding work done by my office’s East End Drug Task Force and the prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York.”

“The importance of working with our law enforcement partners is evident in the results of the takedown of these crack cocaine distribution operations,” stated SCPD Commissioner Hart.  “These individuals, many of whom are affiliated with the Bloods street gang, have spread narcotics in our communities and have preyed upon the addicted. We will continue to target dealers and dedicate resources to fighting this epidemic.”

“Today’s arrests are the result of an aggressive strategy to stop illegal drug trafficking and keep crack cocaine and other deadly drugs off our streets,” stated NYSP Superintendent Beach.  “Together, with our partners in federal, local and state law enforcement, we can and will stop the infiltration of harmful narcotics into our communities and we will continue to work vigilantly to put dangerous individuals like these gang members behind bars.” 

“The cooperation between agencies in this investigation is unparalleled,” stated RPD Chief Heggermiller.  “Thanks to everyone for their dedication and relentless work protecting our communities here on the East End.” 

As alleged in court filings, in early 2018, members of the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force and the Suffolk County East End Drug Task Force began conducting an investigation into street gangs and narcotics traffickers operating in and around Riverhead.  The defendants, many of whom were members or associates of the Bloods street gang, were involved in the large-scale distribution of crack cocaine.  Several of the defendants would “cook” powder cocaine into crack cocaine, to increase its potency and street value.  In one instance, while a defendant was cooking cocaine, a child was present in the residence.  Members of law enforcement executed search warrants at multiple locations today, recovering seven firearms, including an AR-15 rifle, three kilograms of cocaine, four pounds of marijuana, a quantity of crack cocaine and heroin and $10,000 in cash.

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

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.

The federal cases are being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division.  Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Boeckmann and Michael Maffei are in charge of the prosecution.

The Defendants:

Terrill Latney (also known as “Motis” and “Mo”)

Age: 39

Riverhead, New York

Romaine Hopkins (also known as “Foo”)

Age: 36 

Riverhead, New York

Matthew Pittma (also known as “Pearl”)

Age:  43

Southampton, New York

Kenneth Belcher (also known as “KB”)

Age: 31

Riverhead, New York

Kotarra jackson (also known as “Red”)

Age: 36

Riverhead, New York

John Gamble (also known as “Bones”)

Age: 37

Shirley, New York

Randy Smith

Age: 33

Riverhead, New York

Deon Shorter

Age:  22

Mastic, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-606 (JS)

Tramaine Brown (also known as “Bootsie”)

Age: 29

Jamesport, New York

Quandol Lewis

Age: 34

Riverhead, New York

Demario Weston (also known as “MK”)

Age:  34

Riverhead, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-604 (JS)

Dayna Barrow (also known as “SI”)

Age: 35

Riverhead, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-605 (JFB)

Daniel Harris

Age:  25

Riverhead, New York

E.D.N.Y. 18-MJ-1112