Photo Courtesy of the Brooklyn DA’s Office
According to DA Gonzalez, 19 of the 21 defendants were arraigned last week on the 65-count indictment.
By Michael V. Cusenza
Nearly two-dozen alleged members of two subsets of the violent Folk Nation street gang—including three men from Queens—have been charged in connection with multiple shootings throughout Brooklyn that left two young men dead and four others injured, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced on Tuesday.
In all, 21 reputed gang members have been indicted. According to Gonzalez, 19 of the defendants were arraigned last week on a 65-count indictment in which they are variously charged with second-degree murder, second-degree attempted murder, first-, second-, third- and fourth-degree conspiracy, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, second-degree criminal use of a weapon, first-degree reckless endangerment, and related charges.
Bail for Sherrod Craig, 19, of Jamaica, has been set at $25,000 cash/$5,000 bond; and bail for Cambria Heights’ Dandre Stanford, 20, has been set at $100,000 cash/$50,000 bond. According to authorities, as of Wednesday afternoon, Jabare Brim, 22, of Laurelton, remained a fugitive.
According to the indictment, the defendants, whose ages range from 17 to 41 years old, and include a father and his two sons, are members of two subsets of the violent Folk Nation street gang: Super Rich Kids, a.k.a., Street Rich Kartel (SRK-Folk) and Newkirk (Newkirk-Folk); they operate primarily in and around East Flatbush and Flatbush.
Over the course of the conspiracy, which ran from July 21, 2016 to June 27, 2019, the defendants variously allegedly agreed to commit crimes, including murder, assault, weapons possession and various other crimes to establish and maintain their dominance, according to the indictment, and feuded with rival gangs from East Flatbush and Flatbush, as well as Canarsie, particularly subsets of the violent Bloods and Crips street gangs.
It is alleged that it was part of the conspiracies for SRK-Folk members to engage in armed attacks against rival gang members, running reconnaissance missions in vehicles, and shooting individuals they suspected of being rivals, especially in Canarsie—an act commonly referred to by the defendants as “spinning the Floss.” On at least two occasions, these armed hunting expeditions resulted in death.
During the escalating violence over the course of the conspiracy, SRK-Folk and Newkirk-Folk members allegedly frequently discussed their intentions and efforts to engage in additional attacks and took credit for past attacks through cell phone messaging and, less often, through social media.
Among the acts of violence charged in the indictment: On Feb. 20, 2017, in East Flatbush, defendant Zidon Clarke, acting in concert with others, allegedly shot and killed Rohan Levy, an innocent 15-year-old boy who he mistakenly believed was a rival.
Gonzalez said the reputed gangsters “allegedly terrorized the streets of Brooklyn by opening fire on perceived rivals and recklessly firing their guns—including in broad daylight—endangering innocent bystanders… Investigations such as [‘Operation: One Nation’], that target the drivers of crime reflect our commitment to fighting gun violence and holding accountable gang members who take part in these senseless shootings.”
The defendants face various penalties, depending on their age and the charges, ranging from probation to 25 years to life in prison.
