By Forum Staff
On Friday, Jerome Jones, also known as “Sha,” pleaded guilty at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, New York, to murder while engaged in narcotics trafficking for his participation in the 1991 murder of Oscar Flow. As part of his plea, Jones, 60, also admitted to his role in the 1992 murders of Robert Arroyo and Dorothy Taylor.
He was indicted in February 2019.
“After over 30 years, Jones has finally admitted his role in the calculated murders of three individuals,” said Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Breon Peace. “Despite the passage of time, my Office persisted in pursuing all leads to seek justice for the victims and their families. This case should stand as a reminder that even when the trail appears to have gone cold, we will never waver from our mission of holding wrongdoers, especially violent actors, accountable.”
Jones was a high-ranking member of a Queens-based crew, known as “Black Rain,” that sold narcotics at several locations on Rockaway Boulevard in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The crew spread its poison in the community by trafficking in massive quantities of drugs, selling heroin under the brand name “Black Rain,” cocaine under the brand name “White Lightning” and crack cocaine under the brand name “Thunder.” In the early 1990s, a single Black Rain drug spot brought in approximately $15,000 per day in narcotics sales. To protect its profitable operation, the gang committed serious acts of violence, including murder.
The murder of Oscar Flow took place in Springfield Gardens, Queens, in December 1991, after Jones learned that Flow had stolen from Black Rain. Jones and a co-conspirator shot Flow multiple times in the head and body.
The murder of Robert Arroyo took place in the vicinity of 128th Street and Rockaway Boulevard in South Ozone Park, where Jones managed a drug spot. In August 1992, Jones recruited and paid two co-conspirators to murder Robert Arroyo, whom Jones believed was a drug-trafficking competitor and a police informant. In their first attempt, the recruits mistakenly shot and seriously injured another man they incorrectly believed to be Arroyo. The victim survived his wounds. On September 8, 1992, at Jones’s direction, the recruits located Arroyo on a crowded street and shot him multiple times, killing him.
In November of 1992, Jones ordered the killing of Dorothy Taylor, who he blamed for having a Black Rain drug spot shut down by law enforcement when she failed to pay the rent. Jones again paid a co-conspirator to commit murder. On Nov. 2, 1992, Jones’s recruit hid in Taylor’s driveway and shot her to death when she arrived home.
“Today’s admission of guilt reflects the tireless dedication of NYPD detectives to hold criminals accountable, no matter how much time passes, because a cold case is never a forgotten case,” City Police Commissioner Edward Caban said. “The NYPD will continue to work with the FBI, the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and our other law enforcement partners to ensure that no investigative stone goes unturned as we work to establish justice for all crime victims and their families.”
When sentenced, Jones faces 20 years to life in prison.
