Brooklyn DA indicts 21 alleged gang members with suspected connection to 2017 murders
The Brooklyn district attorney announced on Tuesday the indictment of 21 alleged Flatbush gang members who he says are responsible for numerous shootings, including two 2017 homicides — just one day after top NYPD brass accused the DA of going soft on gun charges.
The 65-count indictment charged various defendants with murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder and other charges related to several shootings, including two separate 2017 murders of Darren Harrison and Rohan Levy, the latter a 15-year-old boy who authorities say was killed in a case of mistaken identity. Just weeks after those murders, a father and his two sons were stopped in 2017 with two dismantled guns that prosecutors believe were used in both murders. All three were arrested last week.
“They’re engaging in a war with these rival gang members. They’ve been doing it for years. This investigation spans two years,” Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez said. “These are some of the most dangerous people, we allege, in Brooklyn.”
The defendants were part of different subsets of the Folk Nation gang, and the shootings were targeted at rival gang members, usually Bloods or Crips, Gonzalez said. Of the 21, 19 have been arrested. Fifteen were arraigned before Supreme Court Justice Martin Murphy last week. All the defendants accused of murder are being held in jail without bail.