Seven members of gang charged in father’s day drive-by shooting

September 11, 2024 Robert Abruzzese, Courthouse Editor

The Eastern District of New York courthouse in Brooklyn, where seven members of the Folk Nation Gangster Disciples are facing charges related to a Father’s Day 2022 drive-by shooting. Brooklyn Eagle photo by Rob Abruzzese

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In a continued effort to dismantle the Folk Nation Gangster Disciples (GD) in Brooklyn, a federal indictment was unsealed on Tuesday that charged seven members and associates of the gang in connection with a drive-by shooting on Father’s Day 2022.

The defendants are accused of conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, and related firearms offenses.

Kwyme Waddell, Paolo Alfarobarber, Rahim Frank, Mikey Jemison, Sebastian Jocelyn, Joel Myrie and Jahi Nimmons are charged in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

“We allege that, rather than celebrating families on Father’s Day, the defendants terrorized Brooklyn residents by spraying bullets onto a residential street with total disregard for human life,” said Breon Peace, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. “My office will continue to use all tools available to dismantle violent gangs, like the Folk National Gangster Disciples, and hold their members accountable for the havoc they cause to our communities.”

The charges stem from a June 19, 2022, shooting in Canarsie, Brooklyn, where the defendants allegedly targeted a rival gang member in a residential neighborhood, injuring a 28-year-old victim.

Defendants Alfarobarber, Frank, Jemison, Jocelyn, and Nimmons were arrested on Tuesday in Brooklyn and Bridgeport, Connecticut. Waddell is already in federal custody for a prior firearm offense, and Myrie remains at large.

In a letter to U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph Marutollo, federal prosecutors urged pretrial detention for all seven defendants, citing their extensive criminal histories and ongoing danger to the community.

The government said the gang’s long-standing involvement in gun violence across Brooklyn, including the alleged coordination of a three-car convoy during the June 2022 drive-by shooting. The prosecution argued that the defendants pose a flight risk and that no bail conditions would ensure the safety of the public.

Each defendant faces a minimum sentence of 10 years if convicted. Waddell, a leader within the gang, and Alfarobarber, who allegedly coordinated the shooting, were identified as key players in the group’s violent activities.