Five members and associates of a neighborhood street gang in Hudson County, New Jersey, were sentenced to prison for their respective roles in a gang-related stabbing that occurred in August 2020.
The five defendants, Yahsier Brown, 21, Jaylen Boone, 22, Jamil Bowens, 22, Divine Abraham, 22, and Jermaine Jennings, 22, were all sentenced to prison by U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty in Newark federal court.
Brown was sentenced to 51 months in prison, Boone was sentenced to 56 months in prison, Bowens was sentenced to 53 months in prison, Abraham was sentenced to 51 months in prison, and Jennings was sentenced to 57 months in prison.
All of the defendants were also sentenced to three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on August 3, 2020, the five defendants, along with three other individuals, assaulted a rival gang member in retaliation for a prior gang-related assault.
The victim was walking down a street in Jersey City when the defendants approached him in two cars, parked in the middle of the street, and violently assaulted him.
The victim was punched, kicked, and stabbed, and he suffered life-threatening injuries.
The defendants were all identified as members or associates of “Curries Woods” or the “Tay Tay Shrimp Gang” or the “Sharks” —a street gang operating in and around the Curries Woods Public Housing Complex in Jersey City.
The gang has been involved in a number of violent crimes, including shootings, stabbings, and robberies.
The investigation into the stabbing was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Jersey City Police Department, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Hudson County Department of Corrections.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Agnew of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said, “These sentences send a clear message that those who commit violent crimes in our community will be held accountable. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to prosecute those who engage in gang violence and make our streets safer.”
Public Safety Director James Shea said, “This is a significant victory in our fight against gang violence. These sentences send a clear message that those who commit violent crimes will be held accountable. I commend the hard work of the Jersey City Police Department and our law enforcement partners for their tireless efforts to keep our community safe.”
Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said, “These sentences are a result of the hard work and dedication of our law enforcement partners. We will continue to work together to bring those who commit violent crimes to justice.”