Gun Arrest from FBI Wiretap Prevents Gang Shooting
| U.S. Attorney’s Office June 28, 2013 |
BOSTON—Two Brockton men were indicted yesterday, charged with a federal firearms violation. The indictment resulted from federal, state, and local authorities’ efforts to reduce violence and drug trafficking in the Brockton area by identifying and investigating individuals involved in these criminal activities.
Renaldo Wilson, a/k/a Nardo, 30, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition; and Aaron Heywood, a/k/a Young, 30, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Wilson and Heywood were arrested yesterday morning in state court where they faced related charges. If convicted, Wilson and Heywood each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
A court filing revealed that Wilson and Heywood, both convicted felons, were in possession of a firearm. Federally authorized wiretap evidence demonstrated that an ongoing “beef” (a term for a gang war) between Wilson and Heywood, members of the “Eastside” gang, and rival members of the “Exchange Street” gang, was about to escalate into a shooting.
Through the recorded telephone calls, Wilson was heard in a confrontation with a rival gang leader. They discussed that the gang leader “lost two [men]” and confirmed that the two gangs were in a beef. He informed Wilson that the fight stemmed from the unsolved murder of his two gang associates in the summer of 2011. Following this conversation, Wilson called his gang associates and warned them of the beef. Wilson spoke about the beef and then asked an associate about obtaining bullets for a gun. Wilson already possessed the gun and stated that he needed more bullets because of the beef, stating, “Trust me, I’m gonna need ‘em.”
Law enforcement intervened, and Wilson and Heywood were arrested during a motor vehicle stop, in which the firearm was seized. As detailed in the court filing, Wilson and Heywood both have extensive criminal histories.
“These arrests represent the ongoing commitment of local, state, and federal authorities to work together to reduce street violence in Brockton,” said United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz. “The recent increase in violence will not be tolerated, and this investigation demonstrates that the combined efforts of law enforcement to reduce this violence are paying off. I commend all of the investigators and prosecutors whose persistence and hard work resulted in the removal of these two dangerous individuals from the streets. Every single day that violent gang members are off the streets, members of the community are safer.”
U.S. Attorney Ortiz; Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Plymouth District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz; Colonel Timothy P. Alben, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Brockton Police Chief Emanuel Gomes, made the announcement today. This case is being prosecuted by Glenn A. MacKinlay in Ortiz’s Organized Crime Strike Force Unit.
The details contained in the Indictment are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.