Home Buffalo Press Releases 2009 Men Indicted for Racketeering and Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering
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Men Indicted for Racketeering and Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering

U.S. Attorney’s Office September 29, 2009
  • Western District of New York (716) 843-5700

BUFFALO, NY—A federal grand jury in Buffalo has returned a seventeen (17) count indictment charging THAMUD ELDRIDGE, a/k/a DAMU, 35;  KASHIKA SPEED, a/k/a SHIKA, 36; and KEVIN ALLEN, a/k/a KILLER KEV, 29, all of Buffalo, New York, with Racketeering, Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering, Robbery, Distribution and Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances, and Causing the Death of a Person through Use of a Firearm in furtherance of Violent Crime. GALEN ROSE, 36, also of Buffalo, New York, is charged with Distribution and Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana, Robbery, and Causing Death of a Person through Use of a Firearm in furtherance of Violent Crime, announced U.S. Attorney Kathleen M. Mehltretter of the Western District of New York. The charges carry a maximum penalty of life in prison.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Tripi stated that the Indictment charges defendants with THAMUD ELDRIDGE, KASHIKA SPEED, and KEVIN ALLEN with being members and associates of a criminal organization whose members and associates engaged in acts of violence, including acts of murder, robbery, extortion, and narcotics distribution, which operated on the East Side of Buffalo from 2003 until in or about December 2005. The enterprise's purpose and objective was to obtain money and things of value. The members of the enterprise and their associates distributed quantities of cocaine, cocaine base, heroin and marijuana, and planned, conspired, attempted and committed robberies and murders against other individuals and other persons involved in the distribution of controlled substances. The members of the enterprise and their associates represented themselves to be and identified themselves as gang members of the Bloods, Montana Bridge, and Newburgh Crew in order to intimidate victims and rivals and in order to enhance their street credibility on the East Side of Buffalo, New York.

The Indictment alleges that, among the violent crimes committed by the enterprise, on April 3, 2005, defendants Thamud Eldridge, Kashika Speed and Galen Rose conspired to rob Thedrus Laster a/k/a Flap and, in the course of attempting to rob Thedrus Laster, the defendants Thamud Eldridge, Kashika Speed and Galen Rose intentionally murdered Thedrus Laster a/k/a Flap through use of a firearm.

The Indictment also alleges that, among the violent crimes committed by the enterprise, defendants Thamud Eldridge, Kashika Speed and Kevin Allen conspired to commit robbery of Sam Jones Jr. a/k/a Smokey, and that on April 6, 2005, in the course of attempting to rob Sam Jones Jr. a/k/a Smokey, defendants Thamud Eldridge and Kevin Allen intentionally murdered Sam Jones Jr. a/k/a Smokey through use of a firearm.

The Indictment also alleges that defendant Thamud Eldridge knowingly and unlawfully possessed, carried, and discharged a firearm in relation to drug trafficking crimes on September 21, 2005, when multiple shots were fired at Buffalo Police Officer Joy Jermain on Buffalo's East Side.

The Indictment was the culmination of an investigation on the part of the Buffalo Police Department under the direction of H. McCarthy Gipson, Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James Robertston, Special Agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Resident Agent-in-Charge Charles Tomaszewski, Special Agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives under the direction of Resident Agent-in Charge David DeJoe, and New York State Police investigators.  The evidence was presented to the Grand Jury by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Tripi, who will handle the trial of the case.

The defendants are all currently in custody. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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