Twenty-Eight Gang Members And Associates From Newburgh And Poughkeepsie Charged With Racketeering, Narcotics, And Firearms Offenses

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the unsealing of a 34-Count Superseding Indictment charging 28 members and associates of the Young Gunnaz Gang (“YG”), including the gang’s high-ranking street leaders, with committing various racketeering, narcotics, and firearms offenses.  The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Karas.

The Superseding Indictment adds 15 additional defendants and 26 new charges.  The Superseding Indictment charges 23 YG members and associates with acts of violence.  This includes KASHAD SAMPSON, a/k/a “Shoca,” a YG leader who is charged with participating in multiple assaults with a dangerous weapon in Poughkeepsie and Newburgh, New York.  In addition to serious acts of violence, the gang was also responsible for trafficking large amounts of narcotics across the City of Newburgh and New York State and perpetrated fraud schemes to enrich members of the gang. 

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Kashad Sampson, along with 27 other members of the YG Gang, not only used dangerous weapons to assault members of rival gangs, drug dealers, and others for the purpose of maintaining their position in the gang, but also distributed narcotics and other drugs and conspired to commit fraud.  My Office will work tirelessly to protect New Yorkers from assault, racketeering, and other dangerous crimes associated with gang activity.”

FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: "The 28 members and associates of the Young Gunnaz Gang are alleged to have engaged in a gang-related conspiracy, acting with a sense of impunity that resulted in numerous senseless acts of violence and significant narcotics distribution.  The FBI will not tolerate rampant gang violence terrorizing our communities.  FBI New York's Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force, along with our law enforcement partners, are committed to removing these violent criminals from the streets and bringing them to justice."

As alleged in public court filings and the Superseding Indictment unsealed today in White Plains federal court:[1]

KASHAD SAMPSON, a/k/a “Shoca,” GEORGE DELGADO, a/k/a “Groc,” GABRIEL ROMAN, a/k/a “Gabe,” DALLAS ARCHER, a/k/a “Muggas,” BRUCE ALLEN, a/k/a “Bam,” SYNCERE TATUM, a/k/a “Syn,” JOHN LALANNE, a/k/a “JJ,” RAEKWON JACKSON, a/k/a Tree,” BASHIR MALLORY, a/k/a “BG,” a/k/a “Bear,” MEKHI McDONALD, a/k/a “Khi,” CHRISTOPHER TATE, a/k/a “Bag,” KRISTOPHER BURGESS CUNNINGHAM, a/k/a “KG,” DEJON SCOTT, a/k/a “Red Dot,” DAVON WADDELL, a/k/a “Spotem,” a/k/a “Light Skin Day Day,” ZYRELL WILLIAMS, a/k/a “Zabb,” DEMETRIUS WARE, a/k/a “Doom Doom,” ANTONIO PITTMAN, a/k/a “Ant,” DAQUAN CUETO, CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON, a/k/a “Brisko,” HARRY PIMENTEL, ERIC STEADMAN, a/k/a “Little Man,” DONALD LEID, a/k/a “Big Lip Day Day,” TEVIN GEORGE, a/k/a “Tev Roc,” DEVIN WILLIAMS, a/k/a “Twin,” a/k/a “Dev,” DANTE JOHNSON, a/k/a “D Rose,” GEORGE TATUM, a/k/a “Buddy,” COLERIDGE LEWTER, a/k/a “Korrupt,” and RODNEY GEORGE, a/k/a “Taco,” are members and associates of a racketeering conspiracy known as YG.

On April 28, 2020, ANTONIO PITTMAN, for the purpose of maintaining and increasing his position in the YG enterprise, shot at rival gang members in Poughkeepsie, New York.

On May 16, 2020, ANTONIO PITTMAN, ERIC STEADMAN, and HENRY PIMENTEL, for the purpose of maintaining and increasing their positions in the YG enterprise, shot at individuals associated with and members of a rival gang in Yonkers, New York.

On September 9, 2020, ERIC STEADMAN and HENRY PIMENTEL, for the purpose of maintaining and increasing their positions in the YG enterprise, shot at rival gang members in Poughkeepsie, New York.

On August 15, 2020, KASHAD SAMPSON, DALLAS ARCHER, JOHN LALANNE, and RAEKWON JACKSON, for the purpose of maintaining and increasing their positions in the YG enterprise, participated in and facilitated the attempted murder of rival gang members in Poughkeepsie, New York.

On April 27, 2021, SYNCERE TATUM, GABRIEL ROMAN, and CHRISTOPHER TATE, for the purpose of maintaining and increasing their positions in the YG enterprise, attempted to rob and shot at a rival drug dealer in the City of Newburgh.

On November 17, 2021, KASHAD SAMPSON, GEORGE DELGADO, and BRUCE ALLEN, for the purpose of maintaining and increasing their positions in the YG enterprise, shot four rival gang members in the City of Newburgh.

On November 28, 2021, BASHIR MALLORY and GABRIEL ROMAN, for the purposes of maintaining and increasing their positions in the YG enterprise, shot at rival gang members in the City of Newburgh.

On January 7, 2022, BASHIR MALLORY and MEKHI McDONALD, for the purposes of maintaining and increasing their positions in the YG enterprise, shot at rival gang members and shot one rival gang member in the City of Newburgh.

On March 8, 2022, DAVON WADDELL and CHRISTOPHER TATE, for the purposes of maintaining and increasing their positions in the YG enterprise, shot a rival drug dealer in the City of Newburgh.

On June 11, 2022, DAQUAN CUETO, SYNCERE TATUM, RAEKWON JACKSON, and BASHIR MALLORY, for the purposes of maintaining and increasing their positions in the YG enterprise, assaulted and stabbed a rival gang member in the City of Newburgh.

On July 20, 2022, CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON and DONALD LEID, for the purposes of maintaining and increasing their positions in the YG enterprise, shot at rival gang members in the City of Newburgh.

On September 27, 2022, DAVON WADDELL and SYNCERE TATUM, for the purposes of maintaining and increasing their positions in the YG enterprise, shot at suspected rival gang members in the City of Newburgh.

On September 6, 2019, TEVIN GEORGE, for the purposes of maintaining and increasing his position in the YG enterprise, shot a rival gang member in the City of Newburgh.

On November 10, 2020, JOHN LALANNE robbed a narcotics dealer at gunpoint and discharged his firearm in the City of Newburgh.

On January 20, 2022, DAVON WADDELL and BRUCE ALLEN robbed a narcotics dealer at gunpoint and discharged a firearm in the City of Newburgh.

On July 20, 2022, DAVON WADDELL, CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON, RAEKWON JACKSON, DONALD LEID, and DANTE JOHNSON robbed a narcotics dealer at gunpoint in the City of Newburgh.

From at least 2019 to the present, KASHAD SAMPSON, GEORGE DELGADO, GABRIEL ROMAN, DALLAS ARCHER, BRUCE ALLEN, SYNCERE TATUM, JOHN LALANNE, RAEKWON JACKSON, BASHIR MALLORY, MEKHI McDONALD, CHRISTOPHER TATE, KRISTOPHER BURGESS CUNNINGHAM, DEJON SCOTT, DAVON WADDELL, ZYRELL WILLIAMS, DEMETRIUS WARE, ANTONIO PITTMAN, DAQUAN CUETO, CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON, ERIC STEADMAN, DONALD LEID, TEVIN GEORGE, DEVIN WILLIAMS, DANTE JOHNSON, GEORGE TATUM, COLERIDGE LEWTER, and RODNEY GEORGE participated in a conspiracy to distribute a substantial amount of narcotics, including fentanyl, crack cocaine, heroin, Oxycodone, marijuana, and Promethazine HCL mixed with Codeine, commonly known as “lean.”  These individuals also possessed numerous firearms in connection with this narcotics conspiracy.

From at least March 2020 through at least December 2022, KASHAD SAMPSON, GEORGE DELGADO, GABRIEL ROMAN, BRUCE ALLEN, SYNCERE TATUM, JOHN LALANNE, BASHIR MALLORY, MEKHI McDONALD, and CHRISTOPHER TATE conspired to commit wire fraud, and it was the object of that conspiracy to obtain unemployment benefits from New York State.

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WADDELL, 26, ZYRELL WILLIAMS, 18, WARE, 18, PITTMAN, 22, CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON, 29, TEVIN GEORGE, 30, LEWTER, 43, and RODNEY GEORGE, 47, were all arrested yesterday and today and will be presented today before U. S. Magistrate Judge Andrew E. Krause.  CUETO, 22, PIMENTEL, 21, STEADMAN, 23, LEID, 29, DEVIN WILLIAMS, 27, DANTE JOHNSON, 26, and GEORGE TATUM, 45, are all currently in state custody and will be transferred to federal custody at a later date.

SAMPSON, 24, DELGADO, 24, ROMAN, 24, ARCHER, 26, ALLEN, 25, SYNCERE TATUM, 23, LALANNE, 24, JACKSON, 23, MALLORY, 20, McDONALD, 20, TATE, 20, CUNNINGHAM, 29, and SCOTT, 27, were all arrested following the November 29, 2022, indictment. 

Charts containing the names, charges, and maximum penalties for the defendants are set forth below.  The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI’s Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force, City of Newburgh Police Department, New York State Police, Town of New Windsor Police Department, Town of Newburgh Police Department, New York City Police Department, and Nassau County Police Department.  Mr. Williams also thanked the FBI’s Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force, the New York City Department of Correction, Correction Intelligence Bureau, the Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General, and the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department for their assistance in the investigation.

This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division.  Assistant U. S. Attorneys Jennifer N. Ong, Ryan W. Allison, and Margaret N. Vasu are in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the Superseding Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.