Drug-Related Murder Charges Against Previously Charged Defendant Announced in Federal Indictment
New Charges Also Include Firearms, Narcotics, and Robbery Offenses

Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; George Venizelos, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Charles Gardner, the Commissioner of the City of Yonkers Police Department; and George N. Longworth, the Commissioner of the Westchester County Department of Public Safety, today announced the unsealing of a six-count superseding indictment charging Marquis Jacobs with the drug-related murder of Carlos Patricio on July 28, 2011, as well as robbery, narcotics, and firearms offenses. Jacobs has been in custody since his arrest by the FBI on December 2, 2011. His case is assigned to United States District Judge Edgardo Ramos, and he is expected to be presented on May 30, 2013 in White Plains Federal Court before Judge Ramos.

U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara stated: “With the additional charges filed against Marquis Jacobs today, we continue the painstaking process of developing evidence against these marauding groups of alleged gang members and holding them to account. This defendant’s alleged catalogue of crimes typifies the gang warfare that is all too familiar and that we are bound and determined to extinguish.”

FBI Assistant Director in Charge George Venizelos stated, “Today’s charges, combined with the earlier narcotics and firearms charges against Jacobs, demonstrate yet again how drugs and gun violence go hand-in-hand. The FBI is committed to working with our partners to rid our neighborhoods of the twin plagues of guns and drugs.”

City of Yonkers Police Commissioner Charles Gardner stated, “This indictment is another example of how federal and local partnerships can reduce violence in our neighborhoods. These ongoing investigations have significantly reduced crime and illegal gang activity in our city, and they send a message that there is a heavy price to pay for such illegal actions. On behalf of the mayor and the people of the city of Yonkers, we would like to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, the FBI New York Office, and the Westchester County Department of Public Safety for their support, cooperation, and collaboration in this case.”

Westchester County Department of Public Safety Commissioner George N. Longworth stated, “The partnership among federal, county, and local law enforcement is an effective tool in combating illegal narcotics trafficking and the violent crime often associated with it. I commend all the law enforcement officers involved in this drug-related murder investigation for bringing the case to a successful conclusion.”

The following allegations are based on the indictment returned today in White Plains federal court:

On July 28, 2011, Jacobs shot and killed Patricio, a rival gang member, in Yonkers, New York. On November 28, 2011, Jacobs robbed a narcotics dealer (victim-1) in the vicinity of Cliff Street in Yonkers, New York. During that robbery, Jacobs brandished and discharged a firearm, shooting victim-1 in the stomach. Jacobs also distributed crack cocaine, conspired with others to commit robberies of narcotics dealers, and carried firearms during his narcotics distribution activities.

* * *

Jacobs was initially arrested by the FBI and the Yonkers Police Department on December 2, 2011, and charged by complaint with distributing crack cocaine. On March 27, 2012, Jacobs was charged in a seven-count superseding indictment, along with Donald McIntosh, Maurice Anderson, and Manny Dossantos, with conspiring to distribute crack cocaine, firearms offenses, and conspiring and agreeing to commit robberies of known narcotics dealers, as well as attempted robbery. McIntosh, Anderson, and Dossantos have all pled guilty.

A chart containing the charges in the superseding indictment and the maximum penalties upon conviction is below. The charges against Jacobs are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The indictment is the result of a long-term investigation conducted by the FBI, the City of Yonkers Police Department, and the Westchester County Department of Public Safety, working with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, to combat gang violence in the city of Yonkers. As part of that investigation, in June 2012, 22 Yonkers gang members—20 members of the Strip Boyz and two other individuals—were charged with narcotics trafficking and firearms offenses. Ten of these defendants have pled guilty. In August 2011, 66 Yonkers gang members—47 members and associates of the Elm Street Wolves, 12 members and associates of the Cliff Street Gangsters and 7 other individuals—were charged with narcotics trafficking and firearms offenses. Four of the Elm Street Wolves were also charged with the murder of Christopher Cokley, a leading member of the Strip Boyz. Sixty-three of these defendants have pled guilty. The charges against the outstanding defendants are merely accusations, and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI’s Westchester County Violent Crime Task Force, the City of Yonkers Police Department, and the Westchester County Department of Public Safety. Mr. Bharara added that the investigation is continuing.

The case is being handled by the Office’s Violent Crimes Unit and the White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew Bauer and Jessica Ortiz are in charge of the prosecution.