Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Anthony A. Scarpino Jr., Westchester County District Attorney, and William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI"), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging MARKEL OVERTON, a/k/a “Kellz," THOMAS BLANTON, a/k/a “LT," MARQUIS COLLIER, a/k/a “Keise," KADEEM DINHAM, a/k/a “Polo," DONNIE DIXON, a/k/a “Scooter," DAVID HARDY, a/k/a “Mooka," JERMAINE HUGHLEY, a/k/a “Blacks," RAHEEM JONES, a/k/a “Rah Trigger," a/k/a “Trigga," SINCERE SAVOY, a/k/a “Bitty," JAMAAL SINCLAIR, a/k/a “Diggz," NOEL SMITH, a/k/a “Georgie," and ERNEST WEBB, a/k/a “Ern," a/k/a “Ern Millz," with various crimes relating to racketeering, murder, narcotics, and firearms offenses. The defendants have been charged as a result of their membership in the “Goonies" street gang that operated in the City of Mount Vernon, New York. Eight of the defendants were previously charged in United States v. Overton, et al., 17 Cr. 644 (NSR) (the “Indictment"). The Superseding Indictment, S1 17 Cr. 644 (NSR) (the “Superseding Indictment"), charges four additional defendants with racketeering charges and also charges the following two murders in Mount Vernon, New York:
* DAVID HARDY, a/k/a “Mooka," MARQUIS COLLIER, a/k/a “Keise," JERMAINE HUGHLEY, a/k/a “Blacks," and SINCERE SAVOY, a/k/a “Bitty," with the Dec. 31, 2016, murder of Shamoya McKenzie, a 13-year-old innocent bystander; and
* ERNEST WEBB, a/k/a “Ern," a/k/a “Ern Millz," with the Sept. 22, 2014, murder of Dean Daniels.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said: “When gangs flourish, neighborhoods suffer, parents grieve, and children die. It is as simple as that. Dreams like the ones Shamoya McKenzie must have had for herself - as she sat innocently in the car, next to her mother on New Year's Eve, coming from basketball practice - should be cultivated and allowed to flourish, not violently crushed, a tragic victim of an utterly senseless war between street gangs. Shamoya McKenzie deserved better. Dean Daniels deserved better. Mount Vernon deserves better. And that is why we, with our federal and local partners, have brought this prosecution. Today’s announcement is part of our Office’s ongoing and steadfast commitment to making the streets of Mt. Vernon, and the communities of Westchester safe."
Westchester County District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino Jr. said: “For the better part of a decade, the Goonies have had a grip on neighborhoods in and around the City of Mount Vernon. Through intimidation and violence, they’ve jeopardized the safety and quality of life for the hard working residents of Mount Vernon. That violence turned deadly on at least two occasions when the lives of Shamoya McKenzie and Dean Daniels were cut short. While we were able to charge David Hardy for the senseless murder of Shamoya, our partnership with the United States Attorney’s Office and the FBI will now enable us to charge others who also participated in those crimes. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of federal, state and local law authorities, these defendants will all be held accountable for the crimes they now stand accused of."
FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “The new charges members of this criminal gang now face show just how badly they allegedly terrorized a community. They used violence to push illegal drugs and demonstrate how tough they were as a gang. They didn’t think about who was hit by their bullets, and in the end that disregard cost an innocent young girl her life. The FBI Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force won’t let up on their investigations into gangs that believe they act with impunity. They don’t and now they will face justice for their deadly actions."
According to the Superseding Indictment[1] unsealed today in White Plains federal court, and prior proceedings in the matter:
From 2007 to 2017, in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere, OVERTON, BLANTON, COLLIER, DINHAM, DIXON, HARDY, HUGHLEY, JONES, SAVOY, SINCLAIR, SMITH, and WEBB were members or associates of a racketeering enterprise known as the “Goonies." In order to fund the enterprise, protect and expand its interests, and promote its standing, members and associates of the Goonies committed, conspired, attempted, and threatened to commit acts of violence, including murder, attempted murder and robbery; they conspired to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute narcotics; and they obtained, possessed, and used firearms, including by brandishing and firing them. BLANTON, COLLIER, DINHAM, DIXON, and JONES also conspired with one another, and certain other members of the Goonies, to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute crack cocaine and marijuana.
The Goonies have been engaged in a long-standing and violent feud with several rival Mount Vernon street gangs, including, among others, the “Boss Playa Family," the “Get Money Gangstas," the “Gunnas," and the “Much Better Gang," among others. On Dec. 31, 2016, the intended target of the shooting was a rival gang member. Shamoya McKenzie was in the front passenger seat of a car driving by the shooting location, in the vicinity of Tecumseh Avenue and Third Street in Mount Vernon, New York, and was struck in the head by a bullet, resulting in her death. As set forth in the Superseding Indictment, on or about Sept. 22, 2014, in the vicinity of Park Avenue in Mount Vernon, Dean Daniels was shot to death.
OVERTON, BLANTON, COLLIER, DINHAM, DIXON, JONES, and SMITH were already in custody based on the charges in the Indictment. HARDY and HUGHLEY were already in custody on state charges, and were transferred to federal custody today. SAVOY was arrested this morning in New Rochelle. WEBB remains a fugitive. The defendants who are in custody will be arraigned before the Honorable Lisa Margaret Smith, United States Magistrate Judge, this afternoon in White Plains federal court. The case is assigned the United States District Judge Nelson S. Román.
* * *
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided in the attached table for informational purposes only, as any sentencings of the defendants will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Kim thanked the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office and praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI’s Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force, which comprises agents and detectives from the FBI, Yonkers Police Department, Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, Westchester County Police Department, Peekskill Police Department, Mount Vernon Police Department, New York City Police Department, and U.S. Probation.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Anden F. Chow, Sarah Krissoff, Olga Zverovich, Christopher Clore, and Special Assistant United States Attorneys John O’Rourke and Lauren Abinanti are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment and Superseding Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
United States v. Markel Overton, et al.
CHARGE
DEFENDANTS
MAXIMUM PENALTIES
Count One
Racketeering Conspiracy
MARKEL OVERTON
a/k/a “Kellz"
THOMAS BLANTON
a/k/a “LT"
MARQUIS COLLIER
a/k/a “Keise"
KADEEM DINHAM
a/k/a “Polo"
DONNIE DIXON
a/k/a “Scooter"
DAVID HARDY
a/k/a “Mooka"
JERMAINE HUGHLEY
a/k/a “Blacks"
RAHEEM JONES
a/k/a “Rah Trigger"
a/k/a “Trigga"
SINCERE SAVOY
a/k/a “Bitty"
JAMAAL SINCLAIR
a/k/a “Diggz"
NOEL SMITH
a/k/a “Georgie"
ERNEST WEBB
a/k/a “Ern,"
a/k/a “Ern Millz"
Life in prison
Count Two
Firearms Offense
MARKEL OVERTON
THOMAS BLANTON
MARQUIS COLLIER
KADEEM DINHAM
DONNIE DIXON
DAVID HARDY
RAHEEM JONES
JAMAAL SINCLAIR
NOEL SMITH
Life in prison with a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison
Count Three
Conspiracy to Commit Murder in Aid of Racketeering
DAVID HARDY
MARQUIS COLLIER
JERMAINE HUGHLEY
SINCERE SAVOY
10 years in prison
Count Four
Murder in Aid of Racketeering
DAVID HARDY
MARQUIS COLLIER
JERMAINE HUGHLEY
SINCERE SAVOY
Mandatory minimum: Life in prison
Maximum sentence: Death
Count Five
Use, Carrying, and Possession of Firearms, Resulting in Death
DAVID HARDY
MARQUIS COLLIER
JERMAINE HUGHLEY
SINCERE SAVOY
Mandatory minimum: 5 years in prison
Maximum sentence: Death
Count Six
Conspiracy to Commit Murder in Aid of Racketeering
ERNEST WEBB
10 years in prison
Count Seven
Murder in Aid of Racketeering
ERNEST WEBB
Mandatory minimum: Life in prison
Maximum sentence: Death
Count Eight
Use, Carrying, and Possession of Firearms, Resulting in Death
ERNEST WEBB
Mandatory minimum: 5 years in prison
Maximum sentence: Death
Count Nine
Narcotics Conspiracy
THOMAS BLANTON
MARQUIS COLLIER
KADEEM DINHAM
DONNIE DIXON
RAHEEM JONES
Life in prison with a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison
DEFENDANT
AGE
MARKEL OVERTON
27
THOMAS BLANTON
24
MARQUIS COLLIER
26
KADEEM DINHAM
26
DONNIE DIXON
28
DAVID HARDY
22
JERMAINE HUGHLEY
25
RAHEEM JONES
29
SINCERE SAVOY
20
JAMAAL SINCLAIR
29
NOEL SMITH
34
ERNEST WEBB
29
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the Superseding Indictment, and the description of the Indictment and Superseding Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
