Quaymar Suggs, a 20-year-old from New Haven, received a sentence of over 20 years in federal prison for his role in a violent street gang and the murder of a rival gang member. U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden handed down the sentence, which includes 250 months of imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release.

The announcement was made by Vanessa Roberts Avery, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut; John P. Doyle, Jr., State’s Attorney for the New Haven Judicial District; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge at ATF Boston Field Division; Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge at the FBI's New Haven Division; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge at the DEA for New England; and New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson.

Authorities have been investigating ongoing gang violence involving the Exit 8 street gang and rival groups in various parts of New Haven. The Exit 8 gang is named after an area accessible via Interstate 91's Exit 8. Younger members now identify with "Honcho," a reference to a murdered member from February 2020.

Investigations revealed that Suggs and other Exit 8 members were involved in drug trafficking, firearm use and sharing, as well as multiple murders and attempted murders since June 2018. They also stole vehicles for use in violent acts and promoted their activities through social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube.

Suggs pleaded guilty on July 1, 2024, to conspiracy charges related to racketeering activities such as violence, drug trafficking, and gun sales. He admitted to killing an associate of a rival gang on May 19, 2021. Additionally, he confessed to breaking into a Connecticut state trooper’s car with other gang members to steal items.

Suggs has been held since March 24, 2023.

The investigation was conducted by multiple agencies including ATF, FBI, DEA, New Haven Police Department among others. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis.

This prosecution falls under several initiatives: Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Longevity, and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). PSN aims to reduce violent crime through community collaboration with law enforcement. Project Longevity focuses on reducing gun violence through direct engagement with potential offenders offering both deterrence messages and support options. OCDETF works on dismantling criminal organizations using an integrated approach across various law enforcement levels.

For more information about these programs visit www.justice.gov/psn or https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.