Two senior members of a drug trafficking organization operating in Stephen Crane Village, Newark, have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms for their roles in the group’s activities. Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced that Michael Mayse, 39, and Gary Shahid, 67, both of Newark, received sentences of 540 months and 211 months in prison, respectively.
Mayse and Shahid were convicted in January 2025 after a three-week trial before U.S. District Court Judge Julien X. Neals. Both were found guilty of drug trafficking conspiracy and related offenses involving drugs and firearms. Mayse was also convicted of murder related to the drug trafficking conspiracy.
“These sentences hold accountable two senior members of a violent drug trafficking organization that ruled Stephen Crane Village through fear, violence, and murder. They deliver justice for the family of a young man whose life was senselessly taken and underscore this Office’s commitment to attacking violent crime wherever it exists. We will continue to protect the people of New Jersey by aggressively pursuing violent criminals and removing them from our streets,” said Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello.
Stephen Crane Village is a public housing complex located near Branch Brook Park on the border between Newark and Belleville, New Jersey. According to evidence presented at trial, from at least February 2019 through February 2020, the area was controlled by an open-air drug market operated by the organization.
Law enforcement investigations included controlled purchases of drugs, recorded communications, physical surveillance, electronic monitoring, and analysis of phone records. These efforts revealed that members conspired to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine base at Stephen Crane Village. The group used an apartment as a stash location for packaging and storing drugs before distribution.
On December 15, 2019, Mayse entered this stash apartment and murdered a 21-year-old member over a drug debt.
Shahid was sentenced on January 13, 2026: he received concurrent sentences totaling 151 months for conspiracy and related offenses plus additional consecutive time for firearm possession while being a previously convicted felon—resulting in a total sentence of 211 months.
Mayse was sentenced on January 14, 2026: he received concurrent sentences totaling up to 480 months for conspiracy and murder charges along with other concurrent sentences for distribution offenses; he also received additional consecutive time for possessing firearms during his crimes—for a total sentence of 540 months.
Other members or associates—Jose Lora, Dayquan Jordan, Ricky Terrell, Charles Mells, Raquan Rawls, Nasir Williams, Quadir Hatcher, Tyree Purkett, James Wicker, and Dayana Valderrama—previously pleaded guilty to crimes connected with their roles in the organization.
Special Counsel Lamparello credited agents from several agencies including the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms & Explosives (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Essex County Prosecutor’s Office; police departments from Newark and Belleville; as well as assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The investigation was part of the Newark Violent Crime Initiative (VCI), which began in August 2017 as a partnership among federal prosecutors—the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey—the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office—and city agencies aimed at reducing violent crime around Newark by pooling resources across multiple law enforcement bodies.
The prosecution team included Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Agnew from Trenton’s Criminal Division along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Goldberg who leads the Narcotics & International Trafficking Unit in Newark.
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