Leaders of a Brooklyn crew called the “Bully Gang” were busted for murder, racketeering and drug-running charges by the feds — including a killing at one their own’s baby gender reveal party.
Derrick “Dee” Ayers, 37; Moeleek “Moe Money” Harrell, 34; Franklin “Spazz” Gillespie, 33; and Anthony “Biggie” Kennedy, 38; were charged Tuesday after a 13-week trial based on a years-long investigation into their criminal activities — which ranged from murder to distributing dangerous drugs across the East Coast and into Rikers Island.
“Their criminal enterprise is a shell of the violent crew that wreaked havoc on Bedford Stuyvesant, other parts of New York City and the Eastern Seaboard with murder, broad daylight shootings, robberies, arsons, drug trafficking and bribery,” said US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Breon Peace.
Harrell was one of the founding members of the gang and its leader before his arrests, while Ayers and Kennedy served as longstanding and high-ranking members. Gillespie was one of their enforcers who used violence to get what they wanted, according to prosecutors.
Ayers was convicted of murdering Jonathan Jackson — a member of a rival gang the “Stukes Crew” — at a gender-reveal party for Harrell’s own child in 2018. He along with Harrell was also convicted of conspiring to kill others associated with rival gangs.
Gillespie was convicted of conspiring to murder Mike Hawley to prevent him from informing police about a murder in April 2020. Hawley was killed four days after he spoke with authorities.
The crew of dangerous gangbangers also distributed powerful drugs like cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin across New York and New Jersey — and as far north as Maine, prosecutors said.
They ferried the drugs in hidden compartments professionally installed in their cars.
One of their schemes involved soaking comic books and other paper products with synthetic marijuana compounds, and then smuggling them into Rikers Island.
Once the drugs were inside the prison, connected inmates would sell the product to other prisoners.
Harrell and Kennedy continued running their operation out of Rikers while they were incarcerated inside, according to prosecutors.
The four are the latest of 49 Bully Gang members to be convicted of serious crimes since 2020.
“These convictions put an end to the reign of terror committed by this gang, shattering the myth that criminals can commit atrocious acts without consequence,” said Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Special Agent-in-Charge Miller.
Each faces up to life in prison, with minimum sentences ranging from 15 to 55 years.
