BRIDGEPORT — A jury on Wednesday found four members of the 960 gang guilty on all charges following a five-week federal racketeering trial.
Zaekwon McDaniel, Tahjay Love and Malik Bayon were convicted of the RICO conspiracy and murder with special circumstances. James Graham and Love were convicted of obstruction of justice for beating up a cooperator in jail.
The murder involved the November 2017 deaths of two rival gang members Clarence Lewis, 22, and Antonio Joseph Santos, 20. in November 2017 and face a life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The jury began deliberating Friday afternoon and went all day Monday and came back with a verdict first thing Wednesday morning. The court was closed on Tuesday due to the snowstorm.
The trial is the first of two two RICO trials involving alleged members of the 960 gang in U.S. District Court in Bridgeport. The second trial with the remaining 11 defendants is expected to start in April.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office used the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations law to go after the Waterbury gang three years ago.
Originally conceived to combat organized criminal enterprises like the mafia, the RICO law has traversed a diverse legal landscape over the years, encompassing cases involving motorcycle gangs and even the international soccer governing body FIFA.
RICO means those charged are looking at lengthy prison sentences if found guilty. Notably, certain mandatory minimum sentences are poised to stretch to an imposing 25 years.
Born within the Long Hill Project area of Waterbury in 2008, the 960 gang started with local drug peddling and petty criminality, but the gang’s modus operandi descended into more sinister pursuits, including drive-by shootings and grisly homicides.
Three years ago, federal prosecutors announced indictments against 16 gang members in connection with racketeering, murder, firearms, obstruction of justice and drug dealing. The indictments charged the men with 36 crimes.
The crackdown followed multiple shootings, murders and other gunfire, all in what authorities say was the furtherance of a criminal enterprise whose mission, in part, was to promote respect for the gang. In all, authorities detailed 30 incidents that encompassed gun possession, heroin trafficking and shootings, among others.
“This case serves as an example of what can happen when federal and state agencies join together to address violent gang activity. I have absolutely no doubt that Waterbury has been made a safer community in light of these convictions and it is my hope that while the victims of these crimes cannot ever be brought back, their families and friends will take solace in the fact that their attackers will be held accountable for their actions,” said Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Don Therkildsen.
Therkildsen and Deputy Assistant State’s Attorney Alexandra Arroyo were cross designated as federal prosecutors for the 960 trial.
The trial included testimony from a former gang member turned cooperating witness Jermaine Gilbert, 25, who spent five days on the stand.
Arrested two years before, Gilbert chose to cooperate with investigators and prosecutors, pleading guilty in federal court in February 2020. He admitted to engaging in narcotics distribution and acts of violence, including murder and assaults, within the 960 gang.
Gilbert’s testimony delved into specific incidents, including the murder of Lewis and Santos.
Prosecutors also relied on the use of rap music performed by McDaniel, known by his stage name Yung Gap.
McDaniel carved a niche for himself in Waterbury in the realm of gangster rap, using lyrics that glamorized firearms, illicit substances and criminal activity to construct a vivid portrayal of gang life.
McDaniel created a number of rap videos posted on YouTube and Facebook. It wasn’t only art but a way of communicating — and threatening — rival gang members.
In one video, McDaniel says “And every time I see an opp I’m trying to hit his brain,” referring to the opposition gang member as “opp.”
It’s not known if McDaniel had any record deals but he had a following. One video, “Feds Watching,” has 68,000 views on his personal YouTube page.
He has several albums available for sale on Apple Music, including an album and a single released since his arrest. It’s not known when the songs were recorded.
Federal prosecutors asserted that these videos served as damning evidence, depicting the defendants openly embracing their gang affiliation and brazenly referencing criminal exploits.
