Alleged members of New Haven street gang the Goodrich Street Boys (GSB) face federal charges as a result of a long-term investigation into shootings in the city, according to the US Attorney’s office.
Authorities said they have identified six members of the gang as being involved in at least 18 shootings in New Haven in 2016. Investigators allege that Milton “Reese” Westley, 19, Clifford “Cliff G” Brodie, 20, Sedale “Scope” Pervis, 25, Dejuan “Hot Boi” Ward, 20, Michael “MB” Belle, 18, and Michael “Mike Live” Via, 20, are all accused of conspiring to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity.
According to the indictment, the six accused were members of GSB, which had teamed up with another gang called the Fruit Town Puri against rival crime organizations in the city. The gang is suspected of distributing heroin, crack cocaine and marijuana and engaging in acts of violence ranging from assault to attempted murder.
The named suspects are believed to be involved in at least six gang-related shootings between September 2015 and May 2016 that injured five people. Additionally, handguns possessed by these suspects have been linked to 18 recent shooting incidents.
Westley, Brodie, Belle and Via were arrested Wednesday. Pervis and Ward had been previously arrested and are in federal custody. They all face various racketeering, firearm, and drug charges.
The arrests are part of Project Longevity – an initiative to reduce gun violence in the state’s major cities.
“Project Longevity aims to deter violence and not simply react to it,” wrote U.S. Attorney Deirdre Daly in a release. “However, if a group or gang, such as GSB, engages in gun violence, they will become the focus of all the law enforcement partners who participate in the Project Longevity Intelligence meetings held at the NHPD four days a week, and appropriate federal and state criminal violations will be charged.”
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The investigation into GSB and other gang activity is ongoing. Members of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the New Haven Police Department, the FBI, Hamden Police Department and New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office have all taken part in the investigation.
