28 people connected to Young Gunnaz gang in Newburgh, Poughkeepsie facing federal charges
Twenty-eight alleged members and associates of the Young Gunnaz gang from Newburgh and Poughkeepsie have been accused of racketeering, narcotics and firearms offenses.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced the unsealing of a 34-count indictment against them.
Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said that includes Kashad Sampson, a Young Gunnaz leader who is charged with participating in multiple assaults with a dangerous weapon in Poughkeepsie and Newburgh.
In addition to serious acts of violence, the gang also was responsible for trafficking large amounts of narcotics across the city of Newburgh and New York state and perpetrating fraud schemes to enrich members of the gang.
In addition to Sampson, 24, the indictment identified the following as defendants: George Delgado, 24; Gabriel Roman, 24; Dallas Archer, 26; Bruce Allen, 25; Syncere Tatum, 23; John LaLanne, 24; Raekwon Jackson, 23; Bashir Mallory, 20; Mekhi McDonald, 20; Christopher Tate, 20; Kristopher Burgess Cunningham, 29; Dejon Scott, 27; Davon Waddell, 26; Zyrell Williams, 18; Demetrius Ware, 18; Antonio Pittman, 22; Daquan Cueto, 22; Christopher Johnson, 29; Harry Pimentel, 21; Eric Steadman, 23; Donald Leid, 29; Tevin George, 30; Devin Williams, 27; Dante Johnson, 26; George Tatum, 45; Coleridge Lewter, 43; and Rodney George, 47.
According to the indictment, the following people allegedly took the following actions, all for the purpose of maintaining and increasing their positions in the Young Gunnaz enterprise:
On Sept. 6, 2019, Tevin George shot a rival gang member in the City of Newburgh.
On April 28, 2020, Pittman shot at rival gang members in Poughkeepsie.
On May 16, 2020, Pittman, Steadman and Pimentel shot at people associated with and members of a rival gang in Yonkers.
Vehicular manslaughter: Oklahoma woman indicted in fatal June crash in town of Newburgh
On Aug. 15, 2020, Sampson, Archer, LaLanne and Jackson participated in and facilitated the attempted murder of rival gang members in Poughkeepsie.
On Sept. 9, 2020, Steadman and Pimentel shot at rival gang members in Poughkeepsie.
On Nov. 10, 2020, LaLanne robbed a narcotics dealer at gunpoint and discharged his firearm in the City of Newburgh.
On April 27, 2021, Syncere Tatum, Roman and Tate attempted to rob and shot at a rival drug dealer in the City of Newburgh.
On Nov. 17, 2021, Sampson, Delgado and Allen shot four rival gang members in the City of Newburgh.
On Nov. 28, 2021, Mallory and Roman shot at rival gang members in the City of Newburgh.
On Jan. 7, 2022, Mallory and McDonald shot one rival gang member and shot at other rival gang members in the City of Newburgh.
On Jan. 20, 2022, Waddell and Allen robbed a narcotics dealer at gunpoint and discharged a firearm in the City of Newburgh.
On March 8, 2022, Waddell and Tate shot a rival drug dealer in the City of Newburgh.
On June 11, 2022, Syncere Tatum, Cueto, Jackson and Mallory assaulted and stabbed a rival gang member in the City of Newburgh.
On July 20, 2022, Christopher Johnson and Leid shot at rival gang members in the City of Newburgh.
Also on July 20, 2022, Christopher Johnson, Dante Johnson, Waddell, Jackson and Leid robbed a narcotics dealer at gunpoint in the City of Newburgh.
On Sept. 27, 2022, Syncere Tatum and Waddell shot at suspected rival gang members in the City of Newburgh.
Bus crash: Schumer, Gillibrand, Ryan urge Federal Highway Administration to support I-84 crash gate
From at least 2019 to the present, according to the indictment, all the defendants except Pimentel participated in a conspiracy to distribute a substantial amount of narcotics, including fentanyl, crack cocaine, heroin, Oxycodone, marijuana, and Promethazine HCL mixed with Codeine.
From at least March 2020 through at least December 2022, Sampson, Delgado, Roman, Allen, Syncere Tatum, LaLanne, Mallory, McDonald and Tate conspired to commit wire fraud to obtain unemployment benefits from New York State.
If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years to life in prison, depending on their charges.
Mike Randall covers breaking news for the Times Herald-Record, Poughkeepsie Journal and The Journal News/lohud. Reach him at mrandall@th-record.com or on Twitter @mikerandall845.
This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: 28 people tied to NY gang charged: What the indictment says
