Latest news with #DevelopingOptions
Los Angeles Times
24-05-2025
- Los Angeles Times
Metro's violence prevention program marred by subway fight and subcontractor's RICO indictment
In November 2022, two men connected to a Metro safety program beat up another man on a station platform. Video footage, which The Times obtained last week, shows one of the workers squaring off before striking the man while the worker's colleague wearing a black shirt that says 'security' jumps into the fray throwing fists. The man fights back, is pushed down onto the Metro platform, and ends up on the tracks. Still held by one of the pair, he tries to yank away and throws punches until he is let go. The two 'community intervention specialists' — unarmed community members who have experience with at-risk populations and gang intervention — were hired to embed within Metro's 'street teams' to de-escalate and prevent violence. It's unclear who the third man is. Metro has touted the multimillion-dollar safety program as an integral solution to its fight against crime amid a surge in attacks throughout the rail and bus system, while trust in law enforcement has waned. But the 2022 incident involving the two men and a recent indictment of the co-founder of a community group also affiliated with the community intervention specialist program has raised questions about the oversight of Metro's plan. In January, Metro expanded its operation and awarded a three-year contract for nearly $25 million to the Lee Andrews Group, a public relations firm, to manage Metro's community intervention specialist program. The firm also manages Metro's street teams — a group the transit agency has described as station greeters who often distribute materials, such as PPE during the pandemic. That program complements Metro's robust transit ambassador teams, who also liaise with the public. These community-based programs have been proved to combat violence, Metro said, crediting these teams with a '15% reduction in violent crimes per boarding systemwide from 2023 to 2024' and a notable reduction in violence along the K Line. The Metro board directed the Lee Andrews Group to continue working with community organizations to combat violence by deploying specialists to 'hot spots' throughout the system. One of those groups was Developing Options, co-founded by Eugene 'Big U' Henley, who is described as a former gang member who became a community advocate. Henley was indicted in March on federal charges of fraud, robbery, extortion and running a racketeering conspiracy. Allegations against Henley also included fraudulently obtaining funds through a gang reduction and youth development program overseen by the L.A. mayor's office. Developing Options received nearly $2 million and stopped working with the Metro program March 25, Metro said, 'almost immediately after news surfaced about the organization's leadership.' A representative for Henley could not be reached for comment. Another community organization subcontracted by the Lee Andrews Group was Able Solutions — the organization affiliated with the men in the video, Metro confirmed. Since 2022, the organization has received more than $3.2 million for its work with Metro and while the men in the video were removed from the system and are no longer connected with Metro, the transit agency said the organization remains affiliated. Able Solutions has not responded to requests for comment. Metro's Customer Experience Cabinet oversees the program, but the transit agency does not vet the groups involved. That task falls to Lee Andrews Group and the community organizations, Metro said. The groups are expected to recruit members who have 'lived experience with gangs, trauma or violence,' according to the board report. According to Metro, Able Solutions requires a background check of all individuals through the California Bureau of Security and Investigative Services' guard card system and a state Department of Justice Live Scan. The group also conducts a Megan's Law search. Lee Andrews' vetting process is 'rooted in on-the-ground credibility,' Metro said. 'They consult with local leaders, stakeholders and community coalitions to ensure that every individual representing the project has the necessary relationships, cultural competency and trust to operate effectively and responsibly in sensitive areas.' Since 2022, Metro said that eight people have been arrested who work as transit ambassadors, street team members and community intervention specialists. The programs have employed a combined total of nearly 800 people. Metro's top security officer in 2022, Gina Osborn, said her department was not involved in the oversight of the community intervention specialists or street teams and said that she had raised concerns over a lack of oversight. 'If you have a public safety ecosystem and you speak about it publicly, why is the entire ecosystem not under one person? Why is it compartmentalized in such a way where the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing?' Osborn sued Metro last year over an allegation that the transit agency fired her in retaliation for filing a complaint with the Office of the Inspector General following a bus hijacking. The lawsuit described a tense relationship between Osborn and Metro Chief Executive Stephanie Wiggins over differing views on how Metro's system should be secured. Scott Decker, a professor emeritus at Arizona State University who has studied criminology and gang intervention, said that public agencies' collaborations with these these types of community-based programs has helped reduce crime in cities like Chicago. The data isn't 'cut or dry' when it comes to assessing whether they work better than law enforcement to prevent violence, Decker said, but 'there's not much evidence that shows police are demonstrably better.' Metro on Thursday approved a $9.4-billion budget that included a nearly 2% increase for Metro's public safety budget. The community intervention specialist program is cited as a key priority to the 'multi-layered approach' included under a nearly $400-million bucket. Osborn had been critical of how outside law enforcement patrolled the bus and rail system and pushed for more in-house security. Earlier this month, Metro named its chief of the transit agency's new in-house police department that will oversee all of Metro's safety operations. Under a $193-million-a-year plan, sworn officers would work with Metro ambassadors and crisis intervention staffers, as well as community intervention specialists.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Yahoo
Feds: L.A. Rap Influencer Big U Used His Anti-Gang Activism As Cover For Criminal Empire
Federal prosecutors announced charges against a south L.A. community activist Wednesday saying he used his anti-gang activism as a cover to run a sprawling criminal enterprise that engaged in extortion, human trafficking, fraud and murder. Eugene Henley Jr., 58, a.k.a. 'Big U,' of the Hyde Park neighborhood of South Los Angeles, 'has maintained the image of an entertainment industry entrepreneur running a music label and of somebody who gives back to the community here in Los Angeles,' U.S. Atty. Joseph T. McNally said at the news conference Wednesday. 'The facts alleged in the complaint paint a very different picture. It is one of a murderer, a thief, a liar and a cheat and the criminals that enabled him.'Henley was the leader of a nonprofit known as Developing Options, which was marketed as a youth program that offered teens alternative choices to gang violence, drugs, and other criminal activity. The program is primarily funded by the Gang Reduction and Youth Development program overseen by L.A. Mayor Karen Bass' office. According to the complaint, the nonprofit was awarded $2.35 million in city funds from July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2023, even though Henley "allegedly used it as a front for fraudulent purposes and to insulate its members from suspicion by law enforcement." He is also accused of embezzling donations from celebrities, NBA players, and large companies who donated to the nonprofit, only Henley immediately put the monies that were supposed to help his community into his own bank account. "Mr. Henley allegedly duped the County of Los Angeles by running a charitable organization that promoted anti-gang solutions while continuing criminal activity that was directly contrary to his charity," Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office, said at a press conference Wednesday. He was able to pull off dual roles as a community activist and a purported murderous gang leader because of his past as "a widely known leader within the Rollin' 60s," prosecutors he often didn't try to hide his duality. In a phone call that was captured by a law enforcement wiretap, Henley even referenced his continuing gang bonafides saying: 'I'm retired, nigga? Activist? I'll pull up on your block right now, nigga, and show up and show out, nigga. That's 24 what happened to the last niggas that thought I was retired.'Two other alleged members of Henley's criminal enterprise – Sylvester Robinson, 59, a.k.a. 'Vey,' of Northridge, and Mark Martin, 50, a.k.a. 'Bear Claw,' of the Beverlywood area of Los Angeles – were arrested in the gang sweep dubbed Operation Draw Down which led to the recent arrests of ten alleged Rollin' 60s members. Another four were already in custody. Martin was also listed as the Vice President of Developing Options. Henley is considered a fugitive, prosecutors say. According to an indictment unsealed Wednesday, Henley and his cohorts – identified in court documents as the 'Big U Enterprise' – operated as "a mafia-like organization that utilized Henley's stature and long-standing association with the Rollin' 60s and other street gangs to intimidate businesses and individuals in Los Angeles."FBI Special Agent Andrew Roosa wrote in an affidavit that Henley pretended to be a rehabilitated gang member who learned his lesson after a thirteen-year prison stint connected to the drug rip of an undercover Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputy but was, in fact, still using violence to run his enterprise. Henley, Roosa wrote, 'simultaneously attempted to create an air of legitimacy for the Big U Enterprise by promoting himself as a reformed gang member focused on bettering his community." He now stands accused of murdering an aspiring rapper on his own label. According to a complaint, Henley allegedly drove the victim, identified as R.W. in the complaint, to North Las Vegas, shot him in the head, dragged the victim's body off Interstate 15 into the desert, and left it in a ditch. Get the latest news delivered to your inbox daily! Sign up for Los Angeles Magazine's The Daily Brief below or click here.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Yahoo
Donations from Shaquille O'Neal, Draymond Green allegedly embezzled by Crips leader, who is also accused of murder
A pair of five-figure donations from NBA figures Shaquille O'Neal and Draymond Green were allegedly embezzled by a Crips gang leader, according to a report from the Los Angeles Times, which details a bevy of other allegations against the man in question. Among other things, federal authorities have accused Eugene 'Big U' Henley Jr., described as a leader of the Rollin' 60s set of the Crips, of murder, kidnapping, robbery, extortion and fraud. As of Wednesday, he is still at large, while 18 other alleged members of the Rollin' 60s have been charged. The gravest of accusations against Henley is the alleged murder of a musician, identified only with the initials "R.W.," who was signed to Henley's label and recorded a "defamatory song" after a pay disagreement. Henley's activities allegedly crossed over to the world of sports with donations from O'Neal and Green worth $20,000 to his non-profit, Developing Options. Authorities allege Henley committed wire fraud by embezzling more than $100,000 in donations from the non-profit. Per the Times, Green wrote a check to Developing Options in August 2019, with all $20K getting transferred to Henley's personal checking account, while O'Neal wrote a check for Developing Options and the Crenshaw Rams youth sports team, most of which also went to Henley's account. Additionally, it is alleged a professional boxer, identified as only A.B., was accused of cheating unidentified NBA players out of millions of dollars in a rigged dice game. Henley allegedly sent associates to "rough up" the boxer and get the NBA players' money back. Henley also reportedly once recounted how he "got into it" with A.B. after the boxer allegedly cheated a current NBA All-Star out of $1.5 million and a former NBA All-Star out of $5 million, while mentioning a charge of $100,000 from the players to get their money back. A cooperating witness reportedly claims he knew of times in which NBA players or celebrities would need to get approval from Henley to ensure their safety at parties and other events, with celebrities paying Henley for protection and approval 'or face retaliation from the Big U Enterprise.' The 58-year-old Henley faces up to 20 years in prison on a RICO charge and could get life in prison if convicted of murder.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Yahoo
Donations from Shaquille O'Neal, Draymond Green allegedly embezzled by Crips leader, who is also accused of murder
Donations from Shaquille O'Neal, Draymond Green allegedly embezzled by Crips leader, who is also accused of murder Most of Shaquille O'Neal's donation to a non-profit allegedly went into a gang leader's pocket. (Photo by) (Ethan Miller via Getty Images) A pair of five-figure donations from NBA stars Shaquille O'Neal and Draymond Green were allegedly embezzled by a Crips gang leader, according to a report from the Los Angeles Times, which details a bevy of other allegations against the man in question. Among other things, federal authorities have accused Eugene 'Big U' Henley Jr., described as a leader of the Rollin' 60s set on the Crips, of murder, kidnapping, robbery, extortion and fraud. As of Wednesday, he is still at large, while 18 other alleged members of the Rollin' 60s have been charged. Advertisement The gravest of accusations against Henley is the alleged murder of a musician, identified only with the initials "R.W.." who was signed to his label and recorded a "defamatory song" after a pay disagreement. Henley's activities allegedly crossed over to the world of sports with donations from O'Neal and Green worth $20,000 to his non-profit, Developing Options. Authorities allege Henley committed wire fraud by embezzling more than $100,000 in donations from the non-profit. Per the Times, Green wrote a check to Developing Options in August 2019, with all $20K getting transferred to Henley's personal checking account, while O'Neal wrote a check for Developing Options and the Crenshaw Rams youth sports team, most of which also went to Henley's account. Additionally, it is alleged a professional boxer, identified as only A.B., was accused of cheating unidentified NBA players out of millions of dollars in a rigged dice game. Henley allegedly sent associates to "rough up" the boxer and get the NBA players' money back. Henley also reportedly once recounted how he "got into it" with A.B. after the boxer cheated a current NBA All-Star out of $1.5 million and a former NBA All-Star out of $5 million, while mentioning a charge of $100,000 from the players to get their money back. Advertisement A cooperating witness reportedly claims he knew of times in which NBA players or celebrities would need to get approval from Henley to ensure their safety at parties and other events, with celebrities paying Henley for protection and approval 'or face retaliation from the Big U Enterprise.' The 58-year-old Henley faces up to 20 years in prison on a RICO charge and could get life in prison if convicted of murder.
Express Tribune
19-03-2025
- Express Tribune
LA Crips leader "Big U" Henley wanted on murder and trafficking charges
Federal authorities are searching for Eugene Henley Jr., known as "Big U," a longtime leader of the Rollin' 60s Neighborhood Crips in Los Angeles. Henley, 58, is accused of running a mafia-like criminal operation involving murder, human trafficking, extortion, and fraud while presenting himself as an entertainment entrepreneur and anti-gang activist. Henley is one of 18 gang members charged with federal crimes, including drug trafficking, conspiracy, and firearms offenses. While ten members were arrested, Henley and two others remain fugitives. Prosecutors allege he used his non-profit, Developing Options, as a front for fraudulent activities and to shield gang members from law enforcement scrutiny. Authorities link Henley to the 2021 murder of an aspiring rapper, identified as "R.W.," who was signed to his record label, Uneek Music. R.W. was allegedly killed after recording a song critical of Henley, with his body later discovered in a Nevada desert ditch. Prosecutors claim Henley operated his criminal enterprise like a mob boss, using intimidation and violence while leveraging social media, documentaries, and interviews to enhance his gang's reputation. He is also accused of orchestrating extortion, illegal gambling, and sex trafficking operations, as well as fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 relief funds. If convicted, Henley faces a potential life sentence in federal prison. Authorities continue to seek his whereabouts.
