Latest news with #OperationDrawDown
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Yahoo
'Operation Draw Down': Eugene 'Big U' Henley Jr., accused of 'mafia-like' crimes, due in court
The Brief LA music executive Eugene Henley, also known as "Big U," is expected to appear in court Thursday. Henley is charged in the complaint with conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. Authorities also accuse Henley of murdering a young Las Vegas rapper, Rayshawn Williams, in 2021. LOS ANGELES - Prominent Los Angeles music executive Eugene Henley Jr., known as "Big U," surrendered to federal agents amid allegations of leading a criminal enterprise linked to the Rollin' 60s Neighborhood Crips. Charged with conspiracy under the RICO Act, Henley faces accusations of murder, fraud, and other crimes. He is expected to appear in court Thursday. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Alleged LA Crips leader, music exec Big U accused of 'mafia-like' crimes What we know Henley, founder of Big U Enterprise, is charged with conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. He is accused of leveraging connections with the Rollin' 60s Neighborhood Crips to run a criminal enterprise involved in murder, trafficking, and fraud. Henley surrendered to federal agents alongside Bryan Mejia, with both expected to appear in court. Operation Draw Down Yesterday, officials said 10 other alleged gang members and associates had been arrested and charged with various federal crimes, including drug trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and firearms offenses. Four defendants were already in custody. Two other alleged members of the 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 Wednesday on the same criminal complaint in which Henley is charged. The Indictment According to the affidavit unsealed along with the criminal complaint, Henley's criminal group identified in court documents as the "Big U Enterprise" operated as a "mafia-like organization" that used Henley's stature and longtime association with the Rollin' 60s and other street gangs to intimidate individuals and businesses in LA from 2010 on. "While the Big U Enterprise at times partnered with the Rollin' 60s and other criminal elements for mutual benefit, the Big U Enterprise is a distinct and independent criminal enterprise engaged in criminal activity including murder, extortion, robbery, trafficking and exploiting sex workers, fraud, and illegal gambling," court documents read. The complaint details Henley's involvement in the 2021 murder of aspiring rapper Rayshawn Williams, and fraudulent activities, including embezzling large donations from celebrities and award-winning companies meant for his nonprofit, Developing Options. According to the complaint, Henley immediately converted those donations to his personal bank account. Additionally, Henley allegedly submitted a fraudulent application for a COVID-19 pandemic relief loan in which he claimed that Uneek Music, his music promotion company, was operating at a $200,000 profit in 2019 despite operating at a $5,000 loss that year, which should have disqualified it from loan eligibility. Developing Options is primarily funded through the City of Los Angeles's Mayor's Office through the Gang Reduction Youth Development (GRYD) Foundation, portions of which receive federal funding, but also receives donations from prominent sources, including NBA players, the complaint said. The backstory Henley, widely regarded as a leader in the Rollin' 60s, rose to prominence in the 1980s. He played a significant role in launching the career of late rapper Nipsey Hussle. Henley has a history of criminal activity, including a 13-year prison sentence for attempting to steal cocaine from an undercover deputy in 1991. What they're saying Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph McNally emphasized the seriousness of the charges, stating, "The allegations in the complaint unsealed today reveal a criminal enterprise that engaged in murder, extortion, human trafficking, and fraud." Akil Davis from the FBI highlighted the long-standing criminal behavior, noting the efforts to bring justice and improve safety in Los Angeles neighborhoods. By the numbers 10 Arrests: Resulting from the FBI investigation into the alleged criminal conspiracy. 4 Already in Custody: Additional suspects in state custody. 5 More Defendants: Law enforcement is seeking additional individuals involved. What's next If convicted, Henley would face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison, authorities said. The Source Information for this story is from a press conference held by the U.S Department of Justice and the FBI on March 19, 2025, in Los Angeles.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Yahoo
Adam22 Offers Bricc Baby Support Amid Arrest, Plans To Document Ordeal
Adam22 has spoken out after one of his No Jumper LA affiliates was arrested in a gang takedown. Speaking to his followers on Instagram Live, the podcaster offered support to Bricc Baby following his arrest Wednesday (March 20) for alleged involvement with the Rolling 60s Neighborhood Crips. The 41-year-old's response and promise to document the whole story was captured via Akademiks' POV and reshared across social media channels. 'People saying that 22 was the reason Bricc got caught up,' detailed Adam22. 'F**k outta here. 22 You know what I do.' He continued, 'I put people in position. I put them on the podcast. Get them jobs. I'm not seeing anything that says anything about stuff he's done in the last two years, since he's been f**king with us.' 'I do employ people from the streets… People from the streets sometimes get caught up in federal RICO indictments [or] whatever the f**k this sh*t is,' explained the podcast host. He also spoke about Luce Cannon, another No Jumper LA affiliate taken into custody by law enforcement in Wednesday's bust. 'I got love for Luce,' Adam22 detailed. 'We gonna be documenting this whole thing, helping them along the way.' Both men were arrested as part of what law enforcement called 'Operation Draw Down' where at least 10 alleged Rollin' 60s members and associates are charged with various federal crimes, including drug trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and firearms offenses. 'Eliminating gangs and organized crime is the Department of Justice's top priority,' shared acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally in a statement. 'Today's charges and arrests target the leadership of this criminal outfit and will make the neighborhoods of Los Angeles safer. I am grateful for the work of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners.' More from Bricc Baby Arrested In Rollin' 60s Gang Takedown In Los Angeles Adam22 Defends His Interview With Man Involved In Pop Smoke's Murder Drake Says Joe Budden Is In Hip-Hop Media's "Big 3" Alongside Adam22 And DJ Akademiks
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.
