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Los Angeles Times
22-04-2025
- Los Angeles Times
L.A.'s Rollin' 60s Crips: The rise of a notorious gang and its reputed boss ‘Big U'
Even in the cutthroat world of Los Angeles street gangs, the saying associated with one Crips faction stands out as cold-blooded: 'You ain't a Rollin' 60 'til you kill a 60.' The Rollin' 60s Neighborhood Crips — which is said to be named for West 60th Street that rolled through its territory in South Los Angeles — have a reputation for violence, sometimes even against fellow members. But that hasn't stopped them from growing into one of the largest and most notorious street gangs in the city, if not the country. The gang's foot soldiers and shot callers have been many over the years, but one name has seemingly remained constant: Eugene 'Big U' Henley. Henley came up around the time that Hollywood turned gang life in the City of Angels into the stuff of legends. By the time the Rollin' 60s were name-dropped in the 1991 classic 'Boyz n the Hood,' he had already risen through the ranks. Much has changed since then. Gang-related shootings have plummeted from the historic highs a generation ago. Along the way, Henley has seen his own ups and downs — serving time in prison, emerging to build himself up as a community leader and music industry honcho, and now once again facing charges in a sprawling criminal case with 18 other alleged members and associates of the 60s. Federal prosecutors paint the picture of a gang whose fearsome reputation allowed Henley to intimidate businesses and people throughout L.A. for decades, touching the lives of NBA superstars and a Grammy-winning producer. Indicted last month on charges including fraud, robbery, extortion and a racketeering conspiracy that involved the murder of an aspiring rapper, Henley has pleaded not guilty. His court-appointed lawyer told The Times last month that his client 'maintains his innocence.' More details about Henley's alleged gang activities could emerge at a detention hearing set for Tuesday. But so far, the case against him has been met with skepticism in his old neighborhood. Gang interventionists and others who do outreach on South L.A.'s west side describe the Rollin' 60s as a loosely structured group with no real leader. Some argue that only a few of those arrested with Henley have actual ties to the gang. To his supporters, Henley has remained a larger-than-life figure who achieved their version of the American dream: A successful businessman who managed to rise out of a neighborhood battered by years of unemployment, over-policing and government neglect — but never forgot his roots. It's an image Henley worked hard to cultivate, and one he defended amid the latest charges. 'I ain't been nothing but a help to our community,' Henley said in a video. 'This the price of being Black and trying to help somebody, trying to help your community and do what you can.' The FBI began investigating the Rollin' 60s in August 2020, according to the federal complaint charging Henley and others. The following year, the agency launched an investigation into the so-called 'Big U Enterprise,' a term coined by investigators to describe Henley's alleged Mafia-like organization. Federal authorities said Henley was regarded as an 'original gangster,' or 'OG,' who had earned standing with fellow gang members over decades. 'He has been able to use that standing to intimidate businesses and individuals and to commit various forms of violence,' Ted Docks, FBI special agent in charge of the criminal division in Los Angeles, said at a news conference last month. After news of the raid on Henley's home hit social media, some commentators dredged up years-old rumors about Henley's supposed ties to the killing of Nipsey Hussle, a rap star, activist and entrepreneur who was shot to death in front of his South Los Angeles clothing store. Another 60s member was convicted of Hussle's murder, and multiple law enforcement sources familiar with the case — who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly — said they found no evidence tying Henley to the crime. The slaying led to a temporary ceasefire between rival Black gangs. Henley was in the middle of the effort, organizing a vigil attended by gang members of all stripes. Those who know Henley said that over the years they witnessed his transformation from tough-nosed street brawler to businessman and — at least outwardly — advocate for peace. 'As far as anything outside his work for his organization and his work in the music industry, I didn't see anything,' said Skipp Townsend, a prominent gang interventionist in L.A. 'Never nothing criminal.' But according to federal authorities, behind the veil of redemption Henley lived a double life as a ruthless gang boss. When famous athletes and musicians visited L.A., authorities say, Henley required them to 'check in' — and sometimes pay — to guarantee their safety around town. He allegedly helped collect a debt owed by a current NBA All-Star, whose name was withheld in court filings. Henley also allegedly extorted tens of thousands of dollars from an unlicensed marijuana dispensary and directed underlings to carry out robberies. But before building his alleged criminal empire, he was just a kid from South L.A. When Henley was born in 1966, the Crips didn't yet exist. It was three years later, as the story goes, when Raymond Washington, a teenager, formed the gang. Washington is the focus of an upcoming documentary, 'Crip: The Boy Who Built An Army' — for which Henley sat for interviews. 'It's not a roses story: it has some bad points, but it started out positive,' said Kenya Ware, who created both the documentary and a planned TV series called 'The Birth of a Crip.' 'Things change, in the midst of it, but the intention was good.' Steeped in the Black Panther Party teachings of self-pride and community control, historians say, the first generation of Black gang members in the 1960s banded together to defend against outsiders from neighboring communities, as well as police harassment. Over time, more and more crews sprouted, forging alliances and becoming rivals. 'Before it was killing and all that it was just hand fighting, like fistfights,' said Ronald 'Ron Ron' Thompson, Washington's nephew. After his uncle went to prison on a robbery charge, Thompson said, 'the 'hoods started forming.' The 60s were one of the first cliques — or 'sets' — of the Crips to take root in the western fringes of South L.A. in the mid-1970s. 'Crippin' was almost like a religion,' said Donald Bakeer, a former schoolteacher in South L.A. who wrote a historical novel on the gang's early history. Among his students was Henley, who Bakeer said he met while teaching at Horace Mann Junior High School. Even then, he said, Henley 'was a natural leader.' 'He was not the back-down kind of youngster,' Bakeer said. In 'Hip Hop Uncovered,' a six-part documentary series, Henley said he and several other kids formed the Arlington Gang and that it eventually morphed into 'our section of what was the Rollin' 60s.' 'I'm not the one that started it or gave it the name,' Henley said in the documentary, which credited him as an executive producer. 'I'm just in the first generation of it becoming Rollin' 60s. We the babies in that.' In 1981, police raided the homes of suspected Rollin' 60s members. One prosecutor at the time boasted in The Times that the raid had 'effectively wiped out' the gang. But Henley and the gang were just getting started. Henley recounted in his documentary series helping rob cars and making tens of thousands of dollars in the early 1980s. When he finally got caught, he said, he went to juvenile detention and had so many cases tied to him that authorities refused to release him to his mother. At her wit's end, she sent him to live with his father in Chicago to keep him from getting into more trouble, Henley said. After Henley left L.A., the 60s also began making their mark elsewhere. The crack epidemic had taken hold of South L.A., and it would soon spread across the country, bringing gang violence with it. In 1988, two men identified by police as members of the 60s were accused of shooting someone in the head several times in a heavy drug-trafficking area in Tacoma, Wash. The next year, a Kansas newspaper with the headline 'L.A. gangs make Midwest entry' detailed the spread of the Bloods and Crips across the country and their arrests for cocaine and crack possession. In 'Hip Hop Uncovered,' Henley described selling drugs in Minnesota, Atlanta and Chicago — where they would fetch a higher price — and being in L.A. for only a week or two at a time. 'We was really landing in cities, taking over blocks,' he said. In a confidential LAPD report prepared in 1989, detectives identified 459 hard-core members of the 60s, who had been arrested a total of 3,527 times, according to a Times article. There were convictions for murder, attempted murder, assaults with a deadly weapon, robberies, burglaries and other crimes. Apart from two cliques devoted to drug trafficking, the report said, most of the gang members commit crimes for their personal gain and 'hold no allegiance to any organization and do not act at the direction of a recognized leader.' Thompson, the nephew of the reputed Crips founder, recalled joining the gang around 1986 almost of necessity. People used to assume he was a member based on where he lived and would jump him anyway, he said, so he figured he might as well be part of the gang. 'These dudes are my friends anyway,' said Thompson, now a former member. 'They had my back like I had they back and that's just how it was.' A series of brazen bank robberies landed the gang on the radar of the LAPD and the FBI. In 1988, the murder of Karen Toshima, a 27-year-old graphic artist shot in the head by crossfire in a gang dispute as she walked along a street in Westwood Village. Until then, many of those living outside South L.A. assumed that gangs were confined to those neighborhoods, said Alex Alonso, a gang historian. Toshima's killing was one of several gang slayings that led to a large-scale show of law enforcement muscle called Operation Hammer, in which then-LAPD Chief Daryl F. Gates vowed to 'eradicate' gangs by flooding streets with officers. The crackdown rounded up hundreds of people — many for minor crimes — and sowed resentment in wide swaths of South L.A. 'In hindsight I was glad Gates did that because it just showed that massive suppression, sending everything you have, spending all kinds of money, didn't really put a dent in the gang problem in L.A.,' Alonso said. 'It just proves that you cannot arrest your way out of the problem.' After a string of arrests in the late 1980s, Henley went away for his longest prison stretch. Busted trying to rob an undercover sheriff's deputy of 33 pounds of cocaine, he was convicted and sentenced in 1992 to 23 years. Eight years after Henley's arrest, David Ross, now a retired LAPD detective, landed at 77th Division, where he worked multiple gangs at a time. But in January 2002, he recalled being assigned only one: the 60s. He called them 'the largest Black criminal street gang in Los Angeles by far.' They claim various logos — including the Rolls-Royce symbol and the baseball hats of the White Sox and Mariners — and count a number of Crips factions as enemies in addition to their traditional rivals, the Bloods. 'There's no real hierarchy, it's not like the Mafia, for example, where it's really, strictly tightly controlled and people are really disciplined because they don't want to lose their life by crossing the boss,' Ross said. 'There's a lot of this jealousy and rivalry that goes on if somebody has something good going on and getting money.' Around 2004, a fellow LAPD officer told Ross that Henley would soon be released. 'I did hear that Big U had quite a reputation,' Ross recounted. 'I can't see very many Rollin' 60s of any age that would cross him or go against something that he said.' But Henley said his mentality had shifted by the time of his release. During his last stint behind bars, he said, he began a transformation, which included converting to Islam. He described in one interview how he gradually distanced himself from the gang lifestyle that earned him respect and fear on the streets. 'You spend the front part of your life destroying a community and when I came home, it was about being known as somebody who has helped to heal it and bring it to a better place,' Henley said in his 'Hip Hop Uncovered' interview. 'I know I want to help people. I want to be able to effect change.' After getting out of prison, Henley created Developing Options, dedicated to gang intervention work and offering sports programs for kids. The work eventually drew major backing from the city. Authorities have accused Henley of fraudulently obtaining $2.35 million from the Gang Reduction and Youth Development program from 2018 to 2023. Henley's organization is one of more than 20 involved in the program overseen by the L.A. mayor's office, the city said last month. The tax dollars were allocated at a time when Henley was thought to be a positive force in Los Angeles, but federal authorities say behind the scenes he was a ruthless killer. Federal authorities have accused Henley of kidnapping and fatally shooting a young rapper in the face over perceived disrespect and leaving his body in the Las Vegas desert. Henley's supporters refuse to believe the charges. Shamond 'Lil AD' Bennett, 46, joined the Rollin' 60s when Henley was already an established figure. The two didn't meet until Henley's latest release from prison, but Bennett said he'd heard 'just the great person he was, been there for his community.' 'I thought the world of him, he was a great dude,' he said. 'I still hope to God he beat that s—.' Bennett, who has each letter of 'Rollin' tattooed down the side of his face, said many of those arrested with Henley were not tied to the 60s. He argued that authorities 'try to paint a picture to make us look bad' — pointing to what he said was law enforcement's long history of targeting Black men of influence. And as far as Henley being a gang leader? 'Ain't no leaders in 60s,' Bennett said. 'Ain't none. Not one.'
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Yahoo
Feds Say "Godfather of Rap" Big U Ran Mafia-like Enterprise Behind Anti-Gang Nonprofit
When federal agents fanned across L.A. on March 19 with warrants targeting what prosecutors describe as a "mafia-like" enterprise operating behind a nonprofit anti-gang group, their primary target—music executive and activist Eugene "Big U" Henley—turned off his phones and temporarily disappeared, according to a 43-count indictment unsealed authorities seized his black 2021 Mercedes and searched his two L.A. homes, Henley took to social media, claiming the FBI raids were the price he paid as "a Black man trying to help his community." Investigators reportedly found a blue Seattle Mariner's hat, associated with the Crips, next to a subpoena at one of his residences after he briefly evaded authorities. In an Instagram video posted to Crenshaw Cougars, an account largely devoted to Henley's charitable work with children, he denied being on the run, instead stating he planned to turn himself in, which he did later that night. "I ain't did nothing," he insisted in the video. "I ain't been nothing but a help to our community. This the price of being Black and trying to help somebody, trying to help your community and do what you can."Henley, credited with launching the late Nipsey Hussle's career, is a recognizable figure in L.A. Prosecutors identify him as a well-known enforcer for the Rollin' 60s during the Crips' expansion throughout many L.A. neighborhoods in the 1980s. During that period, prosecutors say he "fostered a fierce and earned reputation for violence, which included multiple charges for first-degree murder, as well as a charge for attempted murder of a peace officer."He served a 23-year sentence beginning in 1991 on numerous charges, during which he maintained his violent reputation. In a documentary series produced by Henley, Snoop Dogg described him as "institutionalized," adding: "You say the wrong thing, you get fucked up. He was short-tempered and serious about the shit he was on. Something about him I liked 'cause I felt like he was a leader."After his 2004 prison release, prosecutors say Henley became involved in the music industry. He met Nipsey Hussle in 2008, and the two were close until a dispute over music equipment escalated into an armed confrontation that ended without bloodshed when the rapper's brother intervened. "LAPD reports documented that violence erupted, and when LAPD officers arrived on the scene, a firearm was present and discharged," the indictment states. While no one was injured in that incident, Nipsey Hussle would later be murdered by Rollin' 60s member Eric Holder Jr. in 2019, who is now serving a 60-year to the indictment, Henley continued criminal activities even after founding Developing Options, a nonprofit community group supporting Crenshaw sports leagues that received credit for "reducing gang violence." The program began receiving substantial gang reduction grants in 2015, amounting to millions in taxpayer funds, with Henley allegedly collecting "hundreds of thousands of dollars, purportedly in salary.""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," said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher of IRS Criminal Investigation's Los Angeles Field prosecutors now accuse Henley of using his platform as a community activist—one celebrated at a City Hall ceremony this year—to conceal criminal activities, including extorting celebrities visiting L.A. who had to pay what prosecutors term "a tax or fee."The indictment points to Henley's podcast "Checc'n In," which opened with a theme song explaining, "When you hop off the plane, check-in. Penthouse suite, check-in. When your feet hit the street, check-in. 'Cause if not, shit get hot. You better check in." Prosecutors claim this was code for extortion, explaining: "The 'check-in' included both a payment to the Big U Enterprise as well as requesting permission from Henley to conduct certain activities."In 2022, rapper Quando Rando was killed, allegedly by Grammy-winning rapper Lil Durk, in what prosecutors describe as a drive-by murder-for-hire that Henley reportedly cited as a consequence of not "checking in" until "it was too late."That killing came a year after the January 2021 murder of rapper Rayshawn Williams, who recorded on Henley's label Uneek Records. Williams had created a "dis song" targeting Henley, according to an FBI agent. In the song, Williams called Henley the "bro that makes some money" and acknowledged he might get "shot in the face" for his lyrics. Days later, Williams was shot in the face and left in the desert. His family told police that Williams had "trusted" Henley, having grown up playing football with the music executive as his coach, but they believe the music mogul was responsible for his alleged crimes include extorting NBA players who wanted to participate in L.A. "parties, gambling games, or advertising shoots," drug-related offenses, and trafficking of women with the help of his co-defendant, Armani Aflleje, who reportedly told an FBI agent "she did not consider herself a pimp," but rather someone who "created environments for women to do actions and make money."The extensive allegations in the 107-page indictment contradict Henley's public image as a reformed individual. According to wiretapped conversations from January 2023, Henley reportedly bragged that no one could "beef" with him because "I'ma kill him. Period. I. Am. Going. To. Murder. Him." Later that year, while "discussing gang politics with a co-conspirator," he allegedly stated, "I'm retired, nigga? Activist? I'll pull up on your block right now, nigga, and show up and show out, nigga what happened to the last niggas that thought I was retired."Henley remains in federal custody, with his arraignment scheduled for April 8 and a detention hearing set for April 10. Stay in the Know! Get the top news from Los Angeles Magazine sent to your inbox every day. Sign up for The Daily Brief below or by clicking here.
Los Angeles Times
21-03-2025
- Los Angeles Times
Rollin' 60s Crips, rappers arrested by feds and the case against ‘Big U'
Federal authorities this week announced that more than a dozen Rollin' 60s Crips members and associates — including Eugene 'Big U' Henley — have been charged in a sprawling criminal case. Henley, who helped launch rapper Nipsey Hussle's career, has been accused in a federal complaint of running a 'Mafia-like' criminal enterprise that carried out a series of racketeering crimes, including extortion, human trafficking, fraud and the 2021 murder of an aspiring rap musician. Henley, in a white T-shirt, black sweatpants and Nike sneakers with no laces, made his initial appearance in court Thursday afternoon. About two dozen family members and friends watched as he walked into the courtroom with his hands cuffed in front of him and his legs shackled. He will remain in federal custody at least until his detention hearing on March 31. The Rollin' 60s Neighborhood Crips take their name from the numbered streets between Slauson and Florence avenues. They were one of the first cliques — or 'sets' — of the Crips to spring up in the area, according to a 1992 Times article. In a 107-page federal complaint charging Henley and others, Andrew Roosa, an FBI agent, described the Rollin' 60s as 'a violent criminal street gang with associated sets in several other states.' Among their most notable members is Hussle, who shouted out the gang in the intro to his breakthrough 2013 mixtape, 'Crenshaw.' Hussle was killed in 2019 by a fellow member of the Rollin' 60s. Henley is an admitted member and 'original gangster,' or 'OG,' of the Rollin' 60s, Roosa wrote. Although law enforcement called Henley a leader within the Rollin' 60s, Skipp Townsend, a gang interventionist in L.A., said 'there is no leader.' He added that the group is 'not structured as a gang. There's no hierarchy.' The FBI began investigating the Rollin' 60s in August 2020, according to the federal complaint charging Henley and others. The following year, the federal agency launched an investigation into Big U Enterprise and its association with the Rollin' 60s. On wiretap calls, according to the complaint, Henley allegedly recounted being bigger than any Rollin' 60s member, including Hussle. After a years-long FBI investigation, federal authorities have accused Henley of kidnapping and fatally shooting a young rapper in the face and leaving his body in the Las Vegas desert over perceived disrespect. He also is accused of directing the robbery of an unlicensed L.A. marijuana dispensary that had stopped making extortion payments. Henley also allegedly defrauded companies, donors, athletes and celebrities — including professional basketball player Draymond Green and former NBA MVP Shaquille O'Neal — persuading them to donate to his charities and later allegedly transferring the money to his own personal bank accounts. Authorities have also accused Henley of fraudulently obtaining funding from the Gang Reduction and Youth Development program overseen by the L.A. mayor's office. His nonprofit, Developing Options, was allotted $2.35 million from the city from July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2023, according to the complaint. Henley's organization is one of more than 20 involved in GRYD, according to the city. In a statement, De'Marcus Finnell, Mayor Karen Bass' press secretary, said the city 'has zero tolerance for malfeasance and over the past two years increased oversight on GRYD programs.' 'The City has strict oversight in place, however the complaint alleges a sophisticated effort to thwart oversight for many avenues of funding including the City,' Finnell said. 'This alleged act does not reflect the work of the GRYD program overall, which has helped lead to a dramatic decrease in gang-related violence citywide two years in a row.' Before he surrendered to authorities, Henley made videos blaming the allegations against him on Internet gossip. In recent years, posts on social media have accused Henley of killing Rayshawn Williams. Authorities made a nod to that in the federal complaint, pointing out that within days of Williams' death, multiple people sent Instagram messages to Henley 'demanding answers for what happened to R.W., all of which went without response.' 'All ya'll who be sending shit around the internet, promoting and listening to what they're saying, all of ya'll supporting this,' Henley said in one video, referring to accusations that have been made against him. Although Henley did not specifically address the murder in his videos, he called the allegations against him 'bull crap.' 'What crimes am I committing to cover up with Developing Options? I ain't committed no crimes and covered up anything with Developing Options,' Henley said. Although the biggest name on the list was Henley, authorities also announced that they had charged 18 other members and associates of the Rollin' 60s. Henley, Mark Martin, aka Bear Claw, and Sylvester Robinson, aka Vey, have been charged with violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). Martin, the chief financial officer of Developing Options, is well-known in the gang intervention world and credited with mentoring many youths. Termaine Ashley Williams, a rapper known as Luce Cannon, was arrested in Las Vegas and is charged with robbery. In the complaint, Roosa described Williams' involvement in the robbery of an unlicensed marijuana dispensary in L.A., allegedly at the direction of Henley. Roosa wrote that Williams later admitted to the robbery on the 'No Jumper' podcast. That podcast episode was removed, Roosa wrote, after Henley allegedly served a cease-and-desist order. According to the complaint, Henley allegedly paid Armani Aflleje $1,000 to transport three women from California to Las Vegas to engage in prostitution. Aflleje later spoke to the FBI, Roosa wrote, and admitted to promoting prostitution, noting she was known for 'bringing the hoes.' Henley allegedly later said on a wiretapped call that investigators were going to charge Aflleje with sex trafficking based on a recording they had of Henley saying Aflleje could find women for them. 'Shit, so you gonna get me and say my crime is sending girls money for sex. Is that my crime? Adult girls too. You hear me? It's not like it's some kids. Not like it's a boy,' Henley allegedly said on the wiretap. 'We're talking about grown-ass women.' Aflleje has been charged with transportation of an individual in interstate commerce with intent to engage in prostitution. Frederick Blanton and Tiffany Hines have been charged with bank fraud. Authorities have also charged Christian Forbes, aka Bus, Danavian Hughes, Lamont Green and Zihirr Mitchell, a rapper and YouTube personality known as Bricc Baby, with being felons in possession of firearms. Joshua Hala and Zachary Garcia, aka Z, have been charged with distribution of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime. Ron Antoine Britten, aka Ronnie Mac, has been charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Derrick Andrew Pollard, aka Grimsky, has been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and distribution of meth. According to the U.S. attorney's office in L.A., Phuoc Kien Huynh and Bryan Mejia have been charged with various counts of being a felon and undocumented immigrant in possession of firearms and dealing in firearms without a license based on sales from New Leaf Clothing, a store in Koreatown. Tiyon Jones, aka Blue Face, is charged with possession of machine guns. Jaiquan Smith, aka Jay Jay, aka Hydeparc Blue, has been charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition for selling firearms and ammunition. In the videos made before he surrendered, Henley said authorities arrested people 'I don't even talk to.' 'What they gonna say?,' Henley said. 'You ruining people's lives.'
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
Eugene 'Big U' Henley Arrested In Rollin' 60s Crips RICO Takedown
On Wednesday (March 19) federal authorities moved to take down the Rollin' 60s Neighborhood Crips, naming music executive Eugene 'Big U' Henley as the leading defendant. Initially listed as a fugitive, Henley was taken into custody later that night, according to the Associated Press. The press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California accuses Henley and more than a dozen others of crimes including extortion, murder, robbery, trafficking and exploiting sex workers, fraud, and more. Before turning himself in, Henley spoke to his followers on Instagram discussing the entire ordeal, his property being raided, and accusing Wack 100, and 600 of helping law enforcement in his arrest. 'If you had something against a Black man you should handle it with a Black man in the streets. Wack said 100 times he was gonna take my contracts, he working with the FBI,' Henley exclaimed. 'I ain't been nothing but help to our community. But I guess it is what it is. This is the price being Black and trying to help somebody, trying to help your community and do what you can. You just guilty because somebody else don't like you and they go on the internet and do what the f**k they want to and y'all gon' promote it.' He ended by exclaiming 'I ain't did nothing.' In the press release, authorities allege Henley orchestrated the 'Big U Enterprise' from 2010 to present day, operating in a mafia-like fashion. He is accused of using his long-standing association with the Rollin' 60s, where he is allegedly regarded as a leader, and other street gangs to intimidate businesses and individuals in Los Angeles. Despite affiliations, the U.S. attorney's office describes the 'Big U Enterprise' as a distinct and independent criminal enterprise. Bricc Baby and Luce Cannon, affiliates of the No Jumper LA podcast, were also arrested. Federal investigators also name 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 among those taken into custody. In total, 10 alleged Rollin' 60s members and associates were arrested and charged with various federal crimes, including drug trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and firearms offenses. 'From day one, the Los Angeles Police Department has been proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with the FBI in this critical investigation,' said Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell. 'The invaluable expertise provided by the Operations South Bureau FBI Task Force on the Rollin' 60's criminal street gang has played a pivotal role in securing these charges. This is a major step forward in our ongoing fight against gang violence, and it brings hope and relief to a community that has endured far too much. Together, we will continue to protect and serve, working tirelessly to ensure the safety of our neighborhoods.' Henley is also accused of murdering a victim identified in the affidavit as 'R.W.' Identified by the Los Angeles Times as Rayshawn Williams, the aspiring rapper was signed to Henley's Uneek Music label. Williams was killed in January 2021, after recording an alleged diss track that Andrew Roosa, a special agent with the FBI, believes was directed toward Henley. The outlet noted that according to Williams' family, Henley had coached the young rapper in football since he was young. According to the press statement, Henley and Uneek Music paid for Williams to travel to Las Vegas for a studio session where a dispute over an agreed-upon rate reportedly resulted in the aforementioned song. Henley and Robinson allegedly traveled to Las Vegas to confront Williams, shot him in the head, and left his body in a ditch. Authorities also claim Henley submitted a fraudulent application for a COVID-19 pandemic relief loan and defrauded donors by using funds meant for community enrichment through non-profits set up for embezzlement. According to the Times, celebrities would have to pay Henley for protection and approval 'or face retaliation from the Big U Enterprise.' If convicted, Henley could spend the rest of his life behind bars. More from Adam22 Offers Bricc Baby Support Amid Arrest, Plans To Document Ordeal Bricc Baby Arrested In Rollin' 60s Gang Takedown In Los Angeles Tony Buzbee Withdraws As Attorney On Several Diddy Lawsuits
