31 'Bloods'-linked gang members indicted for shootings, murder of schoolteacher in NY
Prosecutors hand down 103-count indictment on Bloodhound Brims members, a subset of Bloods gang
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}More than 30 members and associates of a subset of the notorious Bloods street gang have been charged in a 103-count indictment for terrorizing residents of Long Island, New York, with robberies and shootings, including the death of a schoolteacher who was shot when her car was mistaken for a rival gang member’s.
Prosecutors say the defendants are part of the Bloodhound Brims (BHB) and are responsible for 34 separate incidents, including 18 shootings, three armed robberies, three long-term conspiracies, including a conspiracy to commit murder, narcotics sales and the recovery of 12 loaded handguns used in 13 shootings and armed robberies.
"If you are committing violent crime in Suffolk County, we are coming for you," Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said at a Thursday press conference while announcing the indictments.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We will continue to prioritize our focus on gang violence using every law enforcement tool we possess and take a coordinated approach to ending violent gang activity."
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney is shown next to an image of confiscated gang guns. (Steve Pfost/Newsday RM via Getty Images | Suffolk County District Attorney's Office, right)
According to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, from August 2021 through February 2024, BHB members and their associates sought to establish turf dominance throughout Long Island – primarily centered in the Suffolk County communities of Bay Shore, Coram, Mastic and Riverhead -- where they committed shootings and violence aimed at rival gang members and innocent civilians alike. Suffolk County is located to the east of Long Island in New York.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The violence was allegedly orchestrated and ordered by high-ranking BHB members Latique Johnson, nicknamed "La Brim" or "The Pilot," Oumar "Dollo" Barry, and Jussiah "Lokko" Herbert. The orders were generally carried out by lower-ranking members who would receive approval or promotions within the gang after carrying out the orders. Several of those charged are 18 and under, with one being 16-years-old, according to the indictment.
Johnson, the gang’s leader, was incarcerated in federal prison in California but gave orders through proxies, according to Tierney. The lower-ranking gang members paid dues to Johnson’s prison commissary account, from which authorities seized $31,000, he said.
More than 30 members and associates of a subset of the Bloods street gang have been charged in a 103-count indictment for terrorizing residents of Long Island with robberies and shootings, including the death of a schoolteacher who was shot when her car was mistaken for a rival gang member’s. (Instagram)
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The violence charged in the indictment dates back to August 2021, following the death of an alleged BHB member.
Members of BHB allegedly set out to avenge this death and establish a reputation on Long Island as the most violent and respected street gang within the community. BHB members allegedly generated cash through criminal activity, generally through armed robberies or narcotics sales.
In one deadly incident, Kimberly Midgette, a schoolteacher, was in her black sedan when three BHB gang members – Joel Badger, 18, Reymon Rodriguez, 18, and a juvenile – allegedly shot at the car.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Midgette was struck in the head and died while another passenger was struck in the arm. Prosecutors did not name the passenger that was struck although previous reports state that her 10-year-old daughter was in the car with her mother at the time.
Midgette was not the intended victim of the shooting, but rather the shooting was one of mistaken identity, prosecutors said.
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney (James Carbone-Pool/Getty Images)
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The gangs carried out several other shootings, often shooting at homes in attempts to target rival gang members. In one case, a resident was shot in the leg, and in two other incidents, victims were shot after the gang met with them under the guise of buying drugs. One male was shot in the back while a 15-year-old girl was shot in the arm.
"Kimberly Midgette was a beloved elementary schoolteacher who was senselessly shot and killed during a drive-by shooting as she sat in her car," said Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly.
"Working with our law enforcement partners, we indicted defendant Oumar Barry – an alleged Bloodhound Brims member – for her murder," she continued.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Gang prosecutions are extremely tough work. They require cooperation and seamless intelligence sharing between agencies. I thank District Attorney Ray Tierney for spearheading this investigation and helping to remove so many dangerous gang members from Long Island in this takedown."