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Authorities mop up the capital's violent Summer of '05

Fourteen Trenton residents have been charged with first-degree racketeering as alleged members of the Gangster Killer Bloods set of the Bloods street gang, state Attorney General Paula T. Dow announced Monday.

The indictment also charges the alleged area leader of the gang, Bernard "Petey Black'' Green, with three murders, including the August 2005 murder of Sharee Voorhees, who was caught in gunfire while on her porch.

The state grand jury indictment stems from "Operation Capital City," an investigation by the state Division of Criminal Justice, the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office, Trenton police and State Police. The investigation stems from a prior probe of the same name.

The investigation moved in a new direction under the guidance of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's Violent Enterprise Source Targeting (VEST) initiative, in which all levels of law enforcement pursue joint strategies to dismantle criminal organizations. The Division of Criminal Justice and prosecutor's office will jointly prosecute the accused.

The murders and other acts of violence charged in the indictment occurred in 2005, when violence erupted between the Gangster Killer Bloods and two rival Bloods sets, the Nine Trey Gangsters and the Sex Money Murder.

Green, 28, a "five-star general" in the Gangster Killer Bloods or G-Shine set, allegedly directed the gang's activities, including drug trafficking and violence involving assault rifles and semi-automatic handguns, which were used to defend the gang's turf and settle scores with other gangs. The defendants allegedly conspired to intimidate victims and witnesses, and made threats against law enforcement.

"Sharee Voorhees tragic death in August 2005 brought home to Trenton residents the senselessness of the gang violence that was enveloping the city and the danger it posed to everyone, not just gang members," Dow said at a Trenton press conference. "We have now charged the alleged leader of this violent gang and a second man in her death. We are determined to see that justice is done for her."

"The indictment in this case represents countless hours of investigation by all of the law enforcement agencies here today," Prosecutor Joseph L. Bocchini said. "These investigators and prosecutors left no stone unturned. Through these indictments, we are one step closer to bringing closure to the Voorhees and Washington families and ensuring that Green and his associates are brought to justice."

"The Summer of 2005 was no doubt the most violent period of time that the city of Trenton has experienced, with gang-related violence terrorizing the citizens of our city," Trenton police Captain Joseph S. Juniak said. "The efforts put forth by the agencies involved in ‘Operation Capital City' have resulted in identifying those individuals responsible and hopefully bringing some closure to the family members of the victims and to the citizens of our city whose lives were so tragically affected by the senseless acts of these thugs. Justice must prevail."

"The indictment of these gang members is a victory for law enforcement, but we know the battle against street gangs is not over," Col. Rick Fuentes, State Plice superintendent, said. "We have to continue to investigate, arrest, and indict the members of these criminal enterprises to ensure their demise. The use of intelligence led policing methods and the sharing of resources remains paramount to our success in disrupting and eliminating their presence in our state."

Green is charged along with Keith "Droop" Parker, 29, in the murder of Voorhees, 22, who was fatally wounded in gunfire on Monmouth Street on Aug. 28, 2005. The men allegedly were part of a group of gang members who targeted a car they believed was occupied by Joseph "Hell Rell'' James, a reputed high-ranking member of the Nine Trey Gangsters. It was the wrong car. The car was driven by Michael Cadlett, who had five passengers. One bullet struck Cadlett in the stomach, and another traveled down the street and hit Voorhees in the chest.

Green was arrested on a complaint warrant charging him with racketeering on July 13. He is being held in a jail outside of Mercer County with bail set at $400,000. The state is filing a motion to increase bail for Green on the new indictment.

Five other defendants were arrested on warrants since July 14 in connection with the indictment. A sixth is being sought. The other defendants were already incarcerated.

Green and 10 other defendants are charged with conspiring to unlawfully possess, use and traffick in guns. Green is personally charged with being a leader of organized crime and with numerous narcotics and weapons offenses.

Green and Richard "Bandanna" Jenkins, 25, are charged in the June 20, 2005 murder of Otis Jones, 26, who was shot in the head at Brunswick Avenue and Sanford Street.

This indictment supersedes a March 2006 indictment obtained by the prosecutor's office which charged the two men with the murder. Jones allegedly was shot because he showed "disrespect'' to gang members while trying to recover a gold necklace of his that had been stolen.

In addition, Green, Anthony "Ace" Coleman, 25, and Curtis "Lil Curt" Hawkins, 23, are charged in the murder of Kareem Washington, 28, of the Nine Trey Gangsters. He was fatally shot in the neck on Ellsworth Avenue on Aug. 28, 2005, the same day Voorhees was shot, allegedly in retaliation for shootings the day before on Passaic Street that wounded three Gangster Killer Bloods members.

A fifteenth defendant, Robert "Snoop" Christie, 24, of Trenton, an alleged leader of the Nine Trey Gangsters, is charged in the indictment with aggravated assault for allegedly firing shots at the home of a Gangster Killer Bloods member on Aug. 28, 2005 and making terroristic threats to Green in response to the killing of Washington.

Green, Coleman, Hawkins, Parker, Leroy "L Tutt" Tutt, 23, Ronald "Double R" Smith, 27, Jabari "Bari" Cross, 30, and Anthony "Yak" Howlett, 26, are charged with conspiring to murder unnamed members of the Nine Trey Gangsters.

In additional counts of the indictment, Green is charged along with Tutt, Hawkins and Bruce "Black Magic" Duette, 29, with conspiring to murder members of the Crips gang, and with attempted murder in connection with drive-by shootings targeting the Crips. Green and Tutt are charged with aggravated assault in the July 23, 2005 shooting of Rochelle Solomon, who was wounded in the chest in a drive-by shooting at North Logan Avenue and Van Camp Alley.

The indictment supersedes two other indictments obtained by the prosecutor's office, a March 2006 indictment charging Green with narcotics offenses, and an October 2006 indictment charging Green with attempted murder in the shooting of Cadlett.

Also charged in the indictment are Ronald "Sauce" Stevens, 39; Ebony Rowell, 28; Donte "Chalant" Ellis, 33; and Curtis "Pud" Morgan, 37.

Five defendants were arrested without incident on Friday. State Superior Court Judge Pedro Jimenez Jr. has set bail at $1 million, cash only, with a requirement of a bail source hearing, for four of them: Parker, Tutt, Howlett and Stevens. He set bail at $700,000 for Rowell. Hawkins, is being sought on a warrant issued in connection with the indictment.

— TOM HESTER SR., NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM