FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, July 3, 2025
Nine Alleged Members of “Road 2 Riches” Gang Charged in 68-Count
Conspiracy Indictment That Includes 10 Shootings
One Homicide and Nine Non-Fatal Shootings with Three Victims;
Nine Firearms Recovered During the Course of the Investigation
[Note: materials displayed during the press conference are available here]
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, together with New York City Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch, today announced that nine alleged members of the Road 2 Riches street gang are variously charged in a 68-count indictment with conspiracy to commit murder, possess weapons and related charges. The indictment includes charges related to 10 shootings that resulted in four victims – including an innocent bystander, a 68-year-old woman, who was shot in the back in broad daylight.
District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This indictment charges a disturbing pattern of gang violence allegedly committed by a group of young defendants. Their actions endangered entire communities and include the murder of a 24-year-old man and the broad daylight shooting of an innocent 68-year-old woman. Working with the NYPD, we remain focused on holding accountable the small number of offenders driving this violence. The success of this strategy is clear, with record low gun violence in Brooklyn last year, and continued progress this year.”
Commissioner Tisch said, “For too long, Road 2 Riches gang members have terrorized neighborhoods in Brooklyn – unleashing gunfire in broad daylight, on busy streets, and near schools. Many of these alleged shooters were teens, emboldened by laws like Raise the Age that eliminate consequences for young people engaging in this type of violence, but these gangs are no match for the NYPD – this year alone, we have conducted more than 40 gang-related takedowns and removed more than 230 illegal guns from our streets. This work is the reason that shootings are down double digits in Brooklyn, and we are not letting up. I want to thank the Gun Violence Suppression Division and the Brooklyn DA’s Office for their outstanding work on this case.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said, “Today’s gang takedown is another significant victory for our city as we stop nine members of the Road 2 Riches gang from terrorizing our children and neighbors. With these arrests and indictments, we are sending a clear message that violent criminals have no place in our city. We are also delivering the safety and justice that every New Yorker deserves. Since day one, public safety has been our North Star, and it’s victories like this that have helped bring shootings to record lows, and major crime down in June, year to date, and for six quarters straight. I want to thank the NYPD Gun Violence Suppression Division and the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office for their relentless work to keep all New Yorkers safe.”
The defendants were arraigned yesterday in Brooklyn Supreme Court on a 68-count indictment in which they are variously charged with second- and fourth-degree conspiracy, second-degree murder, second-degree attempted murder, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and first-degree reckless endangerment. The defendants were either remanded or are being held on high bail.
The District Attorney said the indictment is the result of a long-term investigation by the District Attorney’s Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau and the NYPD’s Gun Violence Suppression Division into the violence allegedly committed by members and associates of the Road 2 Riches (R2R) street gang, which is primarily based within the confines of the 75th Precinct in east New York, from January 2023 to the present. The defendants ranged in age from 15 to 20 during the course of the conspiracy.
It is alleged that many of the acts of violence, including numerous shootings, were captured on surveillance videos. Furthermore, it is alleged that the defendants boasted about their criminal actions on social media, including taking credit for acts of violence such as the shooting death of Abdoulaye Ba, 24, and antagonizing their opposition.
The District Attorney said that, according to the indictment, R2R territory is in the East New York area, specifically R2R operates largely out of 398 Sheffield Avenue, part of the New York City Housing Authority’s Long Island Baptist Houses, Remeeder Houses and Unity Houses. R2R is considered a younger subset of the “Cocky Bama Bullies” street gang and falls under the larger Bloods street gang confederacy.
The R2R rivals include several opposing gang members including “Pistol Packin Pitkin” (PPP) in East New York and the “WOOO” and “CHOO” Folk Nation gangs whose territories are in neighboring Brownsville and Forever My Brothers (FMB), also located in Brownsville. Other rivals include the “Wortman Avenue Gangstas” (WAG), based out of the Linden Houses in East New York.
It is alleged that R2R members committed 10 shootings during the course of the conspiracy, including the following:
- It is alleged that on March 31, 2023, at approximately 3:45 p.m., a 14-year-old boy, a perceived R2R rival, was leaving his girlfriend’s 5th floor apartment at 626 Sutter Avenue as defendants Mikeem Echevarria and Javonte Jaime entered the elevator at that location and took it to the 5th floor. As the 14-year-old waited for the elevator, the defendants exited the elevator, chased the teen, and knocked him to the floor. The teen broke free, attempted to run away, and was shot twice in the left leg. The 14-year-old victim’s injury required a significant hospital stay which included surgery.
- It is alleged that on August 21, 2023, at approximately 3:15 p.m., defendant King Downing was in a bodega located at 640 Blake Avenue, with R2R members Quinn Parker, Jevonte James and another R2R member, when they observed Abdoulaye Ba, 24, and his brother, a known CHOO/Folk Nation gang member, near the front entrance of the bodega, looking inside. Upon seeing them, Downing allegedly pulled out a firearm and fired at the front entrance, striking the victim in the head. He was later pronounced dead. The murder weapon was later recovered during a search warrant execution from fellow R2R member Quinn Parker’s residence.
- It is alleged that on October 29, 2023, at approximately 2:25 p.m., defendant DeAnthony Ortiz left 585 Blake Avenue with three fellow R2R members and walked to the Van Dyke Houses in neighboring Brownsville, which is opposition WOOO territory. The defendants allegedly walked to the intersection of Powell Street and Dumont Avenue where Ortiz allegedly was captured on surveillance video pulling out a firearm and shooting diagonally across the intersection at two men who fled from the location. An innocent bystander, a 68-year-old woman on her way to the grocery store, was shot in the back. Her husband managed to remove the bullet, and she was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
- It is alleged that on November 5, 2024, at approximately 4:30 p.m., defendant Samuel Gaiter, along with other R2R members, were captured on surveillance video in the vicinity of Unity Plaza in R2R territory. Soon after they were captured on surveillance walking from there to 2181 Pitkin Avenue, the Fiorentino Houses, PPP territory. As they approached the area, it is alleged that an individual accompanying Gaiter walked closer to a group in the PPP area and signaled to Gaiter. Thereafter, it is alleged that Gaiter approached, pulled out a firearm, and shot into a group of people striking a 23-year-old in the right buttocks. The victim was treated at a local hospital.
- On April 20, 2025, at approximately 4:30 p.m., it is alleged that surveillance video captured Mikeem Echevarria and another individual leaving 131 Belmont Avenue. As they leave the building Echevarria allegedly pulled out a firearm and chased an unknown individual on a scooter. At the intersection of Belmont Avenue and Christopher Avenue, Echevarria allegedly fired shots in the direction of the person on the scooter and struck two moving vehicles. One vehicle, an Uber with a family in the rear seat, was struck through the windshield glass, hitting the front passenger headrest. The other vehicle was struck on the roof. No one was injured.
The investigation was conducted by the New York City Police Department Gun Violence Suppression Division.
The District Attorney thanked VCE Paralegal Tania Lopez and KCDA Digital Evidence Lab analyst Rianna Persaud, as well as the many other analysts and support staff for their assistance on the case.
The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorneys Omar T. Harding, Matthew Bolin and Katerina Kurteva, of the District Attorney’s Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Gillian DiPietro, Deputy Bureau Chief, and Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Cilia, First Deputy Bureau Chief, and Assistant District Attorney Alfred DeIngeniis, Bureau Chief.
An indictment is merely an accusation and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.
DEFENDANT ADDENDUM:
- King Downing, 18
- Mikeem Echevarria, 18
- Jevonte Jaime, 17
- Qvon Weaver, 19
- Quinn Parker, 19
- Deanthony Ortiz, 18
- Anthony Wilkinson, 20
- Korey George, 19
- Samuel Gaiter, 18