Devin Suggs, Conspiracy to Engage in a Pattern of Racketeering Activity, Connecticut 2024

Devastating Gang Violence in New Haven Takes a Dark Turn

Devin Suggs, a 20-year-old New Haven resident known as ‘JB,’ has been handed down a 168-month prison sentence, followed by three years of supervised release, for his involvement in a violent New Haven street gang and several gang-related shootings.

The ATF, FBI, DEA, and New Haven Police Department, working closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office, have been investigating an ongoing gang war between members and associates of the Exit 8 street gang and rival gangs in the Hill section and other areas of the city.

The investigation revealed that Suggs and other members of the Exit 8 gang engaged in drug trafficking, used and shared firearms, and committed at least three murders and 16 attempted murders since June 2018. Exit 8 members and associates also stole vehicles, at times from outside of the state, and used those stolen vehicles when committing acts of violence.

On February 20, 2024, Suggs pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity, and specifically admitted that he took part in five shootings between April 2021 and January 2023. The shootings resulted in multiple injuries, including a rival gang member being shot in the leg, another being shot in the leg and torso, and one victim being shot in the back and another in the leg.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Suggs and other Exit 8 members stole an SUV in Scarsdale, New York, and later that day, he and Exit 8 member Nyzaire Barnes committed a drive-by shooting of a rival gang member in New Haven. The victim was shot in the head, but survived the attack.

This investigation is being conducted by ATF, the FBI, the DEA, the New Haven Police Department, the Hamden Police Department, and the New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police and the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tara E. Levens, Rahul Kale, and Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis.

This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Longevity and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.

PSN is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities, directly engaging with members of groups prone to violence.

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