New Haven Gang Member Admits to Murder and Racketeering Charge
Donell Allick Jr., also known as “D-Nice,” 25, of New Haven, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to a racketeering offense related to his participation in a violent New Haven street gang and the murder of an individual in September 2022.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Allick and other members of the Exit 8 gang engaged in drug trafficking, used and shared firearms, and, since June 2018, have committed at least three murders and 16 attempted murders. The Exit 8 gang is named after the geographic area accessed by exiting Interstate 91 at Exit 8 in New Haven. Recently, younger members of Exit 8 are identifying themselves with the word “Honcho,” which is derived from the street name of an Exit 8 member who was murdered on Quinnipiac Avenue in February 2020.
Allick pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity, including acts of violence, narcotics trafficking, and gun sales, and specifically admitted that, on September 16, 2022, he and others shot Kenneth Cloud, 46, who was sitting on the porch of an Atwater Street residence in New Haven. The victim was paralyzed as a result of the shooting and died approximately three months later. Forty-three shell casings were found at the scene of the shooting. Ballistics analysis revealed that 19 had been fired from a handgun later found in Allick’s vehicle, and 24 had been fired from a handgun later found inside Allick’s residence.
Allick has been detained since his arrest on November 10, 2022. On July 15, 2024, he was sentenced to 115 months of imprisonment in a separate federal case. At sentencing, which is not scheduled, Allick faces a maximum term of imprisonment of life.
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 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.
Donell Allick Jr., 25, of New Haven, faces a maximum term of imprisonment of life for conspiracy to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity, including acts of violence, narcotics trafficking, and gun sales. Allick has been detained since his arrest on November 10, 2022.
Key Facts
- State: Connecticut
- Category: Violent Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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