Gabriel Pulliam, Murder and Drug Trafficking, Connecticut 2023

GABRIEL PULLIAM, 27, Charged with Murder and Drug Trafficking Offenses

A federal grand jury in Hartford has returned a 36-count indictment charging 16 Waterbury gang members with engaging in numerous violent criminal acts, including murder and attempted murder, as well as firearm possession and drug trafficking offenses.

The indictment alleges that the defendants, members of the 960 gang, distributed narcotics and engaged in multiple violent acts, including murder, attempted murder, and assault, as well as obstruction of justice. The violent acts allegedly committed by the defendants include:

On October 31, 2017, Justin Cabrera, a.k.a. ‘J.U.’, attempted to murder members of a rival gang, which resulted in gunshot wounds to an individual with the initials J.B.

On November 22, 2017, Zaekwon McDaniel, a.k.a. ‘Gap’ and ‘Yung Gap’, Malik Bayon, a.k.a. ‘Pop’ and ‘Dirt’, and Tahjay Love, a.k.a. ‘Goon’, murdered Clarence Lewis and Antonio Santos.

The indictment also alleges that the defendants were involved in several other violent acts, including attempted murders and assaults.

The defendants charged in the indictment are:

• GABRIEL PULLIAM, a.k.a. ‘G’, 27
• TAHJAY LOVE, a.k.a. ‘Goon’, 23
• ZAEEKWON McDANIEL, a.k.a. ‘Gap’ and ‘Yung Gap’, 23
• EZRA ALVES, a.k.a. ‘EJ’ and ‘Ezzy’, 21
• MALIK BAYON, a.k.a. ‘Pop’ and ‘Dirt’, 25
• D’ANDRE BURRUS, a.k.a. ‘Dopeman’, 27
• JUSTIN CABRERA, a.k.a. ‘J.U.’, 22
• LADERRICK JONES, a.k.a. ‘Lexus’, 29
• JAIVAUN McKNIGHT, a.k.a. ‘Sav’, 23
• JULIAN SCOTT, a.k.a. ‘Ju Sav’, 22
• DAYQUAIN SINISTERRA, a.k.a. ‘Quan’, 24
• AHMED ALVES, a.k.a. ‘Stones’, 23
• ADRIAN FLEMMING, a.k.a. ‘Big A’ and ‘Goldo’, 26
• JAMES GRAHAM, a.k.a. ‘Little Cuz’, 21
• TAVAUGHN WRIGHT, a.k.a. ‘Teddy’, 27
• DIMITRI BLANDING, 23

Pulliam, Love, McDaniel, Ezra Alves, Burrus, Jones, McKnight, Scott, Sinisterra, and Graham have been detained in state custody, and Flemming is currently serving a federal sentence for a related drug charge. Bayon, Cabrera, Wright, Blanding, and Ahmed Alves were arrested yesterday. Blanding was released on bond, and Bayon, Cabrera, Wright, and Alves are detained pending detention hearings that are scheduled beginning next week.

The indictment alleges that the defendants committed the crimes in Waterbury, Connecticut, and that the violent acts were related to gang activity.

The case is being investigated by the FBI, ATF, and Waterbury Police, and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut.

The indictment alleges that the defendants committed the following crimes:

• Conspiracy to commit murder
• Conspiracy to commit attempted murder
• Conspiracy to commit assault
• Conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice
• Conspiracy to commit firearm possession
• Conspiracy to commit drug trafficking

The indictment also alleges that the defendants committed the following crimes:

• Murder
• Attempted murder
• Assault
• Obstruction of justice
• Firearm possession
• Drug trafficking

The indictment was returned on September 14, 2023.

GABRIEL PULLIAM, 27, is currently detained in state custody.

The investigation is ongoing, and further charges are possible.

Waterbury, Connecticut, September 14, 2023

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