Kwasi Mack, Murder and Racketeering, New Jersey 2006

Kwasi Mack, the second-in-command of the New Jersey set of the Grape Street Crips street gang, was sentenced to 540 months in prison for his role in committing a murder, participating in numerous attempted murders, plots to kill a state witness and to kidnap a heroin trafficker, and conspiring to distribute heroin, all as part of a racketeering conspiracy.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, Mack admitted to committing the following violent acts in furtherance of the RICO conspiracy:

• In August 2006, Mack used two firearms simultaneously to kill a rival gang-member and, in the process, severely injured an individual who was with the rival.
• On Oct. 10, 2011, during an outdoor cookout, Mack used an assault rifle to attempt to kill a gang-member who had previously cooperated in a murder investigation and whose loyalty to the gang was in question. Mack shot eight individuals, at least two of whom suffered permanent or life-threatening injuries.
• After being charged by the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office with the Oct. 10, 2011, attempted murder, Mack was provided during the discovery process with the identity of the only witness against him. Mack ordered fellow gang-members to kill that witness. Gang-members took substantial steps to carry out Mack’s orders, but the murder never took place.
• In 2013, Mack and others planned to kidnap a major heroin-trafficker in order to rob him.
• On Oct. 5, 2013, Mack ordered the murder of a person identified in the indictment as “Victim-1.” On Oct. 27, 2013, following Mack’s orders, several gang-members repeatedly shot Victim-1 and Victim-4.
• On Oct. 7, 2013, Mack and others participated in the attempted murder of rival gang-members in retaliation for the murder of a fellow gang-member.

Mack also admitted to participating in a conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, possessing firearms in furtherance of the RICO and narcotics conspiracies, using minors to commit these offenses, and engaging in these offenses as a pattern of criminal conduct engaged in as a livelihood.

U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito credited special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Valerie A. Nickerson, and special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie, for the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Osmar J. Benvenuto and Barry Kamar of the Criminal Division, and Richard J. Ramsay of the Office’s Appeals Division in Newark.

This case was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/deputy-leader-violent-grape-street-crips-gang-sentenced-45-years-prison-murder-attempted