TJyon Preston, Murder and Multiple Shootings, Connecticut 2024

New Haven Gang Member TJyon Preston Admits to Murder, Other Shootings

A 21-year-old New Haven gang member has admitted to his role in a string of violent crimes, including murder and attempted murder, in a city plagued by gang violence.

TJyon Preston, also known as “TJ,” pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to a racketeering offense stemming from his role in the Exit 8 street gang. The gang, which has been at the center of a violent turf war in the city, has been linked to at least three murders and 16 attempted murders since June 2018.

According to court documents and statements made in court, the investigation revealed that Preston and other members of the Exit 8 gang engaged in drug trafficking, used and shared firearms, and committed acts of violence, including murder and attempted murder. The gang members also promoted, coordinated, facilitated, and celebrated their narcotics distribution and acts of violence through text messaging and the use of social media applications and websites, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube.

Preston pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity and specifically admitted to his role in the following violent acts:

• On April 27, 2021, Preston and other Exit 8 members attempted to kill a rival gang member and shot him in the leg.
• On May 19, 2021, Preston and other Exit 8 members conspired to kill rival gang members, including one who was shot and killed on that date by another Exit 8 member.
• On May 20, 2021, Preston and other Exit 8 members shot and attempted to kill rival gang members.
• On July 5, 2021, Preston and another Exit 8 member shot and killed a 22-year-old woman after she made a rap song containing derogatory comments about Exit 8.

At sentencing, which is not scheduled, Preston faces a maximum term of imprisonment of life. Under the terms of a binding plea agreement, if accepted by the court, the parties have agreed that a sentence of between 264 months and 360 months of imprisonment is appropriate in this case.

The investigation is being conducted by the 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.

TJyon Preston has been detained since September 9, 2021.

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