New Haven Gang Member TJyon Preston Admits to Role in Murders

New Haven Gang Member TJyon Preston Admits to Role in Murders

A 21-year-old New Haven gang member has pleaded guilty to a racketeering offense stemming from his role in a violent street gang, admitting to participating in three murders and 16 attempted murders. TJyon Preston, also known as “TJ,” pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven.

The investigation, led by the ATF, FBI, DEA, and New Haven Police Department, revealed that Preston and other members of the Exit 8 gang engaged in drug trafficking, used and shared firearms, and committed violent acts in an ongoing gang war between Exit 8 and rival gangs in the Hill section and other areas of the city.

Preston pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity, specifically admitting to participating 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.

Preston faces a maximum term of imprisonment of life, but under the terms of a binding plea agreement, a sentence of between 264 months and 360 months is considered appropriate.

This investigation is part of the Justice Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Longevity, and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs. The goal of these programs is to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.