Nicholas Washington Arrested in 2005, 2006 Murders

Two innocent men gunned down in crossfire — one in 2005, one in 2006 — and now, finally, the man accused of ordering the hits is in federal custody. Nicholas Washington, also known as ‘Nicholas Hayes’ and ‘Face,’ was unsealed today on a four-count indictment charging him with two counts of murder in connection with his role as leader of the G’z Up gang, a violent Brooklyn-based crew that trafficked crack-cocaine and firearms across New York and Pennsylvania.

Washington, 32, of Brooklyn, New York, allegedly directed subordinates to kill a rival drug supplier in 2005. The hit went wrong — the intended target escaped, but Steven Negron, an innocent bystander, was struck and killed in the hail of gunfire near the Marcy Houses in Bedford-Stuyvesant. Then, in 2006, Washington is accused of orchestrating a second hit, this time targeting a man he believed killed his brother. Again, the bullets found the wrong victim: Andrell Napper, another civilian, was shot and killed.

Washington wasn’t arrested immediately. The indictment was handed down under seal by a federal grand jury on May 7, 2014, but Washington learned of the charges just two days later and vanished. He remained a fugitive for more than two years, evading federal law enforcement while living in the shadows of Brooklyn’s underground. His run ended on May 21, 2016, when New York City Police pulled him in over a non-fatal shooting tied to an incident on May 9, 2014. He now faces state charges in New York Supreme Court, Kings County, for attempted murder and related offenses.

It wasn’t until October 19, 2016, that Washington was transferred to federal custody to face the murder charges. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, alongside the FBI’s New York Field Office, announced the unsealing of the indictment with blunt resolve. ‘Nicholas Washington’s days as a fugitive are over,’ said United States Attorney Robert L. Capers. ‘He will now face charges for the two murders he ordered that tragically resulted in the deaths of two bystanders.’

FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney, Jr. didn’t mince words: ‘When gang members start pulling the trigger on their weapons, they’re not worried about the collateral damage they inflict. In this case, two innocent people were murdered for just simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time.’ Sweeney emphasized that Washington’s continued criminal behavior — including the 2014 shooting — ultimately led to his downfall.

Washington is scheduled for arraignment this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Robert M. Levy at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Allon Lifshitz and Melody Wells. E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 14-CR-266 (ILG). As with all federal charges, Washington is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. But the message from prosecutors is clear: no amount of time on the run erases the blood on your hands.

RELATED: Proud Boy & Texas Man Admit Capitol Riot Guilt

RELATED: Larson Indicted in Racially-Motivated Seattle Assault