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Brockton Men Charged with Gun Crime in Ongoing Gang War
Renaldo Wilson, a/k/a Nardo, 30, and Aaron Heywood, a/k/a Young, 30, two Brockton men, were indicted yesterday for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The indictment is the result of a federal, state, and local investigation aimed at reducing violence and drug trafficking in the Brockton area.
The indictment alleges that Wilson and Heywood, both convicted felons, were in possession of a firearm. Federally authorized wiretap evidence demonstrated that an ongoing ‘beef’ between Wilson and Heywood, members of the ‘Eastside’ gang, and rival members of the ‘Exchange Street’ gang, was about to escalate into a shooting.
A court filing revealed that Wilson and Heywood were in a heated confrontation with a rival gang leader. They discussed the gang war, which stemmed from the unsolved murder of two gang associates in the summer of 2011. Following this conversation, Wilson called his gang associates and warned them of the ‘beef.’ Wilson spoke about the beef and then asked an associate about obtaining bullets for a gun.
Law enforcement intervened and Wilson and Heywood were arrested during a motor vehicle stop, in which the firearm was seized. If convicted, Wilson and Heywood each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz praised the law enforcement efforts that led to the arrest of the two men. ‘These arrests represent the ongoing commitment of local, state, and federal authorities to work together to reduce street violence in Brockton,’ she said. ‘The recent increase in violence will not be tolerated, and this investigation demonstrates that the combined efforts of law enforcement to reduce this violence are paying off.’
The case is being prosecuted by Glenn A. MacKinlay in Ortiz’s Organized Crime Strike Force Unit. Wilson and Heywood have extensive criminal histories, and their arrest is seen as a major victory in the fight against gang violence in Brockton.
Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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