United States Drug Enforcement Administration

HARTFORD, Conn. - Michael J. Ferguson Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England and Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that two Hartford men who were involved in a gang-related narcotics trafficking ring were sentenced this week in New Haven federal court.  On June 8, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Alker Meyer sentenced Gabriel Horace Williams-Bey, a.k.a. “G Money,” “Money” and “Mugga,” 27, to 96 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release.  On June 9, Judge Meyer sentenced Shaqille Brown, a.k.a. “Shaq,” 23, to 18 months of imprisonment for violating his supervised release.

According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from a year-long joint law enforcement investigation headed by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force, which includes the Hartford Police Department, into narcotics trafficking by members and associates of WestHell street gang, and gang-related violent activity.  The investigation, which included the use of court-authorized wiretaps, controlled purchases of narcotics and physical surveillance, identified Melkuan Scott, also known as “Young God,” “Mel,” “Young” and “YG,” as the leader of the WestHell street gang who, along with several associates, distributed crack cocaine in the Westland Street area of Hartford.  In March 2014, Williams-Bey supplied crack cocaine to Scott.  Williams-Bey’s criminal history includes multiple state narcotics convictions and a state firearms conviction.  He was on state probation at time of this offense.

On April 24, 2014, a grand jury returned a 52-count indictment charging Scott, Williams-Bey, Brown and 22 others with various offenses.  Williams-Bey eluded capture for more than two months before he was arrested on June 30, 2014.  On May 5, 2015, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine (“crack”).  He has been detained since his arrest.  On December 23, 2014, Brown pleaded guilty to one count of using a telephone to facilitate the distribution of crack cocaine and, on August 24, 2015, he was sentenced to five years of probation.  Brown had been detained from May 2014 until the date of his sentencing.  As a condition of probation, Judge Meyer ordered Brown to take part in mental health counseling and drug treatment.  In early October 2015, Brown missed a mental health treatment session and failed to notify the U.S. Probation Office that he had moved out of his apartment.  On October 14, 2015, Hartford Police stopped a car in which Brown was a passenger.  The driver of the car, a convicted felon, possessed a distribution quantity of crack cocaine, and a search of the car revealed a loaded handgun with an obliterated serial number.  Brown, who admitted that he had handled the firearm, was arrested and subsequently sentenced in state court to 18 months of imprisonment.  Yesterday, Judge Meyer sentenced Brown to 18 months of imprisonment, followed by six months in a halfway house, for violating the conditions of his supervised release.  Brown will begin serving his federal sentence when he completes his state sentence.  On March 21, 2016, Melkuan Scott was sentenced to 13 years of imprisonment.

This matter has been investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force, U.S. Marshals Service and Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation Division.  The FBI Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction.  The Hartford Police Department’s Vice and Narcotics Squad, Major Crimes Unit and Shooting Task Force are providing valuable assistance to the investigation, and the Capitol Region Emergency Response (CREST) assisted with the arrest of certain defendants.