United States Drug Enforcement Administration

NEW YORK - James J. Hunt, Special Agent-in-Charge of the DEA’s New York Division, Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Angel M. Melendez, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security (HSI), Ashan M. Benedict, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and (ATF), and James P. O’Neill, the Commissioner of the New York City Police (NYPD), announced that Dominick Sherland, a/k/a “D-Nick,” was charged yesterday in a superseding indictment with the murder of Jeffrey Delmore, who was stabbed to death on May 15, 2010, at the age of 15. 

Sherland, along with 62 others, was originally charged on April 27, 2016, with racketeering conspiracy, narcotics conspiracy, and firearms offenses in connection with his membership in the “Big Money Bosses” (BMB), a violent street gang that operated primarily on White Plains Road from 215th Street to 233rd Street in the Bronx. 

DEA SAC James J. Hunt said “Drug trafficking and violent crime are synonymous with gang activity. It is not surprising that additional crimes were unearthed as a result of last year’s massive gang takedown targeting the 2Fly YGZ and the BMB. What are shocking and appalling are casualties of this gang war, including the murder of a teenage boy whose identity was mistaken.” 

Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said “As alleged, Dominick Sherland mistook 15-year-old Jeffrey Delmore for a gang rival, and stabbed him to death in defense of gang turf. This brutal and senseless murder ended a young life. Thanks to the outstanding work of our law enforcement partners, we are one step closer to providing Jeffrey Delmore’s family with the justice they deserve.”
HSI SAC Angel Melendez said “Dominick Sherland is already facing trial for a slew of charges including narcotics distribution and racketeering, and now he faces charges of murder for allegedly stabbing a 15-year-old boy to death as he pled for his life. The alleged heinous act of this individual certifies that our unrelenting efforts to crack down on gang activity and the ensuing violence are necessary, and HSI and its partners will not waiver in that resolve.” 

ATF SAC Ashan M. Benedict said “The members of BMB, including the defendant, terrorized the streets of the Northern Bronx, committing numerous wanton acts of violence. The alleged homicide of an innocent victim mistaken as a member of a rival gang highlights the depth of the defendant’s alleged depravity and the senselessness of the violence the defendant and his criminal associates allegedly brought to the streets. Today’s charges demonstrate that our investigation has not stopped, and that we will continue to hold these gang members accountable to ensure they face justice for all the crimes they are alleged to have committed.”      

According to the Superseding Indictment[1] and other documents filed in the case, as well as public proceedings in this case:

BMB was a subset of the “Young Bosses,” or “YBz” street gang, which operates throughout New York City. Between 2007 and 2016, members and associates of BMB committed numerous acts of violence against rival gang members in the Bronx - including murders, attempted murders, and armed robberies - and sold crack cocaine and marijuana.  

Sherland was a member of BMB. On May 15, 2010, Sherland and a group of other BMB members encountered a group of people in the vicinity of Gun Hill Road in the Bronx who the BMB members believed were members of the rival 2Fly (2Fly) gang, which was based at the Eastchester Gardens public housing development. The BMB members mistook Delmore for a member of 2Fly. Sherland stabbed Delmore to death as Delmore pled for his life.

Sherland, 25, of Bronx, New York, was arrested on April 27, 2016, and has been detained pending trial. In the superseding indictment, he is charged with murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; racketeering conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; narcotics conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison; possessing a firearm during the narcotics conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, which must run consecutively to any other sentence imposed; and discharging a firearm during the racketeering conspiracy, which carries a maximum of sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison, which must run consecutively to any other sentence imposed.  The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the judge. Sherland is scheduled for trial on November 6, 2017 before United States District Judge Alison J. Nathan.
Sherland was arrested in this case as a result of a multi-year investigation by the DEA, the Bronx Gang Squad of the NYPD, the HSI Violent Gang Unit, and the Joint Firearms Task Force of ATF into gang violence in the Northern Bronx. On April 27, 2016, Indictment S2 15 Cr. (AJN) was unsealed, charging 63 members and associates of BMB, including Sherland, with racketeering conspiracy, narcotics conspiracy, narcotics distribution, and firearms charges. To date, 49 of these defendants have pled guilty. Also on April 27, 2016, Indictment S1 16 Cr. (LAK) was unsealed, charging 57 members of 2Fly with the same offenses.  To date, 54 of these defendants have pled guilty.

Mr. Kim praised the outstanding work of the DEA, NYPD’s 49th Precinct Detective Squad, the NYPD’s Bronx Gang Squad, HSI, ATF, and the Department of Investigation, NYCHA Inspector General’s Office. He also thanked the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office for their ongoing support in this investigation.

This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit.  Assistant United States Attorneys Rachel Maimin, Micah W.J. Smith, Hagan Scotten, Jessica Feinstein, and Drew Johnson-Skinner are in charge of the prosecution.
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[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the descriptions of the Indictment constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.