Members Of Coney Island Street Gang Indicted For Murder, Racketeering Conspiracy And Unlawful Use Of Firearms
Three defendants responsible for fatal shooting outside Mermaid Houses in Brooklyn
BROOKLYN, N.Y. - Four members and one associate of the West End Enterprise, a street gang based in three apartment complexes in Coney Island, New York, will be arraigned this afternoon in federal court in Brooklyn on an indictment charging them with crimes including murder in aid of racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, unlawful use of firearms, witness tampering and robbery. The 12-count superseding indictment relates to the defendants’ alleged criminal activities between 2011 and 2017. The defendants, Tysheen Cooper, also known as “Billz,” Maurice Washington, also known as “Moe” and “Flaco,” Sharod Liburd, also known as “Pop,” and Gabriale Herbert are scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Lois Bloom. The defendant Michael Liburd, also known as “Mike Mike” and “Mitty,” is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday, November 21, 2017, before Magistrate Judge Bloom.
As detailed in the superseding indictment and other filings, Cooper, Michael Liburd, Sharod Liburd and Washington were members of the West End Enterprise, a street gang composed of individuals residing in and around the Sea Rise Apartments, the Gravesend Houses and Surfside Gardens, also known as the “Mermaid Houses,” located in the western end of Coney Island. During that time, Cooper, Michael Liburd, Washington and other coconspirators allegedly engaged in narcotics distribution, witness intimidation and acts of violence, including retaliatory shootings against members of a rival gang, known as “Sex Money Murder,” and the January 17, 2016 murder of Antwon Flowers. Flowers was shot to death as he left an apartment building in the Mermaid Houses development in retaliation for the murder of a West End Enterprise leader, who had been killed in the East New York section of Brooklyn less than a day earlier. Herbert, Cooper and Sharod Liburd are also charged with a gun-point Hobbs Act robbery.
“As alleged, the defendants and other members of their street gang have subjected the residents of Coney Island to violent conduct, including murder, over a period of years,” stated Acting United States Attorney Rohde. “The indictment sends a clear message that this Office, together with our federal and local law enforcement partners, will use every available resource to rid our communities of gangs, and the crimes they commit, by prosecuting gang members to the fullest extent of the law.” Ms. Rohde extended her thanks to the U.S. Drug Enforcement (DEA), Group D-22 for its assistance in the investigation.
Bridget M. Rohde, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field (FBI), Mark G. Peters, Commissioner, New York City Department of (DOI), and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner, New York City Police (NYPD), announced the charges.
The charges in the superseding indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, the defendants each face a sentence of life imprisonment.
The superseding indictment is the fifth indictment in the government’s ongoing investigation into gang violence in Brooklyn’s Coney Island neighborhood. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Rena Paul and Mathew S. Miller are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendants: -
TYSHEEN (“Billz”)
Age: 26
Residence: Brooklyn, New York
GABRIALE HERBERT
Age: 20
Residence: Brooklyn, New York
MICHAEL (“Mike Mike” and “Mitty”)
Age: 27
Residence: Brooklyn, New York
SHAROD (“Pop”)
Age: 20
Residence: Brooklyn, New York
MAURICE (“Moe” and “Flaco”)
Age: 28
Residence: Brooklyn, New York
EDNY Docket No. 17-CR-(PKC)
