D-Block Boys

Last updated

D-Block Boys
Founded2003 New Orleans
Founding location Algiers, New Orleans
Years active2004-2017
EthnicityPrimarily African American
Criminal activities Drug trafficking, prostitution, murder, theft
AlliesFischer Fools

The D-Block Boys, also known as DBG, was an African-American drug ring operating in Algiers, New Orleans, Louisiana. The gang has been involved in criminal activity including drug trafficking and murder. According to NOPD, The "D-Block Gang" has a history of violations, along with involvement in violent crimes. [1] This gang is not to be confused with the Dumaine Street Gang operating out of the 6th Ward of New Orleans, which is also called D'Block.

Contents

Overview

The gang formed in the Algiers neighborhood by teenagers who lived in the DeGaulle Manor Public Housing Complex, and the Fischer Projects. The name derived from the apartments which were nicknamed "D-Block." The D-Block clique have been tied to several homicides, most of which were between 2005 and 2007. [2] [ failed verification ] NOPD's Fourth District police have been tracking the gang since the mid-2000s as they distributed heroin and cocaine out of abandoned units in the DeGaulle Manor apartments, the base of their operation. Investigators stated the D-Block gang had access to high-powered assault rifles, which they used in deadly conflicts with rival drug organizations. NOPD linked the gang to nine homicides in the Algiers area and five in Jefferson Parish from 2004 to 2006. [3] In 2011 the Federal Bureau of Investigation listed the gang as a threat. [4] In 2017, three members were arrested on Westpark Court in a raid for possession of a firearm while in possession of illegal narcotics, possession of a stolen firearm and possession with the intent to distribute heroin and marijuana, as well as a felon being in possession of a firearm. During the search, detectives confiscated multiple firearms, 31 individually wrapped clear bags of a white powder substance later determined to be heroin, 36 individually wrapped clear bags of marijuana, cash and other items. [5]

2006 investigation

The events leading up to the investigation began in the summer of 2005. NOPD linked the gruesome slaying of two Avondale cousins to the D-Block gang. The decomposed bodies were discovered on May 8 in DeGaulle Manor, inside the trunk of a car. Both men were tied up with gunshot wounds to the head. Homicide detectives did not have enough physical evidence to charge them. [6] In July, three members; Jamal Brooks, Hyran Brooks and Nicholas Wix were charged with first-degree murder for another double homicide, which took place on June 27. The slayings in June were that of a man and woman. According to authorities, the two were killed inside their home in the 1600 block of Murl Street after it was sprayed with more than 20 bullets; they were not the intended targets for the attack. [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Algiers, New Orleans</span> 15th Ward of New Orleans

Algiers is a historic neighborhood of New Orleans and is the only Orleans Parish community located on the West Bank of the Mississippi River. Algiers is known as the 15th Ward, one of the 17 Wards of New Orleans. It was once home to many jazz musicians and is also the second oldest neighborhood in the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Latin Kings</span> Hispanic and Latino street gang based in Chicago, Illinois, United States

The Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation is a gang active primarily in the United States as well as internationally. The gang was founded by Puerto Ricans in Chicago, Illinois, in 1954. The Latin Kings are one of the largest Hispanic and Latino street and prison gangs worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antoinette Frank</span> American former police officer on death row

Antoinette Renee Frank is a former officer of the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) who, on March 4, 1995, committed a violent armed robbery at a restaurant which resulted in the killing of two members of the Vietnamese-American family who ran the establishment, and fellow NOPD officer Ronald A. Williams II. She was aided by her probable lover, drug dealer Rogers Lacaze. Frank has been incarcerated since 1995 at the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women in St. Gabriel, Louisiana, the only woman on the state's death row.

OVS is a Mexican American (Chicano) gang from Ontario, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fischer Projects</span> Former housing project in Algiers, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

The William J. Fischer Housing Development, better known as the Fischer Projects, was a housing project in Algiers, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. It was known notoriously for a series of high-profile murders in the 1970s and 1980s. It was the last conventional public housing development constructed in New Orleans, and one of the first to begin demolition. It originally consisted of a 13-floor high-rise and fourteen 3-floor units. The area has been undergoing redevelopment since about 2004 and currently none of the original low-rise buildings remain. The development is located along Whitney Avenue in the Algiers area of the city's west bank, which is part of the 15th Ward and is named for William J. Fischer who served as chairman of HANO in the 1950s. The property is now converted to a small low-income housing development.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Orleans Police Department</span> Municipal police department in Louisiana, U.S.

The New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) has primary responsibility for law enforcement in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. The department's jurisdiction covers all of Orleans Parish, while the city itself is divided into eight police districts.

Ivory Brandon Harris, known as B-Stupid, is a gangster from New Orleans, Louisiana, United States who gained notoriety when police accused him of committing murders in Houston and New Orleans. After a 2006 arrest and 2007 plea deal, he is in a Federal Bureau of Prisons prison as of 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danziger Bridge shootings</span> 2005 police killings in New Orleans, Louisiana

On the morning of September 4, 2005, six days after Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, members of the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD), ostensibly responding to a call from an officer under fire, shot and killed two civilians at the Danziger Bridge: 17-year-old James Brissette and 40-year-old Ronald Madison. Four other civilians were wounded. All the victims were African-American. None were armed or had committed any crime. Madison, a mentally disabled man, was shot in the back. The shootings caused public anger and further eroded the community's trust in the NOPD and the federal response to Hurricane Katrina overall.

Henry Glover was an African American resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, who was shot to death on September 2, 2005. Glover's charred body was later found in a destroyed Chevrolet Malibu parked on a Mississippi River levee near a police station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magnolia Shorty</span> American rapper (1982–2010)

Renetta Yemika Lowe-Bridgewater, known by the stage name Magnolia Shorty, was an American rapper in the New Orleans–based bounce music scene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DeGaulle Manor</span> Former housing project in Algiers, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

DeGaulle Manor was a federally subsidized public housing complex in the Algiers neighborhood of New Orleans. The apartment complex was known for crime and was one of the oldest and most troubled apartment complexes in the city before being shut down in 2012. It later became a dumping ground for trash and in 2014, became a work of art as it was transformed into a graffiti display.

The Byrd Gang also known as the Piff Gang or “M3”, is a criminal organization located in New Orleans, Louisiana. Detectives with New Orleans Police Department's Multi-Agency Gang unit previously described the Byrd Gang as "one of the most murderous gangs in town." The gang has a long history of violence which has made them gain notoriety among other gangs in the city.

Len Davis is a former New Orleans police officer. He was convicted of depriving civil rights through murder by conspiring with an assassin to kill a local resident.

The "39ers gang," is a “hybrid” force of the Upper 9th Ward's G-Strip gang and 3-N-G, a notorious Central City drug clan named for its stronghold around Third and Galvez streets. Several of the alleged members also hailed from the Florida housing development. The gangs combined forces in early 2010 to press for control of the heroin trade in both areas, federal prosecutors allege, often through bloodshed against associates of rival gangs, such as "Ride or Die gang" from the 8th Ward of New Orleans and gangs associated with the former Calliope and Desire Projects. The gang is also held accountable for the double 2010 homicide in which the famous rapper Magnolia Shorty was killed. Authorities have connected the 39ers to over 45 murders.

The Metz Gang was a notorious drug ring founded by Glenn Metz and his brother Cordell "Jethro" Metz; Glenn Metz is currently serving life in prison. From 1985 to mid–1992, The Metz Gang distributed approximately 1,000 kilograms of cocaine in the New Orleans metropolitan area and, in furtherance of the conspiracy, committed murders, attempted murders, and other violent crimes. In 1993, Metz, his wife, and several of his henchmen were convicted and charged in a 22 count indictment with various charges arising from a narcotics conspiracy. In 2016, President Barack Obama commuted the life sentence of Danielle Metz, wife of Glenn Metz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hells Angels MC criminal allegations and incidents in California</span>

Numerous police and international intelligence agencies classify the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club as a motorcycle gang and contend that members carry out widespread violent crimes, including drug dealing, trafficking in stolen goods, gunrunning, extortion, and prostitution rings. Members of the organization have continuously asserted that they are only a group of motorcycle enthusiasts who have joined to ride motorcycles together, to organize social events such as group road trips, fundraisers, parties, and motorcycle rallies, and that any crimes are the responsibility of the individuals who carried them out and not the club as a whole.

Joseph "Joe Joe" Rideau and Christopher "Chris" Rideau, were well known criminals from New Orleans, Louisiana. Authorities said the brothers terrorized the streets of New Orleans and built a reputation as brazen gangsters. For years the duo was implicated in a host of crimes, but they were rarely convicted because of reluctant witnesses and missing evidence that doomed cases. In 2001 the brother's crime sprees would come to an end after a violent standoff in which the elder brother Joseph was killed. The wild incident made national headlines in the media. Christopher was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in the incident and was released from prison in 2010 with time off for good behavior. In 2011, he was viciously gunned down in New Orleans.

FnD gang was a small violent drug organization in the Seventh Ward of New Orleans. The Frenchmen and Derbigny gang, or "FnD," operated from 2006 through 2013. The gang was most notable for the 2013 Mothers Day mass shooting that left 20 people wounded. The shooting made national headlines which led to a massive indictment on the gang in 2014.

The Hardy Boys was a criminal duo composed of brothers Wayne and Paul "Cool" Hardy. The brothers were implicated in a host of crimes including the slaying of Kim Groves in 1994. The slaying gained national media coverage due to the involvement of crooked officer Len Davis nicknamed the "Desire Terrorist," Davis ordered multiple hits, leading up to his conviction in 1996. The conviction resulted in an FBI sting "Operation Shattered Shield," which became one of the most high-profile busts of a crooked cop in modern history. In 1990, video maker and artist Dawn DeDeaux published documentaries titled "Urban Warrior Scrapbook" and "Drive By Shooting," documenting the violent life of Wayne and brother Paul Hardy during the height of their violent run.

References

  1. ↑ "3 'D Block Gang' members arrested in Algiers bust: NOPD". Nola.com. November 10, 2017. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
  2. ↑ Brian Friedman (April 15, 2007). "Panel notes spike in Algiers violent crime - Police optimistic cases to be solved". The Times-Picayune.
  3. ↑ "Algiers Gang Responsible for Rash of Shootings and Killings by Leo Williams - Issuu". February 5, 2023.
  4. ↑ "2011 National Gang Threat Assessment". Federal Bureau of Investigation.
  5. ↑ "D Block Gang Members Arrested for Drug Charges on Westpark Court - NOPD News". Archived from the original on June 3, 2020. Retrieved December 17, 2017.
  6. ↑ "Men found dead in trunk identified". nola.newsbank.com. May 11, 2005.
  7. ↑ "Third man arrested in Algiers deaths". The Times-Picayune. July 24, 2005.
  8. ↑ "State Of Louisiana v. Cornell Williams" (PDF). Justia. 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 9, 2018.
  9. ↑ Allen Powell (April 21, 2006). "Fourth suspect identified in June double homicide". The Times-Picayune.
  10. ↑ "5 men arrested as police raid Algiers complex- NOLA.com". Archived from the original on May 9, 2007. Retrieved May 9, 2007.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.