Hardy Boys (Criminal duo)

Last updated
Hardy Boys
Founded byWayne & Paul Hardy
Founding location New Orleans
Years active1988–1994
Territory Florida Projects (white-side)
EthnicityMostly African-American
Criminal activities Racketeering, extortion, money laundering, murder, robbery, drug trafficking
RivalsPoonie Crew (Black-side)

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 crooked officer Len Davis nicknamed the "Desire Terrorist," Davis ordered multiple hits, leading up to his conviction in 1996. The conviction resulted to a FBI sting "Operation Shattered Shield," in which became one of the most high-profile busts of a crooked cop in modern history. [1] [2] 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. [3] [4]

Contents

Overview

The Hardy Boys organization began sometime in the late-1980s with brothers Paul "Cool" Hardy and younger Wayne Hardy; both men were raised in New Orleans. The brothers recruited family members and close associates to traffic illegal narcotics from Los Angeles to New Orleans. Multiple officers from NOPD's 5th District including Len Davis, were paid-off in exchange for classified information. This made the organization invisible and powerful over other drug organizations at that time. From 1988 to 1994, the Hardy Boys flew under the radar as they committed various acts of crimes including several contract killings and robberies around the New Orleans Metropolitan. With drugs coming in from the West Coast and with the help of crooked cops, the brother was able take control over the drug trade in the Florida Housing Project in the early to mid-1990s.

Timeline of events and crimes committed

1988

• September 18 - At 6:21 p.m., in the 2300 block of Erato Street, Paul Hardy, riding in a 1982 Cutlass with brother Wayne, pulled up alongside another vehicle and shot through the door of the vehicle, with an assault rifle killing the passenger, Jerome Andrews.

1989

• July 29 - At 2:45 a.m., in the 2600 block of Congress Street, Wayne and Paul Hardy and Mitchell White went on a shooting spree that resulted in the death of Michael Handy and wounding four others in the Florida Projects. Victims were transported to the emergency room of a local hospital and was shot at as they was being wheeled inside the hospital for treatment. In September, 1989 Paul, Wayne and White were indicted by a grand jury for the death of Handy. In 1990 there were found innocent of first-degree murder and released.

1990

September - Wayne Hardy is wanted for robbery after snatching a women's earrings off at Skate City Roller Rink. [5]

1992

• August 1 - Ulsiee White is shot to death in the 2800 block of Amelia street near the intersection of Clara Street. Authorities arrived 6 p.m. and found White dead on the sidewalk with gunshot wound to the head. Wayne Hardy was ruled as a suspect and booked with White's murder. He was later released. [6]

• August 30 - Joe Strawder is shot to death in the 600 block of N Elm Street in Metairie, Louisiana. Authorities later charged Lionel Hardy and Wayne Harder with the Strawder slaying. According to police Lionel Hardy ordered Wayne Hardy to kill Strawder for money he owed. Lionel and Wayne were both indicted for the murder in 1993. [7]

1994

• March - Turf war between Dan "Poonie" Bright's crew and the Hardy Boys began in the Florida Projects.

• April 22 - at approximately 2:10 a.m. in front of 1416 S. Johnson street, Paul Hardy had Corey Richardson murdered in order to keep him quiet after Corey Richardson, pursuant to Paul Hardy's orders. Richardson, was shot twice in the head and once through the neck.

• September 30 - at approximately 7:45 p.m., at 2515 Alvar Street, Paul Hardy murdered Carlos Adams, shooting him multiple times. Adams died at the scene. • October 6 - Paul Hardy asked Len Davis, for the names of two individuals who had allegedly stolen his Jeep Cherokee, with telling Len Davis that, "I'm going to kill them bitches."

• October 12 - at approximately 12:08 a.m., in the 2500 block of Mazant Street Shawn King and Troy Watts were murdered by Paul Hardy who used 223. assault weapon and .9mm pistol.

• October 13 - Davis paged Paul Hardy and orders a hit on Kim Groves, who witnessed him pistol whipping her nephew. Groves filed a complaint against Davis with the NOPD's internal affairs office, alleging that Davis engaged in police brutality. Davis learned about the complaint a day before. Davis arranged to meet Hardy and Damon Causey at the police station to view photos of homicide cases. Davis then drove to Groves' neighborhood in their NOPD patrol car and searched for her. Davis and his partner Sammie Williams picked up Hardy at his home and drove back to Groves' neighborhood so that Hardy could walk around. At approximately 10:00 p.m., Davis and Williams spotted Groves near her home. Davis paged Hardy. When Hardy called Davis back, Davis described Groves' appearance. Hardy replied he was “on the way.” Williams's shift ended at that point, and he left Davis with the patrol car. About 45 minutes later, Davis called Hardy again and described Groves' clothing and location in detail. Hardy, along with Causey and a driver, went to Groves' neighborhood in the Lower 9th Ward. Hardy then shot Groves in the head, killing her.

• October 20 - Paul Hardy and Damon Causey planned to conduct a shooting spree on the "black side" of the Florida Housing Projects which was controlled by the rival Poonie Crew. Paul Hardy and Causey contacted Len Davis, in order to confirm that no legitimate police officers were patrolling the area in which Paul Hardy intended to commit the shooting.

• October 29 - Paul Hardy informed Len Davis he was going to kill Poonie and his associates for harassing his girlfriend.

• November 7 - Paul Hardy asked Len Davis for the addresses of the mother and grandmother of Dan "Poonie" Bright in order to plan a shooting against Bright. [8]

• December 5 - Paul Hardy, Damon Causey, and Davis is arrested for the murder of Kim Groves. Davis would later be charged with ordering 13 killings of witnesses who filed complaints against him. Federal authorities suspends officers recruited by Davis.

1996

• January 18 - Wayne and a woman are both shot to death in a car on S Carrollton and Tulane avenue. [9]

• April 26 - Paul Hardy and Davis is convicted and receives a life sentence for the murder of Kim Groves.

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">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 is currently incarcerated at the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women in St. Gabriel, Louisiana, the only woman on the state's death row.

Tab Virgil Jr. better known by his stage name Turk, is an American rapper from New Orleans, Louisiana. He is best known for his late 1990s run at Birdman's Cash Money Records with the group the Hot Boys.

<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 also the last conventional public housing development constructed in New Orleans and 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.

Richard Pennington served as Superintendent of the New Orleans Police Department in New Orleans, Louisiana from 1994 to 2002 and Chief of the Atlanta Police Department in Atlanta, Georgia from 2002 to 2010.

<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. The department's jurisdiction covers all of Orleans Parish, while the city is divided into eight police districts.

<i>Treme</i> (TV series) American drama television series

Treme is an American drama television series created by David Simon and Eric Overmyer that aired on HBO. The series premiered on April 11, 2010, and concluded on December 29, 2013, comprising four seasons and 36 episodes. The series features an ensemble cast including Khandi Alexander, Rob Brown, Chris Coy, Kim Dickens, India Ennenga, John Goodman, Michiel Huisman, Melissa Leo, Lucia Micarelli, David Morse, Clarke Peters, Wendell Pierce, Jon Seda and Steve Zahn, as well as musical performances by several New Orleans-based artists.

<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 apartments was known for crime and was one of the oldest and most troubled apartments 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 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. 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.

The Byrd Gang also known as the Piff Gang, 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">George Floyd protests in Louisiana</span> 2020 civil unrest after the murder of George Floyd

This is a list of George Floyd protests in Louisiana, United States.

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.

References

  1. ↑ "9 New Orleans Police Officers Are Indicted in U.S. Drug Case". Associated Press. December 8, 1994 – via NYTimes.com.
  2. ↑ Times-Picayune, Brendan McCarthy, The. "Hit man who killed Kim Groves in 1994 is sentenced to life in prison". NOLA.com.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ↑ "Search Results | NOLA.com Archives". nola.newsbank.com.
  4. ↑ "ARCHIVE About The Hardy Boys". Dawn DeDEAUX.
  5. ↑ "Search Results | NOLA.com Archives". nola.newsbank.com.
  6. ↑ "Search Results | NOLA.com Archives". nola.newsbank.com.
  7. ↑ "Search Results | NOLA.com Archives". nola.newsbank.com.
  8. ↑ "United States v. Davis, 912 F. Supp. 938 (E.D. La. 1996)". Justia Law.
  9. ↑ "Search Results | NOLA.com Archives". nola.newsbank.com.
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.