Gang Linked to Four Shootings in Last 10 Months

Charges Include Murder of 32-Year-Old Man, Attempted Murder of Police Officer

Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal today announced first-degree criminal charges against 16 alleged members and associates of the “Get Money Boys” or “GMB,” a violent street gang linked to multiple shootings, including the December 2019 murder of Michael Barnes, a 32-year-old Trenton man, and the February 2020 attempted murder of a police officer.

Fifteen GMB members and associates, including its alleged leader, Charles Willis, 27, are charged with first-degree racketeering, and 10 GMB members, including Willis, are charged with either murder, attempted murder, or conspiracy to commit murder. As alleged in court documents, Willis and GMB engaged in violent criminal conduct in furtherance of their heroin and cocaine distribution activities in the area of the Oakland Street Apartments in Trenton.

GMB Members have been charged in connection with the following shootings:

• Sept. 17, 2019 Shooting.  Shaiquan Hearns, 21, is charged with attempted murder for allegedly shooting a man in the leg in the early morning hours of Sept. 17, 2019 on Lamberton Street in Trenton.

• Dec. 27, 2019 Murder of Michael Barnes.  Michael Barnes, 32, was shot in the face on Commonwealth Avenue in Trenton on the night of Dec. 27.  Davion Fenderson, 25, is charged with the murder, and Willis, Hearns, Bobby Hood, 28, and Jayshawn Fisher, 26, are charged with conspiracy to commit murder.

• Feb. 12, 2020 Shooting of Civilians and Attempted Murder of Police Officer.  On Feb. 12, GMB members allegedly shot at two men, causing them to crash their car.  When a police officer pursued the GMB members, they allegedly fired at him.  He was not hit.  Hearns, Dion Battle, 28, and Yahonatan Salter, 28 were charged on Feb. 12 with attempted murder in the shooting involving the officer. Those men and Willis are now charged with attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the shooting involving the two civilian victims.

• May 1, 2020 Shooting. On the night of May 1, 2020, five GMB members allegedly opened fire on a group of individuals on Sanhican Drive in Trenton, wounding two men.  Willis, Hood, David Williams, 28, Shawn Anderson, 21, and Zaire Jackson, 24, are charged with attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder in that shooting.

“Gang violence has taken the lives of too many young people in Trenton, and the Get Money Boys have been a major contributor to that violence,” said Attorney General Grewal. “We will continue doing everything we can to make our capital city safe for its residents.”

“But we also know that arrests alone won’t stop the cycle of gang involvement, violence, and incarceration,” continued Attorney General Grewal. “That is why we plan to work closely with the community in the coming months to develop programs that have the power to turn young people away from the false glamor of gang life and show them a healthy and positive path forward.”

“Through this collaborative investigation, we charged 16 alleged members and associates of this violent gang with first-degree charges carrying lengthy prison sentences,” said Director Veronica Allende of the Division of Criminal Justice. “Each time we take down a dangerous gang like this one, we make Trenton safer for residents and for the law enforcement officers who work heroically every day to protect them.”

“These individuals have threatened Trenton’s hard working, law abiding citizens with their guns and drugs for too long.  They pose a danger to the entire community, not just gang members, and I am extremely proud of the collective efforts and hard work of all of the agencies involved in this investigation,” Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri said.  “My office will continue to work with state and local law enforcement to arrest and prosecute those assaulting our cities with acts of violence.  We also intend to work with Attorney General Grewal and the community to cultivate programs and solutions that will give our youth population an alternative to gangs, drugs and violence.”

“Street gangs like the Get Money Boys tear apart communities through their drug trade, violence, and murder, and by actively recruiting impressionable young people,” said Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. “Our involvement will not stop with these arrests. We will continue to work cooperatively with our partners in the community to develop programs that present positive alternatives for the youth of our capital city.”

The complaint charging Willis with conspiracy to murder Michael Barnes alleges that in 2019, Willis and other GMB members began targeting Barnes and that Willis threatened Barnes’ life on social media.  It further alleges that Willis ordered GMB members to actively hunt for Barnes and kill him.  It is alleged that Fenderson committed the murder at Willis’s direction on Dec. 27, 2019.

When Willis was arrested at his home on June 2, 2020 in Willingboro with his girlfriend, Daysha M. Brown, 24, detectives seized a defaced firearm – which allegedly was within access of a toddler who lives in the home – and an illegal large capacity magazine.  Willis and Brown were each charged with second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, fourth-degree possession of a defaced firearm, and fourth-degree possession of a large capacity magazine. Willis also was charged with possession of a weapon as a convicted felon.

Additional details about the Feb. 12 attempted murder of a police officer and related charges are provided in the press release at this link: https://www.nj.gov/oag/newsreleases20/pr20200213b.html

In that incident, a Hamilton Township police officer assigned to the New Jersey State Police Crime Suppression Central Unit Task Force observed a shooting in progress in the area of West State Street and Parkside Avenue in Trenton.  The officer, who was operating an unmarked vehicle, followed the suspect vehicle to the area of the Oakland Park Apartments on Coolidge Avenue, where he was fired upon by the occupants of the vehicle.

Three guns were seized from defendants during the course of this investigation.  On May 31, 2020, detectives executed a search warrant for a storage unit in Hamilton, Mercer County, rented by defendant Briana Blue, 22, where they seized 254 bricks of heroin, consisting of approximately 12,700 individual doses packaged in wax folds that were stamped with the brands “Dope Dick” and “Fruit Loops.” On the same date, detectives executed a search warrant for a car rented by defendant Tre Whetstone, 26, and seized 130 bricks of heroin, or approximately 6,500 doses, bearing the same stamps.

The following 16 alleged GMB members and associates have been charged as indicated:

Charles M. Willis, 27, of Willingboro, N.J.

• First-degree Racketeering
• First- Degree Conspiracy to Commit Murder – Michael Barnes
• First-Degree Conspiracy to Commit Murder – Feb. 12 Shooting (Civilian Victims)
• First-Degree Attempted Murder – Feb. 12 Shooting (Civilian Victims)
• First-Degree Possession with Intent to Distribute CDS
• Second- Degree Solicitation, Recruitment of Juveniles to Join a Street Gang
• Second-Degree Conspiracy to Distribute CDS
• Third-Degree Possession of CDS
• First-degree Attempted Murder – May 1 Shooting
• First-Degree Conspiracy to Commit Murder – May 1 Shooting
• Second Degree Aggravated Assault – May 1 Shooting
• Second-Degree Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose
• Second-Degree Unlawful Possession of a Weapon
• Second-Degree Possession of Weapon as Convicted Felon

Charles J. Willis (father of Charles M. Willis), 49, of Lawrenceville, N.J.

• First-degree Racketeering
• First-Degree Possession with Intent to Distribute CDS
• Second-Degree Conspiracy to Distribute CDS

Shaiquan Hearns, 21, of Trenton, N.J.

• First-degree Racketeering
• First- Degree Conspiracy to Commit Murder – Michael Barnes
• First-Degree Attempted Murder – Sept. 17 Shooting
• Second Degree Aggravated Assault – Sept. 17 Shooting
• Second-Degree Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose
• Second-Degree Unlawful Possession of a Weapon
• First-Degree Unlawful Possession of a Weapon
• Second-Degree Possession of Weapon as Convicted Felon
• First-Degree Conspiracy to Commit Murder – Feb. 12 Shooting (Civilian Victims)
• First-Degree Attempted Murder – Feb. 12 Shooting (Civilian Victims)
• Second- Degree Solicitation, Recruitment of Juveniles to Join a Street Gang

Tre Whetstone, 26, of Trenton, N.J.

• First-degree Racketeering
• Second-Degree Conspiracy to Distribute CDS
• Third-Degree Possession of CDS
• First-Degree Possession with Intent to Distribute CDS

Bobby Hood, 28, of Trenton, N.J.

• First-degree Racketeering
• First- Degree Conspiracy to Commit Murder – Michael Barnes
• First-degree Attempted Murder – May 1 Shooting
• First-Degree Conspiracy to Commit Murder – May 1 Shooting
• Second Degree Aggravated Assault
• Second-Degree Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose
• Second-Degree Unlawful Possession of a Weapon

Yahonatan Salter, 28, of Trenton, N.J.

• First-degree Racketeering
• Second-Degree Conspiracy to Distribute CDS
• First-Degree Conspiracy to Commit Murder – Feb. 12 Shooting (Civilian Victims)
• First-Degree Attempted Murder – Feb. 12 Shooting (Civilian Victims)

Dion Battle, 28, of Trenton, N.J.

• First-degree Racketeering
• First-Degree Conspiracy to Commit Murder – Feb. 12 Shooting (Civilian Victims)
• First-Degree Attempted Murder – Feb. 12 Shooting (Civilian Victims)

Davion Fenderson, 25, of Trenton, N.J.

• First-degree Racketeering
• First- Degree Conspiracy to Commit Murder – Michael Barnes
• First-Degree Murder of Michael Barnes

Frederick Eustsey, 45, of Ewing, N.J.

• First-degree Racketeering
• Second-Degree Conspiracy to Distribute CDS

John Colvin, 23, of Trenton, N.J.

• First-degree Racketeering
• Second-Degree Conspiracy to Distribute CDS

David Williams, 28, of Camden, N.J.

• First-degree Racketeering
• First-degree Attempted Murder – May 1 Shooting
• First-Degree Conspiracy to Commit Murder – May 1 Shooting
• Second Degree Aggravated Assault
• Second-Degree Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose
• Second-Degree Unlawful Possession of a Weapon
• Second-Degree Possession of Weapon as Convicted Felon
• Second- Degree Solicitation, Recruitment of Juveniles to Join a Street Gang

Zaire Jackson, 25, of Trenton, N.J.

• First-degree Racketeering
• First-degree Attempted Murder – May 1 Shooting
• First-Degree Conspiracy to Commit Murder – May 1 Shooting
• Second Degree Aggravated Assault
• Second-Degree Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose
• Second-Degree Unlawful Possession of a Weapon

Shawn Anderson, 21, of Trenton, N.J.

• First-degree Racketeering
• First-degree Attempted Murder – May 1 Shooting
• First-Degree Conspiracy to Commit Murder – May 1 Shooting
• Second Degree Aggravated Assault
• Second-Degree Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose
• Second-Degree Unlawful Possession of a Weapon

Juvenile Male, 17, of Trenton, N.J.

• First-degree Racketeering
• First-Degree Conspiracy to Commit Murder – May 1 Shooting

Jayshawn Fisher, 26, of Trenton, N.J.

• First- Degree Conspiracy to Commit Murder – Michael Barnes

Briana Blue, 22, of Princeton, N.J.

• First-degree Racketeering
• Second-Degree Conspiracy to Distribute CDS
• First-Degree Possession with Intent to Distribute CDS

Willis, Hearns, Salter, Battle, Colvin, and Fisher were previously in jail and were served with the charges outlined above while in jail.  The other 10 defendants were arrested since June 5.

Attorney General Grewal commended all of the prosecutors, detectives, investigators and officers who participated in the investigation for the Division of Criminal Justice, Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, New Jersey State Police, Trenton Police Department, Trenton Shooting Response Team, and New Jersey Department of Corrections.

Deputy Attorneys General Cassandra Montalto and Mohammad Mahmood are the lead prosecutors for the Division of Criminal Justice Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau, under the supervision of Bureau Chief Lauren Scarpa Yfantis and Deputy Bureau Chief Erik Daab. The detectives who conducted the investigation for the Division of Criminal Justice are Sgt. Brian Woolston, Sgt. Kevin Gannon, Detective Scott Caponi, Detective Zachary Grey, and other members of the Gangs & Organized Crime Central Squad, under the supervision of Lt. Brian Bruton, Deputy Chief of Detectives Frederic Moore, and Chief of Detectives Weldon Powell.

Attorney General Grewal also thanked the following agencies that assisted with arrests and execution of search warrants: Hamilton Township Police Department, Ewing Township Police Department, West Windsor Police Department, Falls Township Police Department (Pennsylvania), U.S. Marshals Service New Jersey/New York Regional Fugitive Task Force, and Mercer County Tactical Response Team.

First-degree murder carries a sentence of life in state prison, including 30 years of parole ineligibility, while the first-degree charges of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder carry a sentence of 10 to 30 years in state prison.  The other first-degree charges carry a sentence of 10 to 20 years in prison and fine of up to $200,000.  The racketeering charges carry a period of parole ineligibility equal to 85 percent of the sentence imposed.

Second-degree crimes carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000. Possession of a weapon as a convicted felon carries a mandatory period of parole ineligibility of five years, and unlawful possession of a weapon carries a mandatory period of parole ineligibility equal to one-third to one-half of the sentence imposed or three years, whichever is greater.  Third-degree crimes carry a sentence of three to five years in state prison and a fine of up to $15,000.

The charges are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Defense Attorneys

For Tre Whetstone: John Furlong, Esq., Furlong & Krasny, Ewing, N.J.

For Shawn Anderson: Arun Lavine, Esq., Lawrenceville, N.J.

For Shaiquan Hearns: Mark Fury, Esq., Mount Holly, N.J.

For Dion Battle: Rukiya Blackwell, Esq., Mount Holly, N.J.

A number of defendants are currently represented by the Public Defender’s Office.