NYPD, ATF, And SDNY Bring Relief To Sotomayor Houses Residents—Charge 10 Members And Associates Of Violent Bronx Street Gang

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department ("NYPD"), Jessica S. Tisch, and Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF"), Bryan DiGirolamo, announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging 10 defendants with participating in a years-long racketeering conspiracy as members of the violent Bronxdale/YDS gang that included multiple attempted murders, assaults, armed robberies, and other crimes between 2020 and May 2026. Two defendants, EDWIN POZO, a/k/a "Swerv," and SETH COLON, were arrested yesterday, and soon both will have been presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gary Stein, COLON yesterday and POZO today. The eight remaining defendants, MODOU TOURAY, a/k/a "LDOT," JEREMIAH MARTINEZ, a/k/a "JJ," JERIMIAH MORGAN, a/k/a "Goon," TYSHAWN MORRIS, a/k/a "YaYa," DAMION ELLIOT, a/k/a "Upit," DAVON BEST KELLY, a/k/a "Benz," NYJAH WYNTER, a/k/a "Glizzy," and RAEKWON KING, a/k/a "Buzzin," are in custody in other jurisdictions and will be transferred to the Southern District of New York. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman.

"As alleged, the Bronxdale/YDS gang wreaked havoc on the residents of the Sotomayor Houses for years," said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. "With this indictment, the NYPD, ATF, and SDNY bring some measure of relief to the Sotomayor Houses residents, and the members and associates of the Bronxdale/YDS gang will face justice for their alleged crimes. New York public housing cannot be a haven for gang activity, and the women and men of our Office are fighting every day to rid New York public housing of gun-toting, drug-dealing, violent gangs."

"For too long, these ten defendants, members of the Bronxdale/YDS gang, treated our communities as their own violent playground," said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. "They shot a victim in the chest, slashed a rival in the neck, conspired to commit armed robberies of drug dealers, and terrorized the residents at the Sotomayor Houses. Their criminality had no limits as they committed wire fraud and other illegal activities across New York City. Thanks to the hard work of our NYPD investigators, alongside our partners at the ATF and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, we are ensuring violent criminals are held accountable and keeping New Yorkers safe."

"Violent street gangs thrive on fear, intimidation, and the reckless use of firearms, but these charges send a clear message: those who endanger our communities will be identified, investigated, and held accountable," said ATF Special Agent in Charge Bryan DiGirolamo. "The success of this year-long investigation is a testament to the exceptional collaboration between the ATF-NYPD Crime Gun Enforcement Team and the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York. Together, we are leveraging intelligence, technology, and relentless investigative work to disrupt violent criminal networks and protect the people of New York. ATF remains steadfast in its mission to combat violent gun crime and support our law enforcement partners in pursuing justice."

As alleged in the Indictment and statements made in public court proceedings:

From at least in or about 2020 through at least in or about May 2026, TOURAY, MARTINEZ, MORGAN, COLON, MORRIS, POZO, ELLIOT, KELLY, WYNTER, KING, and others known and unknown were members and associates of Bronxdale/YDS (short for "Youngest" or "Youngins" "Doin Shit"), a street gang and organization that operated principally in the Sotomayor Houses, a public housing development of the New York City Housing Authority (previously named the Bronxdale Houses) in the Bronx, New York. Members and associates of Bronxdale/YDS engaged in, among other activities, acts involving murder, assault, robbery, the distribution of controlled substances, and wire and bank fraud in and around the greater metropolitan area of New York City, including in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Queens, in New York counties north of New York City, and in parts of New Jersey. In addition to being charged with participation in the alleged racketeering conspiracy, several of the defendants are charged with additional offenses, including:

On or about May 24, 2021, MORRIS and POZO slashed a man believed to be a rival gang member with a knife, causing a large laceration on his neck.

On or about May 13, 2022, MORRIS struck a rival gang member in the head with a metal rod, causing a laceration to that rival gang member's head.

On or about September 29, 2023, TOURAY and MORGAN used a firearm to shoot an individual, striking that individual in the chest.

From at least in or about 2020 through at least in or about 2024, TOURAY, MARTINEZ, MORGAN, ELLIOT, WYNTER, POZO, and MORRIS conspired to commit armed robberies of drug dealers in the Bronx and elsewhere.

On or about October 2, 2024, TOURAY and KELLY committed a gunpoint robbery of a rideshare driver in the Bronx.

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A chart containing the names, charges, and minimum and maximum penalties for the defendants is set forth below.

The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD and the ATF. Mr. Clayton also thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bergen County, New Jersey, Sheriff's Office for their assistance in this investigation.

This case is being handled by the Office's Violent Organizations & Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon D. Harper and Jared D. Hoffman are in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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   As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.