Birch Court Shooting Leads To Charges Against 25

The murder of a Birch Court man in 2012 has led police to arrest 25 people from rival gangs on charges of racketeering, weapons, drugs and murder.

Richard Chang, 41, was alone in his Birch Court home in May 2012 when a bullet came through a wall in the house, killing him.   

On Tuesday afternoon, the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office announced that those arrested face a 79-count indictment containing charges of murder and attempted murder, racketeering, aggravated assault, robbery, terroristic threats, drug activity and weapons possession. 

Dating back to 2001, the operation allegedly was a "continuing criminal enterprise," that used violence and intimidation to control witnesses and victims, and funded its operations and legal defenses with drug money, according to a press release from the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office.

 Three of the people were charged directly in relation to Chang's death, 20 were charged with conspiring to commit murder in Chang's death and 21 were charged with conspiracy to commit racketeering for participating in on-going gang activities, according to the release.

The three men facing murder and murder conspiracy charges—Nadrell McMillan, 22, and Quaadir Hagood, 21, both of New Brunswick, and Zaire Franklin Sherman, 20, of Piscataway, were charged on Nov. 15, 2012 and remain jailed, according to the release. 

Others were arrested and charged in raids that begin on April 24, 2013, or were charged as the investigation proceeded. One person remains at large, according to the release. 

Taladeen Ross, 28, of Sayreville, was charged by authorities as the leader of a criminal organization and was indicted on charges of racketeering and conspiring in relation to Chang's murder, as well as drug and weapons charges.

He also faces a charge related to maintaining a location that produced heroin, according to the release.

His wife, Sharna Ross, 29, also of Sayreville, was charged with racketeering, and maintaining the heroin production facility, according to the release. 

Additional defendants, all charged with murder conspiracy and racketeering include:

Chad Butler Jr., 22, Tereak Butler, 19, Maurice Fields 23, Sidney Williams, 22, Jamil Anthony, 26,, Jashire Reid, 21, Darnell Ricketts, Jr., 21, Dwayne Johnson 28, Kenneth Robinson 30, and Paul Staten, 29 all of New Brunswick. 

All are in custody except Staten, who remains a fugitive, according to the release.

Charged with racketeering and murder conspiracy are Jaamar Hill, 23 of New Brunswick, Devin Gardner, 22 of Piscataway, Dylan Freer, 27 of North Brunswick, Pedro Vickers, 24 of Edison, Jamir Hill, 21 of New Brunswick and Desire Robinson, 19 of the Somerset section of Franklin Township.

"The indictment marked is the first time in Middlesex County that the state’s racketeering statute has been used to bring criminal defendants to justice," the release said.

Shaniqua Doyle, 24 of Edison, has been charged with possession of marijuana, possession of cocaine and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute in East Brunswick on Dec. 18, 2012, according to the release.  

April Thompson, 29 of Jamesburg was charged with weapons and cocaine possession, possession with intent to distribute and endangering the welfare of a child on April 24, 2013.

Darrel Morrison, 23 of Jamesburg has been charged with possession and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and two counts of possessing prohibited devices—a switchblade knife and a stun gun—in Jamesburg on April 24, 2013, according to the release. 

Taneja Oliver, 21 of New Brunswick was charged with hindering police by providing false information on April 24, 2013 during the investigation.

Ross, Rickets and Freer also face indictments of certain persons not to have weapons, as they had been previously convicted of "unrelated offenses," but continued to possess weapons, according to the release.