'Gang Warfare:' 28 Rival Gang Members Face 141-Count Indictment

ASTORIA-LONG ISLAND CITY, QUEENS — A group of 28 men from rival gangs in northwest Queens were indicted on murder and weapons charges on Thursday, which the Queens District Attorney described as “gang warfare.”

The 141-count indictment includes second degree murder charges in connection to the killing of George Rosa, a schoolteacher who was hit by a stray bullet during gang-related crossfire, while walking his dog mid-day in Long Island City.

All of the men named in the indictment are allegedly members of rival gangs within the Queensbridge and Ravenswood public housing developments in LIC and Astoria, respectively, the DA said.

In Queensbridge, Jet Blue and the Makk Ballers “regularly” scheme violent acts against each other in order to assert control within the housing development, according to the DA. There’s also a rivalry between the gangs in Queensbridge, and Money the Motivation/Obligation to Money (MT/OTM) in Ravenswood, records show.

In addition to Rosa’s death, the feud between Queensbridge and Ravenswood gang members allegedly resulted in the drive-by-shooting of Magdy Saleh, a 23-year-old Makk Baller from Queensbridge, the DA said.

“The violence, motivated by a desire for geographical supremacy by gang members, created a climate of fear in Queensbridge and Ravenswood,” said DA Katz. “No community should live and be terrorized by violent gang members.”

According to Katz, the first incident that prompted this indictment was a shooting on May 28, 2019 in Long Island City, where an alleged member of Jet Blue fired at an unknown person, who was later revealed to be a member of the Makk Ballers, records show.

Months of violence between the two groups followed, according to the DA.

On July 3, 2019, two members of the Makk Ballers — including Tyler King, 21 — walked across the Queensbridge Houses complex and shot at several members of Jet Blue, hitting one in the foot, video surveillance reported by the DA shows.

Three days later, in retaliation for the shooting, Jayka Jones — a 21-year-old with alleged ties to the Makk Ballers — chased King through the Queensbridge Houses courtyard and shot him several times in broad daylight, the DA said.

King was unharmed, but one of the bullets shattered the kitchen window of a nearby apartment, landing on the kitchen counter, records show.

A week later, Jones and other Jet Blue members shot King twice in a drive-by-shooting, according to the DA.

In addition to these acts of violence, gang members readily purchased and carried loaded firearms, in order to “spin the block,” and seek out rival gang members to target, the DA said.

Some of those named in the indictment also communicated with incarcerated members, in order to relay their messages and orders to those on the street, according to the DA.

The indictment includes charges of assault, weapon possession, and reckless endangerment, records show, in addition to second degree murder and attempted murder charges.

At a Thursday news conference, Commissioner Dermot Shea and Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark touted recent takedowns of gangs — such as these — as part of the city’s efforts to curb violent crime.

In July, there was a 49 percent drop in murders and 35 percent decline in shootings, according to newly released crime statistics, though the improvements are still above pre-pandemic levels, data shows.

All of the men in Thursday's indictment face up to 25 years in prison if convicted.