17 Bloods Gang Members In Queens Arrested For String Of Robberies

QUEENS, NY — Federal prosecutors have charged 17 Bloods gang members in Queens for a string of violent home invasions and armed robberies, including one in a barber shop.

The Queens men participated in 11 robberies or attempted robberies over nine months in 2017, assembling crews of getaway drivers and lookouts for each robbery, prosecutors said Tuesday.

They are all members or associates of the Makk Balla Brims set of the Bloods, which largely operates around Jamaica and South Jamaica, according to prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of New York.

The incidents cited in the charges include two violent Long Island home invasions, break-ins at houses that displayed Indian flags and a barber shop robbery in Jamaica.

In one instance, prosecutors say three of the men broke into a Long Island home they thought was a marijuana stash house, then tortured a man inside who said there was none.

The men targeted houses flying the Indian flag for other robberies, because they believed the residents would have gold and cash inside, according to prosecutors. One man dressed as a UPS deliveryman to get into the homes.

Prosecutors claim several of the men were also responsible for an armed robbery in September 2017 at Jevo Barber Shop in Jamaica, stealing cell phones, cash and gold chains.

If convicted, each man faces a mandatory minimum sentence of at least seven years’ imprisonment and a maximum of life imprisonment.