2 Bloods Gang Members Charged After Shooting 3 At Hamptons Party: Feds

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — Two Long Island members of the Bloods gang were arrested and charged after shooting three people at a house in Southampton, federal officials said.

One gang member was also charged with selling fentanyl that resulted in death, as well as two non-fatal poisonings, federal officials said.

On Thursday, a 12-count superseding indictment was unsealed in federal court in Central Islip, charging Bloods gang member Joshua Crowell, 31, of Huntington — also known as "Twiggy" — and

Bloods associate Bruce King, 26, of Huntington — also known as "Brucey" — with assault in aid of racketeering, federal officials said.

Crowell was also charged with distributing fentanyl resulting in death; distributing fentanyl
resulting in serious bodily injury; and other gang-related crimes committed in Suffolk County
between 2021 and 2024, federal officials said.

Crowell and King were arraigned Thursday afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Lee G. Dunst and ordered detained pending trial, officials said.

John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Ray Tierney, Suffolk County District Attorney, Michael Alfonso, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI New York) and Kevin Catalina, Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department, announced the charges.

As set forth in the superseding indictment and court filings, the pair engaged in multiple acts of violence on behalf of the Bloods, including a March 2, 2021 shooting in which they traveled to a party hosted by rival gang members at a rented home in Southampton, federal officials said. Upon arrival, they began shooting into the residence with three guns, including an AK-47 style assault rifle, wounding three partygoers who were not gang members, federal officials said.

Additionally, Crowell and co-conspirators operated a longtime drug trafficking network, through which Crowell sold fentanyl and other illegal substances, federal officials said. In May, 2022, Crowell sold fentanyl that caused serious injury to a female customer, officials said.

Less than one month later, Crowell sold fentanyl that caused a male customer to stop breathing and die from ingesting the fentanyl, federal officials said. In June, 2023, Crowell distributed fentanyl that was ingested by a male customer and caused him to stop breathing; in that instance, life-saving efforts were successful, and he survived, Durham said.

If convicted, Crowell and King each face up to life imprisonment, authorities said.

"The charges in the superseding indictment highlight the extreme danger that violent gangs like the Bloods pose to the people of Long Island, ranging from shootings that injure bystanders to dealing lethal drugs that claim lives and destroy families," Durham said. “My office is working closely with our federal and local partners to make our communities safer by dismantling and eradicating street gangs that have zero regard for human life and holding gang members and associates accountable for their crimes."

Durham thanked the Nassau County Police Department and the Southampton Town Police Department for their assistance.

"These alleged gang members represent a grave threat to the safety and stability of our community. Their willingness to engage in brazen acts of violence — as demonstrated by the shooting of three victims in Southampton — shows a complete disregard for human life. Equally disturbing, is the distribution of fentanyl, a lethal substance that has devastated countless families across Suffolk County,” Tierney said. "The charges announced today send a clear message that such dangerous criminal activity will not be tolerated in our neighborhoods, and I thank the EDNY for their leadership on this investigation. This case exemplifies why partnerships between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies are essential in our fight against organized crime. These collaborative efforts ensure that violent offenders face the full weight of the law, and they provide us with the tools needed to dismantle criminal organizations from top to bottom."

"For years, these individuals have been a scourge on our community through the distribution of fentanyl and vicious gang-related shootings," Catalina said. "While their activities often targeted rival gang members, their recklessness could very easily have injured innocent victims. The Suffolk County Police Department will continue to work with its partner law enforcement agencies to put violent gang members behind bars and ensure the safety of Suffolk County residents and visitors."