HOUSTON – Sixteen alleged members and affiliates of a violent Houston gang are facing several federal charges, including drug trafficking conspiracy and firearms offenses.
Read more Sister of reality TV personality charged in connection to her death in Oakland
Accused Houston gang members face federal charges
A federal grand jury indicted six alleged members and affiliates of the YNS gang, while 10 others face charges in federal criminal complaints. All 16 defendants appeared in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena Palermo.
The alleged members named by the U.S. Attorney’s Office are:
- Jocquez Frye, 18
- Darrell Sampson, 18
- Jacob Barrett, 18
- Kristian Winters, 18
- Jaquan McClendon, 19
- Ledanyan Bennett, 19
- Triwayne Davison, 20
- Donfarius Holmes, 24
- Javonte Hoyle, 28
- Will Clark, 28
- Xzaveon Francis, 28
- Haven Duncan, 29
- Monterio Whitfield, 30
- Alex Davison, 32
- Jason Pittman, 34
- William Nolan-Waddell, 34
Alleged operations and armed robberies
The backstory:
During detention hearings, prosecutors claimed YNS operates as a violent gang in Houston’s Greenspoint area. The group was reportedly involved in homicides, assaults, home invasions, burglaries, and drug and firearm trafficking. One of the alleged members, Frye, was said to have been linked to the carjacking of a former Houston Texans player at his home, according to officials.
Evidence presented, including social media posts and videos, showed members displaying firearms with machine-gun conversion devices, assaulting a rival gang member, and threatening rivals outside their homes. There were also other posts and messages shown to the court that allegedly showed members talking about past and future crimes they would commit.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the alleged members planned to rob a possible drug stash house that had 42 kilograms of cocaine. Several members reportedly met on July 23 with a confidential informant before going to the house with firearms and wearing black clothing, including masks and gloves, authorities claimed.
Read more The true meaning behind the St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway
Prosecutors say Sampson, Barrett, and Winters planned a separate armed robbery at the time of their Sept. 23 arrests. The three are accused of planning to rob a person at gunpoint after what they thought would be a large-scale cocaine transaction.
In another hearing for Holmes, Duncan, Pittman, Bennett, Davison, Whitfield, Nolan-Waddell, Hoyle, Clark, and Francis prosecutors presented evidence that they allegedly planned to move what they believed was 50 kilograms of cocaine before robbing the person after. When they were arrested, authorities found them with firearms, zip ties, and gloves.
If all 16 alleged YNS members are convicted, they face up to life in prison and a possible $250,000.