LA Crips leader who feds say posed as anti-gang activist arrested on charges including racketeering
Federal prosecutor arrests and charges alleged leaders Los Angeles CR U.S. attorneys say they claim to be a gang subset of anti-margin activists.
Eugene Henley Jr., 58, accused Henley of being a prominent leader of Los Angeles’ larger crips in the 1960s, running a “mafia-like organization” known as the “big U-enterprise.”
The Justice Department said Henry surrendered to investigators Wednesday afternoon after announcing the charges.
Henley posted a series of videos to Crenshaw Cougars Instagram, a youth football program he oversees and features his son Los Angeles Charger defender Daiyan Henley’s football camp.
The 1960s chief allegedly denied the charges in the Rico case.
“I’m looking at all these allegations in the news. I’m going to go back to Los Angeles,” Henry said. “It won’t be without real evidence. It won’t be without real anything… Now, they’re talking about everything about assassinating my character.”
KCAL News
In a press conference Wednesday, Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph McNally said he was charged with a range of crimes including extortion, fraud, ransom, robbery, robbery, human trafficking and the murder of an aspiring rap musician in 2021.
Two other defendants, Sylvester Robinson, 59, also known as “Vey” and Mark Martin, 50, also known as “Bear Claw”. They were accused of being members of Henry’s Crime Business.
McNally said federal officials have investigated Henry’s criminal businesses over the past four years. During the investigation, officials collected interviews, financial records, telephone records and search warrants for social media accounts.
Court documents say Henry often uses his figure in gangs to work with businesses and intimidate businesses and individuals in Los Angeles.
Henley established his charity and developed options, and federal officials claimed he misappropriated donors and deceived donors. Some of Henry’s victims include celebrities and well-known athletes, court documents say. He is also accused of obtaining fraudulent funds from the mayor’s office of the Los Angeles through the Gang Reduction Youth Development Foundation.
“I’m not just helping our community,” he said in an Instagram video. “It’s crazy, but I’m going to hand in because I’m doing nothing.”
Court documents alleged that Henley was responsible for the murder of a man, referred to as “RW” only in the complaint. The complaint says RW calls RW an aspiring musician and he is signed as the tags of Uneek Music, Henley and Martin.
RW was in Las Vegas when he died in the producer’s studio recording music. Court documents say RW did not record at a rate previously agreed and recorded “Diss songs” against Henry.
Henley and Robinson allegedly drove to Las Vegas to face RW, where he fatally shot him. They were accused of leaving RW’s body on Interstate 15 in the desert. When the two returned to Los Angeles, they allegedly ordered their video recordings to be deleted in the studio.
“Henley allegedly filed a fraudulent application for a Covid-19-19-pandemic relief loan,” McNally said, “While the loss was $5,000 that year, Uneek Music ran at a profit of $200,000 in 2019, which should have been disqualified this year.”
Henry denied fraud allegations in a series of Instagram posts.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Henry could face a maximum life in federal prison if convicted. If Robinson and Martin are convicted on charges, they could face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
“Eliminating gangs and organized crime is a top priority for the Justice Department. Today’s allegations and arrests are targeted at the leadership of this criminal costume and will make the community safer in Los Angeles,” McNally said. “I thank prosecutors and law enforcement partners for their work.”
