NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced on Thursday that 26 alleged Trinitario gang members—who are either current or former inmates at Rikers Island, have been indicted for multiple slashings and other acts of violence while in jail.
After an investigation, authorities determined that during their time in Rikers Island the men "allegedly conspired and engaged in numerous slashings and stabbings that caused grievous wounds."
The investigation, dubbed “Operation Green Fury" for the gang’s color, alleges a total of 14 violent acts were carried out in the jail between September 2015 and July 2019.
According to Clark, the alleged attacks were carried out in order to preserve and protect the power of the Trinitario gang.
The 69-count indictment includes five counts of Attempted Gang Assault in the first degree, 14 counts of Attempted Assault in the first degree, 31 counts of second-degree Assault, two counts of Attempted Assault in the second degree, fourth and fifth-degree Conspiracy, 16 counts of third-degree Assault, and Attempted Assault in the third degree.
Half of the incidents were against rival gang members and half against fellow Trinitarios who broke rules of the gang and who were not in good standing.
12 of the 14 incidents were slashings and stabbings.
Some victims suffered deep lacerations, and one lost a vast amount of blood, according to the Bronx DA's office.
Various forms of communication were used to conspire the acts of violence, including phone calls and letters, the use of a coded language.
According to the indictment, on September 15, 2017, alleged Trinitarios Jovier de la Cruz, 26, Pedro Valera, 28, and Rafael Perez, 26, entered the cell of Joseph Feliciano, an alleged Trinitario in bad standing, and slashed him in the face with a sharp object.
On November 16, 2017, Jesus Matos, 22, Kevin Cabrera, 26, Darlin Feliz, 32, and Victor Capellan, 27, allegedly slashed Shawn Stevens, an alleged member of a rival gang, twice in the face and once in the arm, the indictment said.
According to the investigation, Jesus Zapata, 30, was the alleged leader of the Trinitario gang on Rikers Island from 2017 to 2018, and Hector Hernandez, 25, allegedly took command between 2018 to 2019.
They allegedly ordered an attack against Steven Ayala, an alleged Trinitario gang member, and on April 10, 2018, Valera slashed Ayala in the face and back.
About a month later, Hernandez allegedly slashed Michael Franco, an alleged member of a rival gang, in the face.
The indictment adds that on October 8, 2018, Francisco Nunez, 22, and Paul Corporan, 21, slashed alleged rival gang members Tyreek Covington in the arm, back and neck, and Deontay Boyd in the face.
On July 28, 2019, Ernie Garcia, 22, Diogenes Hernandez, 19, Jerry Polanco, 21, Ariel Tavarez, 22, John Polanco, 21, and Jose Paniagua, 19, allegedly slashed Julian Diaz in the arm. On December 16, 2018, Jeremy Bello, 29, and Jonathan Davila, 21, allegedly slashed Carlos Capellan, an alleged Trinitario who was in bad standing, in the face.
Twelve alleged gang members were arraigned this week in the Bronx Supreme Court Justice - six of them are currently inmates in Rikers Island and six had previously been discharged from custody.
Four have not been apprehended as of yet and the remaining 10 defendants will be produced from State and Federal custody for arraignment Clark said.
"We will not tolerate such brutality against incarcerated individuals and will hold people accountable even after they have left jail. We will continue to attack the pipeline of violence from Rikers Island to the streets," Clark added.