NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Over a dozen alleged members of three street gangs collectively known as YPF have been apprehended by New York City authorities, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced Tuesday.
Seventeen alleged gang members were charged in two indictments with conspiracy to commit murder, possess weapons and other crimes.
The indictments include charges related to several shootings that resulted in 14 victims, including four who died.
"This successful takedown is part of our ongoing strategy to reduce shootings and senseless deaths by targeting the most violent offenders in our communities," Gonzalez said.
The DA noted that many of those charged are teenagers who were recruited into the gang after viewing music videos glorifying the violence.
“Using these firearms and throwing out these rap music videos and really celebrating the violence they bring to the streets is how they're kind of encouraging the younger kids to come up,” said lead investigator NYPD Captain Rachel Kosak.
The defendants are variously charged with first-, second- and fourth-degree conspiracy; second-degree murder; second-degree attempted murder; first- and second-degree assault; second- and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon; and first-degree reckless endangerment.
The alleged purpose of the gang alliance was to “form a large umbrella group to increase their numbers and territory as well as commit violence against their common enemies and maintain geographic dominance.”
Victims of the gang’s alleged violence included an 18-year-old college freshman who dreamed of becoming a New York City teacher and a 20-year-old Virginia resident who had come to New York for a Sweet Sixteen party.
Mayor Eric Adams slammed the violence, noting that it would never be tolerated in affluent areas of the city, but has been allowed to continue in parts of Brooklyn.
“I'll tell you something, you let this happen in affluent community, you will see the social media industry, you’ll see the federal government, you see everyone respond,” he said. “We have wrote off these communities.”
It is alleged that the defendants also boasted about their criminal activity on social media, directing acts of violence and taking credit for shootings.
Adams is now calling for social media companies to take action against that type of imagery.
“We are going to be meeting with our social media companies and agencies to use artificial intelligence,” the mayor said. “The technology is there – if a gun is shown on the screen, we should not be displaying that.”
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