NEWARK — An Essex County judge this week ordered three of 13 men arrested in a recent State Police gang sweep in the city be held without bail pending trial.
The Attorney General’s office has said the men, arrested as part of a state-led gang sweep two weeks ago, are members of the “Red Breed Gorillas,” a group of Bloods who ran a drug-dealing operation on Irvine Turner Boulevard in Newark.
The alleged gang members face charges of drug distribution, drug possession, gang criminality and weapons offenses, authorities said.
According to court records, Judge Martin G. Cronin granted motions for pre-trial detention of three of the men:
- Kevin Clayton, 25
- Bryant Hawkins, 39
- Lyonel Finklea, 30
State Police have identified Clayton and Finklea as “five-star generals” in the gang, which authorities told NJ Advance Media was one of the most violent in Newark.
Finklea has a lengthy criminal history, including an arrest in connection with a March 2016 shooting. He’s also facing federal weapons charges in the U.S. District Court in Newark in connection with a July 2016 incident in which investigators say he was caught with a pistol version of an AK-47, according to court filings.
The detention motions are a result of the recently enacted Bail Reform and Speed Trial Act, which allows a judge to order a defendant be held without bail pending trial if prosecutors can demonstrate they pose a threat to the public or are unlikely to appear for their next court date.
State asks judge to keep alleged gang members jailed
Cronin denied similar detention motions for six other defendants:
- Tyree Oxford, 23
- Abdul Bryant, 20
- Yasim Smith, 19
- Aljuquan Thomason, 24
- Alfatah Loyal, 31
- Yasin Hamilton, 25
Another man charged in the case, Quashyne Seburn, 24, is already in the custody of the state Department of Corrections, serving a five-year prison sentence for unlawful possession of a handgun in Essex County.
Three others — Terrance Shells, Tyre Sorbino and Elijah A. Evans — were released from custody the Monday following the raids, according to jail records.
Authorities said they were still searching for eight others in connection with the investigation:
- Ramon Finklea, 29
- Jahob Loyal, 27
- Kevin Loyal, 28
- Charlie Jones, 28
- Nyreek Loyal, 21
- Darnell Cogman, 44
- Jahwon Christian, 21
- Naim Stewart, 23
Thomas Moriarty may be reached at tmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriarty. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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