Superseding Indictment Alleges 3 More New Haven Gang Members Committed Murder and Attempted Murders

A federal grand jury in Bridgeport returned a superseding indictment yesterday charging an additional three alleged members and associates of the “Exit 8” street gang in New Haven with conspiring to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity, including drug trafficking, murder, and attempted murder, as well as related offenses.  The grand jury previously returned an indictment charging six alleged members and associates of Exit 8 with related offenses.

Today’s announcement was made by Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; John P. Doyle, Jr., State’s Attorney for the New Haven Judicial District; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England; and New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson.

The superseding indictment charges

JAEDYN RIVERA, also known as “Jae Honcho,” 22
TYJON PRESTON, also known as “TJ,” 21
SAMUEL DOUGLAS, also known as “Blamm,” 25
QUAYMAR SUGGS, 19
KIVEON HYMAN, also known as “Tiny, ” 25
DONELL ALLICK, JR., also known as “D-Nice,” 24
DEVIN SUGGS, also known as “JB,” 19
NYZAIRE BARNES, also known as “Melo,” 19
ANTWAN HILL, also known as “Bandz,” 19

Devin Suggs, Barnes, and Hill were arrested today.  They appeared in New Haven federal court and were ordered detained.  Rivera, Preston, Douglas, Quaymar Suggs, Hyman, and Allick were charged in an indictment that was returned on March 22, 2023, and are detained.

As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, in an effort to address violence in New Haven, including murders and attempted murders, the ATF, FBI, DEA and New Haven Police Department, working closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office, have been investigating an ongoing gang war between members and associates of the Exit 8 street gang and rival gangs in the Hill section and other areas of the city.  The Exit 8 gang is named after the geographic area accessed by exiting Interstate 91 at Exit 8 in New Haven.  Recently, younger members of Exit 8 are identifying themselves with the word “Honcho,” which is derived from the street name of an Exit 8 member who was murdered on Quinnipiac Avenue in February 2020.

The superseding indictment alleges that members of the Exit 8 gang engaged in drug trafficking, used and shared firearms, and, since June 2018, have committed at least three murders and 16 attempted murders.  Exit 8 members and associates stole vehicles, at times from outside of the state, and used those stolen vehicles when committing acts of violence.  Gang members also promoted, coordinated, facilitated, and celebrated their narcotics distribution and acts of violence through text messaging and the use of social media applications and websites including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube.

Among the violent acts committed by the Exit 8 gang, the superseding indictment alleges that:

• On June 16, 2018, Douglas and Hyman shot and attempted to kill a member and associate of a rival gang, and shot another individual in the vicinity;
• On January 24, 2019, members and associates of the gang shot and attempted to kill a member and associate of a rival gang;
• On July 14, 2020, Preston and others shot and attempted to kill a member and associate of a rival gang;
• On September 26, 2020, Hill, Preston, and others shot and attempted to kill a member and associate of a rival gang;
• On April 27, 2021, Preston, Devin Suggs, and others shot and attempted to kill an individual;
• On May 3, 2021, Rivera shot and attempted to kill two members and associates of a rival gang;
• On May 10, 2021, Rivera and others shot and attempted to kill a member and associate of a rival gang;
• On May 14, 2021, Rivera and Devin Suggs shot and attempted to kill a member and associate of a rival gang;
• On May 17, 2021, Exit 8 members shot and attempted to kill rival gang members;
• On May 19, 2021, Hill, Preston and others conspired to kill rival gang members, including a rival gang member who was shot and killed on that date by Quaymar Suggs and others;
• On May 20, 2021, Rivera, Preston, and others shot and attempted to kill rival gang members, and Rivera, Devin Suggs, and others shot and attempted to kill two other individuals;
• On June 30, 2021, Preston shot and attempted to kill an individual;
• On July 5, 2021, Hill, Preston, and others shot and killed an individual;
• On August 29, 2021, Exit 8 members and associates shot and attempted to kill a member and associate of a rival gang;
• On March 16, 2022, Devin Suggs and others shot at and attempted to kill rival gang members;
• On April 12, 2022, Hill, Barnes, and others shot at and attempted to kill rival gang members;
• On September 16, 2022, Allick and others shot and killed an individual.
• On January 20, 2023, Devin Suggs and others stole a black BMW from Scarsdale, New York.  Devin Suggs and Barnes then shot and attempted to kill an individual.

The superseding indictment charges each defendant with racketeering conspiracy.  If convicted of this charge, Quaymar Suggs, Preston, and Allick face a maximum term of imprisonment of 60 years, and Rivera, Douglas, Hyman, Devin Suggs, Barnes, and Hill face a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.

The superseding indictment also charges Rivera and Preston with attempted assault with a dangerous weapon and attempted murder, in violation of the Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering (“VCAR”) statute, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years; Rivera with VCAR assault with a dangerous weapon and attempted murder, and offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; Rivera with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years; and Douglas with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.

U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This investigation is being conducted by ATF, the FBI, the DEA, the New Haven Police Department, the Hamden Police Department, and the New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police and the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tara E. Levens, Rahul Kale and Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis.

This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Longevity and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.

PSN is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.  Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities.  Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.