Nine members of the Bloods gang and a 10th man not gang-affiliated were indicted Friday for three vicious assaults in jails on Rikers Island in October and March, authorities said.
The nine reputed Bloods members were charged with attempted gang assault and assault for their roles in a “war” with members of the rival Crips gang at Rikers’ George R. Vierno Center, said Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark.
On Oct. 8, six of the men — Marlon Willocks, 28, Joshua Straud, 26, Akieme Nesbitt, 43, Javon Morris, 26, Donnell Hickman, 23, and Kali Brown, 23 — attacked an alleged Crip member they thought had assaulted a Blood on the street, the indictment charges.
When another detainee tried to intervene, he was attacked too. Both victims were punched and slashed and one was beaten with a cane, the charges say.
Five days later, on Oct. 13, three alleged Bloods members — Jacquin Gordon, 27, Durail Miles, 31, and Andy Punnette, 37 — allegedly jumped, slashed, punched and stomped an alleged Crip member while the victim was using a jail telephone.
The tenth suspect, David Gonsalves, 33, who is not believed to be a Blood, was accused of attacking a new detainee who was placing his bedding close to Gonsalves and his allies. The group pushed the victim into a corner and beat him, then Gonsalves allegedly slashed him in the back twice in the March 10 assault, the indictment says.
“We continue to prosecute violence in our jails, even when the victims do not cooperate with the investigation out of fear, because we must send the message that no one should be subjected to wanton brutality,” DA Clark said.
The violence illustrates the Correction Department’s ongoing struggle over how to house members of rival gangs.
But Correction officials said the agency’s violence reduction program is working, with a 37% drop in stabbings and slashings so far this year compared to the same period in 2022.
“These violent attacks will not be tolerated and anyone suspected of assaulting another person on custody will be turned over to the Bronx District Attorney for re-arrest and prosecution,” said Correction Department spokeswoman Latima Johnson.
Nesbitt, Gonsalves and Miles were arraigned early this week in Supreme Court in the Bronx. Bail was set at $200,000 cash for Nesbitt and Gonsalves and $100,000 cash for Miles. The other seven are awaiting arraignment.