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Nov. 21, 2013 -- Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore announced that with today’s indictments, the core of Mount Vernon’s most violent street gang, GMG, has been gutted rendering them virtually shut down.
GMG is one of a number of street gangs that are responsible for many violent crimes including many of the shootings and homicides in the City of Mount Vernon.
Mark Ogilvie aka “Markie” (DOB 06/20/89) LKA S.13th Ave., Mount Vernon, New York was arraigned today on a nine-count indictment charging him with:
- two counts of Murder in the Second Degree, class “A-1” Felonies,
- two counts of Conspiracy in the Second Degree, class “B” Felonies,
- five counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, class “C” Violent Felonies.
Tyron McCallum aka “Yayo” (DOB 04/08/87) LKA Mount Vernon, New York was arraigned today on an eight-count sealed indictment charging him with:
- one count of Murder in the Second Degree, a class “A-1” Felony,
- two counts of Conspiracy in the Second Degree, class “B” Felonies,
- five counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, class “C” Violent Felonies.
Travis Clarke aka “Trav” (DOB 09/09/89) LKA S. 13th Ave., Mount Vernon, New York was arraigned today on a four-count sealed indictment charging him with:
- one count of Murder in the Second Degree, a class “A-1” Felony,
- one count of Conspiracy in the Second Degree, a class “B” Felony,
- two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, class “C” Violent Felonies.
Jason White aka “Dutch” (DOB 04/22/83) LKA Bronx, New York was arraigned today on a four-count sealed indictment charging him with:
- one count of Conspiracy in the Second Degree, a class “B” Felony,
- one count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, a class “C” Violent Felony,
- one count of Hindering Prosecution in the First Degree, a class “D” Felony,
- one count of Tampering with Physical Evidence, a class “E” Felony,
In the space of six hours, on March 11, 2012, three men were shot and killed on the streets of the City of Mount Vernon.
The first shooting victim, a GMG street gang associate, was shot while riding his dirt bike in front of numerous witnesses. The perpetrator remains at large and the homicide investigation continues.
Subsequently, speculation and rumors abounded regarding the shooter. To this date, there is no credible evidence that either of the next two victims had anything to do with the first shooting, other than that they were associated with a rival street gang: the Goonies.
Based on those rumors, and in retaliation, two men associated with Goonie street gang members were, by all accounts, “hunted” down, shot and killed later that same evening by these defendants.
The incidents started at about 5 p.m. on March 11, 2012.
Rahsul aka Russell Watkins, a GMG street gang associate, was shot and killed on 7th Avenue and Sandford Boulevard while riding his dirt bike.
Thereafter a conspiracy of members of GMG was formed to retaliate against people associated with the Goonies.
At approximately 8:51 p.m. Stephon Ramsey, after leaving his house at 20 Cooley Place, was shot as he attempted to get into a car.
Arriving police observed Ramsey lying face down in a pool of blood with an apparent gunshot wound to the back of his head and another to the back of his right thigh.
Ramsey was taken by EMS to Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx where he died eight days later.
At approximately 11:13 p.m., Cleveland Baxter was shot after he left a friends house on Grandview Avenue. Police were summoned and on arriving, observed a BMW that had crashed into another vehicle.
Cleveland Baxter was observed unresponsive in the driver’s seat.
Baxter was taken to Mt Vernon Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 12:40 a.m.
Baxter’s autopsy resulted in the removal of six spent rounds from his body.
The gun used by the defendants to shoot and kill Baxter was apparently sold after the shooting and recovered in the Bronx by the NYPD from an individual who had no connection to the shootings.
As with all recovered illegal hand guns it was entered in the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) Program’s (IBIS), Integrated Ballistics Identification System, where the gun’s ballistic profile matched that of the Baxter shooting gun.
Charges relating to possession of that weapon are pending.
“These street gangs and their members live in an alternate reality. The real reality is that their actions impact the quality of life for everyone in the city. The countless indirect victims of their violence are the families, school children, business owners, shopkeepers, virtually every resident of the city. In our targeting these gangs, the City of Mount Vernon has seen its gun violence homicides reduced by 75 percent in just one year. The city is now a safer place for all its citizens, some of the same citizens that allowed both DA investigators and city detectives to develop their trust and confidence thus allowing witnesses to come forward. The public’s help in these prosecutions is the keystone in holding these defendants accountable and maintaining a safer city and more vibrant for everyone,” said District Attorney Janet DiFiore.
The investigation into the three shootings was a coordinated effort by the prosecutors and investigators from the Westchester County District Attorneys office, the Mount Vernon Police Department, the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, Inspector Generals Office and the FBI.
After their arraignments, all the defendants were remanded.
Their next court date is Dec. 17, 2013.
Ogilvie, McCallum and Clarke face a maximum sentence of twenty-five years to life in state prison on the top counts in their indictment.
White faces a maximum of twenty-five years in state prison on the top count of his indictment.
Assistant District Attorney John O’Rourke, Chief of the Major Case Bureau and Assistant District Attorney Laura Murphy of the Homicide Bureau are prosecuting the case.
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| Mark Ogilvie | Tyron McCallum | Travis Clarke | Jason White |
In compliance with Disciplinary Rule 7-107A of the Code of Professional Responsibility, you are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
