Coney Island Gang Members Indicted, Facing Life For Murder, Racketeering and More
CONEY ISLAND – A group of Coney Island gangsters have been indicted in a slew of crimes spanning the last six years, which include murder, racketeering, witness tampering and robbery.
The four members and one associate of the “West End Enterprise,” a street gang based out of the Mermaid Houses on the west side of Coney Island, are alleged to have sold drugs and intimidated witnesses, as well killing Antwon Flowers in January of 2016.
Tysheen “Billz” Cooper, Gabriale Herbert, Michael “Mitty” Liburd, Sharod “Pop” Liburd and Maurice “Flaco” Washington all face sentences if proven guilty on the charges alleged in the 12-count superseding indictment. The five men range in age from 20 to 28-years old.
The killing of Antwon Flowers, who was shot to death as he left an apartment at the Mermaid Houses, was in retaliation for the East New York murder of a West End Enterprise leader the day before, according to a statement from the United States Attorney’s Office. The accused were also alleged to have participated in retaliatory shootings against members of the rival “Sex, Money, Murder” gang.
“The defendants and other members of their street gang have subjected the residents of Coney Island to violent conduct, including murder, over a period of years,” stated Acting United States Attorney Bridget M. Rohde. She said the office would cotinueto prosecue gang members to “the fullest extend of the law” and use “every available resource to rid our communities of gangs.”
“People usually think of Coney Island as a fun place to ride the rides and have a hot dog on the beach. The men charged in this case created a dirty underbelly in a family oriented place,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney. “These dangerous gangs don’t have a place on Coney Island, or in any community, and the FBI won’t relent in pursuing cases targeting their leadership.”
This indictment is the fifth indictment in the government’s ongoing investigation into gang violence in Coney Island.