Delaware’s Attorney General announced the indictment of 14 gang members on more than 100 charges Monday.
The defendants are part of a gang called NorthPak, and seven are accused of murdering six people between Nov. 2018 and April of this year.
“And mothers who are here today, other relatives grieve mightily,” said state Attorney General Kathy Jennings. “This matters, a human life was taken — and we have the sad job of putting cases together to bring justice to those families but we can’t replace that human life that was taken.”
Jennings notes the indictments are the culmination of six months of investigations by the Delaware Department of Justice, Wilmington Police Department, and New Castle County Police Department, the Delaware State Police, the Delaware Department of Correction, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The defendants in custody are between 15 to 23 years old.
New Castle County Police chief Vaughn Bond says investigations like this one are becoming increasingly difficult.
“It has slowly gotten to the point now where you can have a homicide in broad daylight with multiple witnesses present, and no-one says a single word,” Bond said. “And what that does is it empowers and emboldens those that are involved in the criminal activity to continue on the path that they’re on.”
Bond says the decrease in community support coincides with diminishing trust in police by their communities.
He adds focusing on community policing and rebuilding trust are essential to help stop gangs like NorthPak from terrorizing neighborhoods and families.
Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzyki agrees, and says the city now has federal funding to spend on further addressing gun violence. He says that includes helping youth stay out of gangs and providing them with ongoing community services.
Jennings released a list of the defendants and their charges, along with a list of the victims whose lives were accused to be taken by the gang. Jenning’s team adds the defendants were not charged with anything drug related:
Victims: Stephan Price, Taron Whaley, Ollier Henry, Taquan Davis, Shareef Hamilton, and Dakevis Reed – and the attempted murder of several others.
Defendants:
Elijah Coffield
- Illegal Gang Participation
- Two counts of Murder First Degree (Ollier Henry, Shareef Hamilton)
- Four counts of Attempted Murder First Degree
- Four count of Conspiracy First Degree
- One count of Reckless Endangering First Degree
- One count of Attempted Assault in a Detention Facility
- Eight counts of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony
- Four counts of Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited
Gregory Wing
- Illegal Gang Participation
- Two counts of Murder First Degree (Ollier Henry, Taquan Davis)
- Four counts of Attempted Murder First Degree
- Three counts of Conspiracy First Degree
- Attempted Assault in a Detention Facility
- Seven counts of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony
Julius Smith, Jr.
- Illegal Gang Participation
- Murder First Degree (Dakevis Reed)
- Attempted Murder First Degree
- Conspiracy First Degree
- Two counts of Conspiracy Second Degree
- Receiving Stolen Property
- Disregarding a Police Officer’s Signal
- Three counts of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony
- Two counts of Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited
Jacari Robinson
- Illegal Gang Participation
- Murder First Degree (Dakevis Reed)
- Attempted Murder First Degree
- Conspiracy First Degree
- Conspiracy Second Degree
- Receiving Stolen Property
- Three counts of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony
- Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited
Markevis Clark
- Illegal Gang Participation
- Murder First Degree (Taron Whaley)
- Attempted Murder First Degree
- Conspiracy First Degree
- Three counts of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony
Zymir Hynson
- Illegal Gang Participation
- Murder First Degree (Taron Whaley)
- Attempted Murder First Degree
- Conspiracy First Degree
- Three counts of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony
Davine Boyce
- Illegal Gang Participation
- Murder First Degree (Stephan Price)
- Two counts of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony
- Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited
Caleb Lancaster
- Illegal Gang Participation
- Attempted Murder First Degree
- Conspiracy First Degree
- Two counts of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony
- Possession of a Firearm During by a Person Prohibited
Deshonne Moore
- Illegal Gang Participation
- Robbery First Degree
- Assault First Degree
- Three counts of Conspiracy Second Degree
- Receiving Stolen Property
- Disregarding a Police Officer’s Signal
- Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony
- Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited
- Resisting Arrest
- Criminal Mischief
Rashawn George
- Illegal Gang Participation
- Robbery First Degree
- Carrying a Concealed Deadly Weapon
- Two counts of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony
Dion Young
- Illegal Gang Participation
- Conspiracy Second Degree
- Attempted Assault in a Detention Facility
- Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony
Khalil Rodriguez-Fitzgerald
- Illegal Gang Participation
- Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony
Amire Pierce
- Illegal Gang Participation
- Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony
Malik Benson
- Illegal Gang Participation
- Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony
Roman Battaglia is a corps member withReport for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms.
