BROOKLYN, NY – Moeleek Harrell, the alleged leader of the “Bully Gang,” currently on trial for three counts of murder, is being portrayed by his lawyer as a pot dealer and rap artist who simply sought to make ends meet after losing close friends to violence. Harrell and his associates adopted the name “Bully Gang” in an effort to reclaim the term, as they were frequently bullied growing up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn. Their intention was to establish themselves as rap artists within the industry.
The prosecution, led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joy Lurinsky, paints a different picture, describing Harrell as the founder and leader of the Bully Gang, which is based in Bedford-Stuyvesant. His co-defendants, Derrick Ayers, Franklin Gillespie, and Anthony Kennedy, are referred to as “core members” by Lurinsky. The gang stands accused of racketeering, murder, and running two drug trafficking operations, one of which operated within the walls of Rikers Island.
Lurinsky alleges that the gang wreaked havoc across the East Coast, committing murders, targeting and shooting their adversaries, and flooding the streets with dangerous drugs. Their criminal activities extended beyond New York and New Jersey, reaching as far as the state of Maine over a five-year period. She further claims that while Harrell was imprisoned on Rikers Island for an unrelated case, he collaborated with other gang members and corrupt correctional officers to smuggle the synthetic drug K2 into the facility.
One of the murders under examination took place in March 2018 when members of a rival gang attempted to disrupt a gender reveal party for Harrell’s child. Ayers is accused of fatally shooting Jonathan Jackson as he attempted to flee. Gillespie is alleged to have carried out two additional murders in April 2020, one of which was the execution of Paul Hoilett, a rival Stukes Crew member. Lurinsky maintains that Gillespie also served as the getaway driver in the Hoilett murder, and subsequently killed the getaway driver, Mike Hawley, out of fear that he might divulge information if arrested.
The gang utilized text messages to coordinate their drug operation and discussed stalking their rivals, all while openly boasting about their criminal endeavors on social media platforms. Defense attorney Darren Fields refutes the prosecution’s claims, arguing that Harrell was imprisoned for significant portions of the gang’s operating period, which supposedly undermines the notion that he was the gang’s leader. Fields characterizes the Jackson murder as an act of self-defense, asserting that the Stukes Crew members sought to murder numerous individuals during the gender reveal party.
Harrell’s lawyer also highlights the extensive police scrutiny his client faced during his travels between New York and Maine. Despite being pulled over twice in a month, no incriminating evidence was discovered. Fields argues that the government has unfairly criminalized the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood and the relationships within it. Similarly, the defense attorneys for Harrell’s co-defendants assert that familial connections and neighborhood associations should not automatically equate to involvement in an enterprise.
The trial is ongoing, and the prosecution will continue to present evidence and arguments to support their case against Harrell and his co-defendants. The defense will have the opportunity to challenge these claims and present their own evidence and arguments. The outcome of the trial will ultimately determine whether the Bully Gang members are convicted or acquitted of the charges they face.