Alleged Leader Charles M. Willis and Others Charged in 2019 Murder and 2020 Shooting That Left 12-Year-Old Girl in Critical Condition

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TRENTON – Acting Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck today announced the indictment of 20 alleged members and associates of the “Get Money Boys” or “GMB,” a violent gang allegedly linked to multiple shootings in Trenton, including a December 2019 murder of a 32-year-old man, the attempted murder of a police officer in February 2020, and a June 2020 shooting that wounded several bystanders on Wood Street, including a 12-year-old girl who was critically injured.

Acting on intelligence from the Trenton Police Department about alleged gun violence by GMB members, the Division of Criminal Justice Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau began investigating the gang and its alleged leader, Charles M. Willis, aka “Charly Wingate” or “Gate,” in late 2019. They collaborated with the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, New Jersey State Police, Trenton Police Department, West Windsor Police Department, Hamilton Police Department, Ewing Police Department, Mercer County Shooting Response Team, and Mercer County Corrections.

The investigation led to numerous arrests last summer as violence linked to GMB escalated during the COVID pandemic, culminating in the June 3, 2020 shooting on Wood Street. Alleged GMB member Davion Fenderson allegedly attempted to murder a man, firing from a car at a crowded porch. The targeted man was only grazed, but gunfire struck three other victims, critically injuring two—a man who was shot in the chest, and the 12-year-old girl, who was shot in the abdomen.

Investigators—who had already arrested Willis and five associates in connection with the December 2019 murder, the attempted murder of the police officer, and another prior shooting—arrested 10 more alleged GMB members beginning two days after the Wood Street shooting.

The July 23, 2021 indictment charges all 20 defendants with first-degree racketeering. Fenderson was directly indicted for attempted murder and aggravated assault in the Wood Street shooting, and the indictment also charges Willis with those offenses for allegedly ordering the shooting. In addition, On February 12, 2020, GMB members allegedly shot at two men, causing them to crash their car, and when a police officer pursued the GMB members, they allegedly fired at him. The officer was not hit. Those men and Willis are charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault in the shooting involving the two civilians.

“We can and must end gun violence in New Jersey, and this latest indictment reflects our commitment to doing so,” said Acting Attorney General Bruck. “We are using every tool and resource at our disposal to keep the residents of New Jersey safe.”

“The Division of Criminal Justice and its partners acted with a sense of urgency when they arrested members of this gang last summer as violence escalated,” said Director Lyndsay V. Ruotolo of the Division of Criminal Justice. “Because of the intelligence-driven investigation we had conducted, we were prepared to act swiftly to protect Trenton residents. This indictment is an important next step in our efforts to keep the community safe by keeping these alleged gang members behind bars.”

“The Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office is extremely proud of major collaborative investigations such as the one that led to these indictments,” said Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri. “When we all partner together to stop the criminal activities that threaten the safety of our citizens, we send a message to these violent gang members that their destruction won’t be tolerated in our communities.”

“We remain steadfast in our commitment to our law enforcement partners and the residents of Trenton to continue to aggressively pursue violent criminals and criminal organizations whose actions far too often have tragic and unintended consequences—like the shooting of an innocent 12-year-old child,” said Colonel Patrick Callahan, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police.  “Today’s indictments are the first step to ensuring that those responsible are held accountable.”

It is alleged that the Get Money Boys, under the leadership of Willis, controlled heroin and cocaine distribution in the area around the Oakland Street Apartments in Trenton. Willis allegedly gave orders to lower ranking GMB members to carry out acts of violence against rivals on behalf of the gang. In addition to being charged with other defendants in first-degree counts of murder, attempted murder, and conspiracy to commit murder, Willis is charged with first-degree leader of a narcotics trafficking network and first-degree promoting organized street crime.

Many of the defendants face narcotics and/or weapons offenses. In addition, the 61-count indictment charges defendants in connection with the following shootings:

• Sept. 17, 2019 Shooting.  Shaiquan Hearns is charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, and weapons offenses for allegedly shooting a man in the leg in the early morning hours of Sept. 17, 2019 on Lamberton Street in Trenton.
• Dec. 27, 2019 Murder of Michael Barnes.  Michael Barnes, 32, was shot in the face on Commonwealth Avenue in Trenton on the night of Dec. 27. Davion Fenderson, Willis, Hearns, and Richard Fenderson are charged with murder.
• Feb. 12, 2020 Shooting of Civilians and Attempted Murder of Police Officer.  On Feb. 12, GMB members allegedly shot at two men, causing them to crash their car.  When a police officer pursued the GMB members, they allegedly fired at him. He was not hit.  Hearns, Dion Battle, and Yahonatan Salter are charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault in the shooting involving the officer. Those men and Willis are charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault in the shooting involving the two civilians.
• May 1, 2020 Shooting. On the night of May 1, 2020, five GMB members allegedly opened fire on a group of individuals on Sanhican Drive in Trenton, wounding two men. Willis, Shawn Anderson, Bobby Hood, Zaire Jackson, and David Williams are charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, and weapons offenses in that shooting.

The state grand jury indictment is posted online at:
https://www.nj.gov/oag/newsreleases21/Charles-M.-Willis-et-al-Indictment-21-7-96-S.pdf

The indictment charges the following defendants with first-degree racketeering and other offenses:

1. Charles M. Willis, 28, of Willingboro, N.J.
2. Shaiquan Hearns, 22, of Trenton, N.J.
3. Davion Fenderson, 27, of Trenton, N.J.
4. Richard Fenderson, 33, of Trenton, N.J.
5. Bobby Hood, 29, of Trenton, N.J.
6. Dion Battle, 29, of Trenton, N.J.
7. Yahonatan Salter, 29, of Trenton, N.J.
8. Shawn Anderson, 23, of Trenton, N.J.
9. Zaire Jackson, 26, of Trenton, N.J.
10. David Williams, 29, of Camden, N.J.
11. Dahquay Poole, 18, of Trenton, N.J.
12. Tre Whetstone, 27, of Trenton, N.J.
13. Charles J. Willis (Willis’ father), 50, of Lawrenceville, N.J.
14. Fredrick Eutsey, 46, of Ewing, N.J.
15. John M. Colvin Jr., 24, of Trenton, N.J.
16. Laurence Green, 45, of Trenton, N.J.
17. Briana Blue, 24, of Princeton, N.J.
18. Tameka Flemming, 31, of Trenton, N.J.
19. Ashley Jones, 31, of Trenton, N.J.
20. Brittani Mims, 32, of Trenton, N.J.

Acting Attorney General Bruck commended all of the prosecutors, detectives, investigators and officers who participated in the investigation for the Division of Criminal Justice, Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, New Jersey State Police, Trenton Police Department, Trenton Shooting Response Team, and New Jersey Department of Corrections.

Deputy Attorneys General Cassandra Montalto and Jaclyn Poulton presented the indictment to the state grand jury for the Division of Criminal Justice Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau, under the supervision of Deputy Bureau Chief Cassandra Montalto, Bureau Chief Lauren Scarpa Yfantis, and DCJ Deputy Director Annmarie Taggart.

The detectives who conducted the investigation for the Division of Criminal Justice are Lt. Brian Woolston, Sgt. Kevin Gannon, Detective Scott Caponi, former Detective Zachary Grey, and other members of the Gangs & Organized Crime Central Squad, under the supervision of former Lt. Brian Bruton, Deputy Chief of Detectives Frederic Moore, and Chief of Detectives Weldon Powell.

First-degree murder carries a sentence of life in state prison, including 30 years of parole ineligibility, while the first-degree charges of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder carry a sentence of 10 to 30 years in state prison. The other first-degree charges carry a sentence of 10 to 20 years in prison and fine of up to $200,000. The racketeering charge carries a period of parole ineligibility equal to 85 percent of the sentence imposed.

Second-degree crimes carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000. Possession of a weapon as a convicted felon carries a mandatory period of parole ineligibility of five years, and unlawful possession of a weapon carries a mandatory period of parole ineligibility equal to one-third to one-half of the sentence imposed or three years, whichever is greater. Third-degree crimes carry a sentence of three to five years in state prison and a fine of up to $15,000.

The charges are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

Defense Attorneys

For Charles M. Willis: Alan D. Bowman, Esq.
For Hearns: Michael R. Rosas, Esq.
For Hood: Patrick C. O’Hara Jr., Esq.
For Battle: Rukiya A. Blackwell, Esq.
For Salter: Deirdre C. Smith, Esq.
For Anderson: Arun D. Lavine, Esq.
For Jackson: Peter V. Abatemarco, Esq.
For Williams: Bruce L. Throckmorten, Esq.
For Poole: Kevin Hewitt Jr., Esq.
For Whetstone: John S. Furlong, Esq.
For Charles J. Willis: Jarred S. Freeman, Esq.
For Eutsey: Andrew Duclair, Esq.
For Colvin: Louis A. Mangione Jr., Esq.
For Blue: Mark A. Fury, Esq.
For Others: Undetermined.

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