Federal prosecutors arrested and charged the alleged leader of a Los Angeles Crips gang subset who they claim posed as an anti-gang activist, the U.S. Attorney said.
Eugene Henley Jr., 58, also known by the alias “Big U,” is the lead defendant named in a criminal complaint that was unsealed Wednesday. The court documents accuse Henley, a prominent leader of the Rollin’ 60s chapter of the larger Los Angeles Crips, of running a “mafia-like organization” known as “Big U Enterprise.”
The Department of Justice said Henley surrendered himself to investigators Wednesday afternoon after the charges were announced.
Henley posted a series of videos to the Crenshaw Cougars Instagram, a youth football program he oversees and features his son, Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley’s football camp.
The alleged head of the Rollin’ 60s denied the allegations stemming from the RICO case.
“I’m looking at all these charges in the news. I’m heading back to LA,” Henley said. “Ain’t going to be no real evidence. Ain’t going to be no real nothing … Now, they’re saying all that stuff to assassinate my character.”
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At a news conference Wednesday, Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph McNally said he is being charged with a series of crimes, including racketeering, fraud, extortion, robbery, human trafficking and the murder of an aspiring rap musician in 2021.
Two other defendants, Sylvester Robinson, 59, also known as “Vey,” and Mark Martin, 50, also known as “Bear Claw,” were also named in the complaint. They are accused of being members of Henley’s criminal enterprise.
McNally said over the past four years federal officials launched an investigation into Henley’s criminal enterprise. During the investigation, officials gathered interviews, financial records, phone records and search warrants for social media accounts.
Court documents said Henley often used his stature in his gang to partner with his enterprise and intimidate businesses and individuals across LA.
Henley founded his charity, Developing Options, in which federal officials claim he embezzled donations and defrauded donors. The court documents said some of Henley’s victims include celebrities and well-known athletes. He is also accused of fraudulently securing funding from the LA mayor’s office through the Gang Reduction Youth Development Foundation.
“I ain’t been nothing but help to our community,” he said in an Instagram video. “It’s crazy, but I’m going to turn myself in, though, because I ain’t do nothing.”
The court documents allege Henley is responsible for the murder of a man only referred to in the complaint as “R.W.” in January 2021. The complaint described R.W. as an aspiring musician who was signed to Uneek Music, Henley and Martin’s label.
R.W. was in Las Vegas at the time of his death recording music at a producer’s studio. Court documents said R.W. did not record at a rate that was previously agreed upon and recorded a “diss song” against Henley.
Henley and Robinson allegedly drove to Las Vegas to confront R.W. where they fatally shot him. They are accused of leaving R.W.’s body off Interstate 15 in the desert. When the pair returned to LA, they allegedly ordered the studio workers to delete video footage of them at the studio.
“In furtherance of the enterprise, Henley allegedly submitted a fraudulent application for a COVID-19 pandemic relief loan in which he claimed that Uneek Music was operating at a $200,000 profit in 2019 despite operating at a $5,000 loss that year, which should have disqualified it from loan eligibility,” McNally said.
Henley denied the allegations of fraud in the series of Instagram posts.
If convicted of the charges, Henley could face a statutory maximum life sentence in federal prison, the U.S. attorney’s office said. If Robinson and Martin are convicted of the charges, they could face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
“Eliminating gangs and organized crime is the Department of Justice’s top priority. Today’s charges and arrests target the leadership of this criminal outfit and will make the neighborhoods of Los Angeles safer,” McNally said. “I am grateful for the work of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners.”
