HARRISBURG – A 30-year-old York man will serve more than 21 years in prison after being convicted in federal court of drug distribution conspiracy and racketeering charges.
Tyree “Ree” Eatmon was identified as a member of the Southside street gang and was involved in violent gang activity, according to U.S. Attorney David J. Freed. Four other members of the Southside gang were previously sentenced to life in prison, Freed said.
At the sentencing hearing, prosecutors presented evidence of Eatmon’s involvement in the violent gang activity that was the subject of the two-month long trial that occurred in 2015.
On September 2, 2012, Eatmon and his fellow gang members were involved in a melee in the parking lot of a convenience store. During the altercation, Eatmon and co-defendant Maurice “Mo” Atkinson assaulted, kicked and stomped a member of a rival gang. During the altercation, multiple shots were fired striking an innocent bystander in the head, causing permanent damage. Video footage of the assault and shooting was played at the trial.
The government noted that Eatmon was involved in other shootings and assaults during his years of involvement in the gang. Judge Kane noted that the violence associated with the gang was a “reign of terror” to the community.
The court compared Eatmon to the other four defendants on whom she imposed a life sentence. The judge found that Eatmon was not involved in murders and/or violent retaliations against witnesses. She also found that Eatmon served over 42 months of incarceration in state facilities for related conduct.
In November 2015, a jury convicted Eatmon of racketeering conspiracy, drug trafficking conspiracy, and drug trafficking after a seven-week trial. It included over 100 witnesses called by the government, including York City Police officers and detectives, federal agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, and other gang members who had previously pleaded guilty. The trial featured the presentation of over 500 exhibits, which included videos of violent incidents involving the Southside Gang, drugs, cash and property seized by police and ATF agents as part of the investigation.
The jury also convicted the other 11 men who went to trial with Eatmon.
Overall, the jury found seven of the 12 men on trial guilty of racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute drugs, mainly cocaine base (crack) and cocaine, but including heroin in some instances. Two others were found not guilty of the racketeering charge but were found guilty of the drug distribution conspiracy count of the indictment. Three of the defendants were found not guilty of either of the conspiracy counts. The jury found all 12 defendants guilty of possession of illegal drugs with the intent to distribute. Two defendants were also charged and found guilty of, possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to Freed, the principal defendants, specifically the most violent and those in leading roles, were found guilty of the racketeering conspiracy charges.
The individual defendants and the charges on which they were awaiting sentencing or were sentenced:
- Rolando “Mico” Cruz, Jr., age 32; racketeering conspiracy, drug trafficking conspiracy, drug possession with intent to deliver and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking (two counts) was sentenced on October 3, 2017, to life in prison.
- Marc “Marky D” Hernandez, age 32; racketeering conspiracy, drug trafficking conspiracy, drug possession with intent to deliver and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking (2 counts) was sentenced on October 25, 2017, to life in prison.
- Douglas “Killer” Kelly, age 39, racketeering conspiracy, drug trafficking conspiracy, and drug possession with intent to deliver was sentenced on December 12, 2017, to life in prison.
- Maurice “Mo” Atkinson, age 30; racketeering conspiracy, drug trafficking conspiracy, and drug possession with intent to deliver was sentenced on February 12, 2018, to life in prison.
- Roscoe “P Shawn” Villega, age 44; racketeering conspiracy, drug trafficking conspiracy, and drug possession with intent to deliver was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
- Anthony “Kanye” Sistrunk, age 30; racketeering conspiracy, drug trafficking conspiracy, and drug possession with intent to 30 years in prison.
- Eugene “B Mor” Rice, age 29; drug trafficking conspiracy, and drug possession with intent to deliver was sentenced to 200 months in prison on December 7, 2017,
- Angel “Pocko” Schueg, age 28; drug trafficking conspiracy, and drug possession with intent to deliver was sentenced to 165 months in prison on December 21, 2017,
- Richard Nolden, age 28; racketeering conspiracy was sentenced to 25 years in prison on December 21, 2017,
- Jalik “Murder Cat” Frederick, age 22; drug possession with intent to deliver was sentenced to 33 months in prison on June 5, 2017,
- Brandon “B Or” Orr, age 23; drug possession with intent to deliver was sentenced to 34 months in prison on November 10, 2016,
- Jabree “Minute” Williams, age 24; drug possession with intent to deliver was sentenced to 60 months in prison on May 15, 2017.
Southside gang members who pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy prior to the trial are and who are awaiting sentencing are:
- James “Doocs” Abney, age 31
- Malik “Base” Sturdivant, age 25
- Jahkeem “Foo” Abney, age 27
- Ronald “Ron Ron” Payton, age 25
- Marquis “Quis” Williams, age 29
- Quintez “Q” Hall, age 25
The case included the participation and assistance of the Pennsylvania State Police, West York Borough Police Department, Spring Garden Township Police Department, the York County Drug Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael A. Consiglio, William Houser, and Joseph Terz prosecuted the case.
