A reputed Los Angeles gang leader passed himself off as a community activist while running “a well-organized criminal organization” and committing a number of offenses, including the murder of an aspiring rapper, officials said Wednesday.
Eugene “Big U” Henley Jr., 58, was still at large by late Wednesday morning and will eventually face charges of extortion, human trafficking, fraud and murder, federal authorities said.
Sylvester “Vey” Robinson, 59, and Mark “Bear Claw” Martin, 50, have already been arrested and are expected to make their first appearances in a federal courtroom later Wednesday afternoon.
Henley “operated as a mafia-like organization that utilized” his “stature and long-standing association with the Rollin’ 60s and other street gangs to intimidate businesses and individuals in Los Angeles,” according to a statement by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in L.A.
Ten “Rollin’ 60s members and associates” have been “charged with various federal crimes, including drug trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and firearms offenses,” prosecutors said.
Henley fatally shot an aspiring rapper, called “R.W.” in court documents, in North Las Vegas and dumped the victim’s body in a ditch near Interstate 15 in January 2021, after the musician recorded a diss track about the defendant, authorities said.
Henley passed himself off as a community activist interested in bringing peace to South L.A. but was really using charitable efforts as a shell for criminal activity, authorities said.
“Henley and his associates reflect a pattern of crimes that runs the gamut from extortion to tax evasion, all under the umbrella of a well-organized criminal organization led by Mr. Henley,” FBI Special Agent Tyler Hatcher, who runs the Los Angeles IRS Criminal Investigation unit, said in a statement.
“Additionally, Mr. Henley allegedly duped the County of Los Angeles by running a charitable organization that promoted anti-gang solutions while continuing criminal activity that was directly contrary to his charity.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
