"The internet is our 21st century crime scene," said Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance. "There isn't a crime that happens, here in Manhattan or elsewhere, that doesn't leave some electronic fingerprint."
Several dozen alleged members of the Air It Out, True Money and Whoadey
gangs have been accused of carrying out a "campaign of violence dating
back to at least 2009," Vance said.
The gangs have been tied to three murders, nearly three dozen shootings and gun trafficking.
"Today's indictments chronicle a bloody gang war that claimed the lives of at least three teenagers, led to the shooting of dozens of individuals and put bounties on people's heads," the DA said.
The cops also grabbed 25 guns, officials said.
In the old days police needed wiretaps or an informant, a "rat," to
bring down a criminal gang. Today the players are ratting out
themselves.
"Social media remains a double-edged sword in our crime fighting
strategies," New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said. "It is
used by crew members to brag about past crimes, taunt rivals and incite
violence. On the other hand we use social media to document past crimes
and intercept new ones being talked about openly by crew members on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube."
Court records quoted one gang member
on Facebook bragging, "I'm 2 Glocks strapped rolling down 112 Madison
116th this is the New Iraq." Said another on Twitter: "It start goin'
off like its 4th of July."
"This is how people are communicating," Vance said. "It's no different
whether it's talking about getting together on Saturday night or getting
together on Saturday night to shoot somebody."
Prosecutors released a two-page glossary of terms the alleged gang members
used on their social media accounts that police decoded. Biscuit,
blammer or clickety are all slang for a gun. Food, electricity or sea
shellz refer to ammunition.
Between October 2009 and March 2013, court records say two gangs – True
Money and Whoadey – allied together against a third, Air it Out, for the
purposes of protecting their territory and avenging shootings and
murders committed by one group against another. The 63 defendants in
all three gangs are charged with attempting to kill one another, buy and
sell guns and use violence to protect their turf.
The alleged gang members used hundreds of Facebook and Twitter posts and
direct messages, text messages, cell phone videos, and calls made from
Rikers Correctional Facility to plot the deaths of rival gang members.
Gang members also used social media and prison phone calls to traffic
firearms and ammunition, and to warn each other of potential law
enforcement action.
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