Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that JAMEL JONES, a/k/a “Mel Murda,” was sentenced to 135 months in prison in connection with his participation in the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods (“Nine Trey”) and the distribution of narcotics, including heroin and fentanyl. JONES pled guilty on April 3, 2019, before U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer, who imposed today’s sentence.

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Under Jamel Jones’s leadership, the Nine Trey gang acted with impunity to ensure their narcotics business remained intact, including shootings, assaults, and robberies. Now, Jones faces more than a decade behind bars for his role and involvement in this violent gang.”

According to court documents and the evidence presented at the trial of JONES’ co-defendants:

Nine Trey was a criminal enterprise involved in committing numerous acts of violence, including shootings, robberies, and assaults in and around Manhattan and Brooklyn. Members and associates of Nine Trey engaged in violence to retaliate against rival gangs, to promote the standing and reputation of Nine Trey, and to protect the gang’s narcotics business. Members and associates of Nine Trey enriched themselves by committing robberies and selling drugs, such as heroin, fentanyl, furanly fentanyl, MDMA, dibutylone, and marijuana.

The leadership structure of Nine Trey is divided into two parts: the Prison Lineup, which consists of incarcerated members, and the Street Lineup, which consists of members who are not incarcerated. JONES was the Godfather of the Street Lineup.

JONES pled guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy for his participation in the Nine Trey enterprise and to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute ten grams and more of an analogue of fentanyl.

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In addition to the prison term, JONES, 39, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced to five years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $10,000.

Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Longyear, Jacob Warren, Jonathan Rebold, and Sebastian Swett are in charge of the prosecution.