What to Know 21 alleged members subsets of violent street gang charged in connection with multiple shootings throughout Brooklyn, prosecutors say

21 alleged members of subsets of the Folk Nation street gang were charged with murder, other charges in 65-count indictment, prosecutors say

The accused face various penalties, depending on their age and the charges, ranging from probation to 25 years to life in prison

Twenty-one alleged members of two subsets of a violent street gang have been charged in connection with a reign of terror that included multiple shootings throughout Brooklyn that left two men dead and four other injured, prosecutors say.

The 21 alleged members of subsets of the Folk Nation street gang have been variously charged with murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder robbery, weapons possession and other charges in a 65-count indictment, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced Tuesday.

Gonzalez said that 19 of the accused were arraigned last week on the multi-dozens-count indictment in which they were charged with second-degree murder, second-degree attempted murder, first-, second-, third- and fourth-degree conspiracy, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, second-degree criminal use of a weapon, first-degree reckless endangerment and related charges.

They face various penalties, depending on their age and the charges, ranging from probation to 25 years to life in prison, Gonzalez said.

Prosecutors say that, according to the indictment, the accused, whose ages range from 17 to 41 years old, and include a father and his two sons, are members of subsets of the violent Folk Nation street gang known as Super Rich Kids, a.k.a., Street Rich Kartel (SRK-Folk) and Newkirk (Newkirk-Folk) and operate primarily in and around East Flatbush and Flatbush.

Over the course of the conspiracy, which ran from July 21, 2016 to June 27, 2019, the accused allegedly agreed to commit crimes, including murder, assault, weapons possession and various other crimes to establish and maintain their dominance, according to the indictment, and feuded with rival gangs from East Flatbush and Flatbush, as well as Canarsie, particularly subsets of the violent Bloods and Crips street gangs.

Prosecutors also say it was part of the conspiracies for SRK-Folk members to engage in armed attacks against rival gang members, running reconnaissance missions in vehicles and shooting individuals they suspected of being rival gang members, especially in Canarsie, an act commonly referred to by the accused as “spinning the Floss.” On at least two occasions, these armed hunting expeditions resulted in death, prosecutors say.

“These defendants terrorized the streets of Brooklyn by opening fire on perceived rivals and recklessly firing their guns – including in broad daylight – endangering innocent bystanders. In one instance, an innocent 15-year-old boy was killed when he was mistaken for a rival gang member,” Gonzalez said in a statement.

During the escalating violence, SRK-Folk and Newkirk-Folk members discussed their intentions and efforts to engage in attacks and took credit for past attacks through text messages and social media, prosecutors say.

“This group posed a significant threat to the members of our community and were known to be involved in serious criminal activity including attempted murder, illegal guns and robberies,” NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill said in a statement. “The outcome of this investigation is testament to the dedicated investigators of our department and its law enforcement partners.”