Two young musicians with Ghanaian roots are among dozens of gang suspects facing severe prison terms in the United States following a series of sweeping law enforcement crackdowns across New York City.
At the centre of the extensive indictments is 22-year-old Ernest Ofori, known in music circles as the Bronx drill rapper Nesty Floxks. Ofori was charged alongside 19 other members of the “800 YGz” street gang in a major 73-count indictment handed down by the Bronx District Attorney’s Office in April 2025.
A rigorous three-year police investigation targeted the gang—which operated out of 800 East 180th Street in the West Farms neighbourhood of the Bronx—linking them to a homicide and 15 separate shootings between April 2021 and July 2024.
Ofori and his co-defendants face grave offences including second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, attempted murder, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, first-degree reckless endangerment, robbery, and conspiracy.
In a parallel prosecution, another prominent artist of Ghanaian descent, Nadine Asamoah—who performs under the moniker “Nay Benz”—was arrested in connection with a massive 176-count grand jury indictment. Asamoah was named among 20 members of the Bronx-based Slattery (or Slaughtery) gang following an 18-month probe spanning June 2020 to June 2024.
Prosecutors have charged Asamoah and her associates with second-degree conspiracy, first- and second-degree robbery, and second-degree attempted murder connected to more than a dozen shooting incidents.
The broader multi-agency crackdown also brought down the “Bad-Co Ballout” gang in Queens Village, an area referred to by members as “Shadyville”. That operation ensnared 32 alleged members and associates aged between 15 and 24. Authorities allege the syndicate was led by Jahvon “Shady” Attapoku, who is accused of organizing local teenagers to carry out shootings while procuring and distributing firearms directly from his home.
Defendants in the Shadyville indictment face charges including second-degree murder, attempted murder, robbery, reckless assault, weapon possession, and first-degree conspiracy, carrying sentences up to life in prison.
Law enforcement authorities and prosecutors in New York maintain that dismantling these violent criminal networks and removing their key operatives from the streets remains crucial to restoring public safety across affected communities.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana