Member of 10th Street Gang Pleads Guilty to Attempted Murder

BUFFALO, NY—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Luther Jones, 20, of Buffalo, New York, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to attempted murder in aid of racketeering. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Tripi, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant was a member of the 10th Street Gang. As a part of his involvement in the gang, Jones, along with other members and associates of the gang, attempted to murder rival gang members identified as L.M. and K.R. during a drive-by style shooting on March 20, 2012, in the vicinity of Trenton Avenue and Hudson Street on the West Side of Buffalo. The defendant is the 15th member or associate to plead guilty in connection with the prosecution of the 10th Street Gang.

“Our office is committed to ridding our community of organized groups of individuals who fill the streets with illegal narcotics and the violence often associated with them,” said U.S. Attorney Hochul. “In the last year, we have made dozens of arrests of members and associates of not only the 10th Street Gang, but other gangs as well. Those efforts will continue as we work collaboratively with our law enforcement partners at all levels of government.”

The plea was the culmination of an investigation on the part of Investigators of the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Christopher Cummings; the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commission Daniel Derenda; and special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher M. Piehota.

Sentencing is scheduled for November 30, 2012, at 1:00 p.m. before Judge Arcara.