6 Charged With ​“Exit 8” Racketeering

Six alleged affiliates of New Haven’s so-called ​“Exit 8” gang have been indicted on racketeering conspiracy charges — with two recent homicides and 10 attempted murders now pinned on members of the crew.

U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery announced that news Monday morning at a press conference held in her 157 Church St. office. The state’s top federal prosecutor was joined by ATF Special Agent James Ferguson, FBI Special Agent Robert Fuller, DEA Special Agent David Lanzoni, and New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson — as well as a room full of law enforcement officers who helped to investigate the ongoing gang activity. 

“We would rather not be here today,” Avery said. ​“Each of us would rather these young men had chosen a path that does not involve criminal prosecution.”

But, she said, ​“If you don’t put the guns down and stop the violence, we will know that you have chosen the wrong path, one that will inevitably involve a tip to the federal court house.”

The catalyst for Monday’s presser was that a federal grand jury in Bridgeport returned an indictment on March 22 charging six individuals, who may be either members or associates of a New Haven-based street gang known as ​“Exit 8,” with a number of charges related to repeated racketeering. 

The indictment alleges members of the gang engaged in drug trafficking, used and shared firearms, and, since June, 2018, have committed at least two murders and 10 attempted murders. ​“Exit 8 members promoted, coordinated, facilitated and celebrated their narcotics distribution and acts of violence through text messaging and the use of social media applications and websites including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Youtube,” a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice reads.

Three of the six suspects are already in federal custody on previous charges and a fourth has been detained in state custody since 2021. The remaining two suspects were arrested on March 24. They appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert Spector on Friday and were ordered detained.

All of the men facing charges are between 19 and 25 years of age.

Each has been charged with racketeering conspiracy with tentative sentences ranging from 20 to 60 years if found guilty. Two of the supposed gang members were charged with attempted assault with a dangerous weapon and attempted murder. Another was also charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. And one individual was charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine. 

All of the identified attempted murders took place between 2018 and fall of 2022, with seven of the alleged shootings occurring during the spring of 2021.

Jacobson said the ​“Exit 8” street gang started identifying themselves as such around 2010. The New Haven Police Department has reportedly been working with the ATF, FBI, DEA and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for years to investigate an ongoing war between members of the Exit 8 gang, named after the area just off Interstate 91, and rival gangs located in the Hill.

Avery noted that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Rather, a grand jury determined there was probable cause to believe the six individuals had committed the above crimes. Now all six will proceed through the criminal prosecution process.

“This is only the beginning. It’s definitely not the end of the case… additional arrests and indictments may develop.”

While FBI Agent James Ferguson said the investigation marked an end ​“to the reign on terror for these individuals” and aimed ​“to put these people away for a long period of time,” New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson repeated that ​“We don’t wanna be here. We don’t wanna do these things. We don’t wanna put people in jail.”

However, he also said that the indictment is ​“part of community policing.”

“The community deserves to be safe. Today we’re telling you the community’s a little bit safer.”