Former Crips gang member Rubin Moye, known as "Nut," has been indicted for orchestrating two separate murders in 2011 and 2015. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York reports that the allegations involve the killings of individuals connected - however tangentially - to rival gang members.
As detailed in the indictment, Moye, a figure connected to the Santana Block Crips set running out of the Bronx, allegedly leveraged his status within the gang to call for the execution of rivals. This campaign of violence inadvertently resulted in the deaths of Phillip Richards on August 4, 2011, and Michelle Cox on March 4, 2015, neither of whom were active participants in gang rivalries. "These vicious crimes occurred years ago, but this Office and our partners at HSI and the NYPD do not forget the victims of violent crime, and we will not stop pursuing justice for them," Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky stated, according to a press release from his office.
In between these two incidents, in a separate act of retribution, Moye himself attempted to take the life of a rival gang member's mother, shooting her in an retaliatory act for an alleged murder of Moye's brother. However, she survived the attempt on her life, as detailed by the U.S. Attorney's Office. Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso emphasized the commitment of HSI New York to the public's safety, irrespective of the amount of time that has lapsed since the crimes were committed. "Together with our law enforcement partners, we refuse to let lawlessness run unchecked on the streets of New York City," Alfonso said.
Moye, 42, faces a range of serious charges that include two counts of murder in aid of racketeering and two counts of murder while engaged in a narcotics conspiracy. Each count carries severe penalties with potential life sentences involved. Despite the gravity of these charges, it is key to remember that they are accusations, and the defendant remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty. The legal proceedings are slated to continue under the guidance of U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken. The case represents the tireless work of the Homeland Security Investigations’ Violent Gangs Task Force and the NYPD’s Bronx Violent Crimes Squad and is being prosecuted by the Office's Violent and Organized Crime Unit.
