A federal jury returned a verdict Friday in a case brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York against alleged members and associates of the transnational 18th Street gang, which prosecutors say terrorized parts of Queens for years. Officials framed the outcome as a major win for neighborhood safety after repeated episodes of violence and drug activity along busy corridors. Residents of Jackson Heights and Corona have watched the case unfold through indictments and earlier convictions as federal and local agents methodically closed in.
In a post from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, prosecutors said the verdict removes dangerous actors from the streets and publicly thanked the FBI and NYPD for their work. The office added that "our office, together with our law-enforcement partners, remains focused on dismantling violent gangs like 18th Street," underscoring that this case is part of a longer campaign, not a one-off courtroom victory.
What prosecutors say
According to federal prosecutors, the defendants were members and associates of an 18th Street clique that relied on violence, extortion, drug sales and counterfeit-identification schemes to control a commercial stretch along Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights. Those allegations are laid out in a June 16, 2025 press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. The government charged racketeering conspiracy and related offenses tied to activity in Jackson Heights and neighboring Corona, describing a pattern of organized conduct rather than isolated incidents.
Federal momentum
The verdict fits into a broader federal push against 18th Street. In April 2025, a Brooklyn federal court sentenced a member of the gang to 45 years for racketeering and two murders, a case prosecutors cited as evidence of the violence driving the organization. Local coverage of that sentence is available in a report on the member sentenced to 45 years. Federal officials have credited multi-agency investigations with building these long-running cases and say that cooperation has been key to getting them over the finish line in court.
What comes next
Sentencing for the defendants in the March 20 verdict will be scheduled by a federal judge and could translate into years behind bars if the convictions are upheld. Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz previously joined federal partners to announce indictments and investigations into the 18th Street clique, according to a Queens DA newsletter that documented the June 2025 announcements. Prosecutors say they intend to keep coordinating across agencies as the cases move toward sentencing and, if defendants choose to challenge the outcomes, possible appeals.
Legal implications
Racketeering convictions come with serious federal penalties. A Congressional Research Service overview notes that RICO violations can bring up to 20 years in prison, or a life term where a predicate offense itself carries a life sentence, along with forfeiture and steep fines. Such convictions also open the door to asset forfeiture and civil claims that are tied to the underlying RICO allegations, extending the fallout well beyond the criminal courtroom.
