Federal prosecutors have unsealed an indictment charging three alleged members of a Bronx street crew in the execution-style killing of a man who was shot at point-blank range on a Bronx sidewalk. Authorities identify the victim as 33-year-old Ralph Herrera and say the attack occurred on August 7, 2025, and was captured on video. Arrests were announced in late May, and the three defendants have been ordered detained while their federal case moves forward.
Indictment and arrests
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, the indictment unsealed May 28, 2026, names Jahrid Dawkins, Kadin West (aka "Kay Backends") and Milan Wright (aka "BabyyThreat"). Dawkins is listed in filings as an 18-year-old from Edison, New Jersey, while West, 23, and Wright, 19, are identified as Bronx residents. "As alleged, the defendants plotted a point-blank murder after a gang dispute and carried it out in cold blood on a busy Bronx sidewalk," U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York.
Alleged motive and video evidence
Prosecutors say the killing came two days after an August 5, 2025, altercation between the three men and Herrera in front of a Bronx store, and that West and Wright discussed retaliation in the days that followed. On August 7, 2025, authorities allege that Dawkins, wearing a mask and all-black clothing, approached Herrera and shot him in the side of the head at point-blank range. They say the shooting was captured on video. Local reporting also noted that one outlet described a defendant as a Yonkers man, while federal filings list two Bronx residents and one New Jersey resident, as reported by News 12 Westchester.
Charges and potential penalties
Each defendant is charged with a count of racketeering conspiracy. The indictment states that this count carries a maximum sentence of life for Dawkins and West and up to 20 years for Wright. West and Wright are also charged with conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, and West faces murder-in-aid-of-racketeering and related firearms counts that carry severe mandatory and maximum penalties, according to the indictment. Prosecutors allege the three were members or associates of a crew called the MacBallers that engaged in drug trafficking, robbery and systematic violence against rivals.
Why this matters locally
Federal authorities have brought a string of RICO and gang-related prosecutions in the Bronx in recent months, a pattern prosecutors say is aimed at dismantling organized street crews that traffic drugs and commit violence. For broader context on recent federal crackdowns in the borough, see Bronx double murder, a report on a high-profile 38-count indictment unsealed earlier this year.
What happens next
The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla and will be handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office Violent Organizations and Crime Unit. Prosecutors have emphasized that the counts are accusations and that the defendants are presumed innocent. The three men are expected to appear in federal court for arraignments and pretrial proceedings in the weeks ahead as the government continues its review of evidence.
