A federal jury convicted two Newark men this past week for their roles in the 2022 murder of a rival gang member and rapper, closing out a three-week trial tied to the city's Sex, Money, Murder set of the Bloods. Tyler Shorter, 22, and Amir Canty, 23, both of Newark, now face mandatory life sentences with no parole eligibility after the jury deliberated for less than a day before convicting them on every count.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, Shorter, who went by the street names Money Bags and Bangs, was a member of Sex, Money, Murder, while Canty, known as Blast, was an associate of the set. As reported by NJ.com, the pair were found guilty by the federal jury on charges of racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, and firearms offenses.
A Shooting on South Orange Avenue
Federal prosecutors say Shorter and Canty plotted the murder of a member of GBlock, a rival gang affiliated with the Crips, amid an ongoing feud between GBlock and Sex, Money, Murder. Shorter is accused of shooting the rival gang member on South Orange Avenue in Newark in November 2022, with Canty acting as the getaway driver, per federal prosecutors.
Authorities say the two men then tried to burn the stolen getaway car after the killing. The murder was described as part of a broader 2022 crime spree, during which the two drove a stolen car between New York and New Jersey to carjack luxury vehicles, per the same federal account.
Gang Used Social Media and Rap to Spread Fear
Federal prosecutors say Shorter and Canty used social media and rap music production to tout their power and spread fear among rivals as they carried out the crimes tied to their involvement in the Sex, Money, Murder set. The set operates out of the Bradley Court housing complex in Newark and is known for drug distribution, fraud schemes, interstate theft rings, and violence against rival gang members, according to the same federal statement.
Mandatory Life Sentences Loom
The trial played out over three weeks in Newark federal court before the jury returned its verdict in under a day, convicting Shorter and Canty on all counts. Both men are scheduled to be sentenced on March 30, 2027, and face mandatory life sentences with no possibility of parole.
The charges stem from 18 U.S.C. § 1959, the federal statute covering violent crimes in aid of racketeering, which specifies that murder under the law is punishable by death or life imprisonment, a fine, or both, according to the U.S. House Office of the Law Revision Counsel. That statutory text does not by itself determine what sentence Shorter or Canty will ultimately receive.
