Brooklyn gang members convicted of murder and drug conspiracy

Nine members of the Brick Squad street gang were found guilty of various crimes and sentenced to lengthy prison terms, including three defendants who received up to life sentences, the office of Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said.

The convictions followed extensive investigations into the gang's violent activities, which include murder, drug trafficking and other crimes, a press release said.

“These verdicts send a clear message: violent gang activity and the destruction it causes will have serious consequences in Brooklyn,” Gonzalez said. “These gang members terrorized our neighborhoods, sold drugs and committed heinous acts of violence, including the senseless murders of two people.”

Christopher Garcia, 26, a high-ranking member of the Brick Squad, was sentenced to 41 2/3 years to life for second-degree murder and related charges. Co-defendants Quazeer Farmer, 25, and Jashaun Washington, 24, were sentenced to 30 2/3 and 27 2/3 years to life, respectively.

All three were convicted in July 2024 after a trial before two juries.

The gang, a subgroup of the larger Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation (UGSN), was active in Brooklyn and expanded its drug trafficking to other areas, including Binghamton, New York, and Bangor, Maine. Between 2017 and 2019, the defendants used violence to maintain their control and generate revenue through drug sales.

Two murders were linked to the conspiracy. In 2017, Garcia and Washington were convicted of killing fellow gang member John Fernandez, who they mistakenly believed was cooperating with authorities. In 2018, Farmer and another gang member shot and killed their rival Claudell Gary as part of a neighborhood feud.

The investigation was led by detectives from the NYPD's Gun Violence Suppression Division and Brooklyn North Homicide Squad. The case was prosecuted by the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office's Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau.