MEMBER OF BLOODS STREET GANG FOUND GUILTY OF MURDER, ROBBERY, RACKETEERING AND MORE

(FREEHOLD) A Monmouth County jury has found a high ranking member of the Sex, Money, Murder set of the Bloods street gang is guilty of Murder, Attempted Murder, Robbery and Racketeering in connection with a 2006 Long Branch homicide, announced Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.

The prosecution was a partnership between the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and the state Division of Criminal Justice, Office of the Attorney General.

Carl Holdren, a/k/a “Killa”, 24, of Lakewood, and a “lieutenant” in the Sex, Money, Murder set of the Bloods street gang, was found guilty following a six-week trial in the courtroom of Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Anthony J. Mellaci, Jr., J.S.C.

“Violence is not an acceptable part of our community and these street gangs are not going to get away with murder. They may think they can dole out their version of street justice but the community is no longer willing to tolerate their tactics. It has to stop,” Gramiccioni said.

Holdren is scheduled to return to Judge Mellaci’s courtroom on Dec. 19, 2013, where he faces a possible Life sentence in a New Jersey State Prison.

“The testimony and evidence presented in this trial painted a clear portrait of Carl Holdren as a murderous, gun-toting thug who thought nothing of taking a life to settle a score with another gang,” said Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman. “This verdict will ensure that he will remain behind bars where he will no longer pose a threat to the communities he terrorized with his fellow gang members.”

Holdren’s conviction stems from a far ranging investigation that began with the Nov. 21, 2006, double shooting of Michael Montgomery and Keith Logan on Hendrickson Street in Long Branch. Michael Montgomery, a confirmed member of the Brick City Brim set of the Bloods street gang, died as a result of a single gunshot wound to his hip. The intended target of the shooting, Keith Logan, a confirmed member of the G-Shine set of the Bloods street gang, received a single gunshot wound to the abdomen but survived. Evidence adduced at trial revealed that Holdren, along with two other men, Quemere McClendon and Valdo Thompson played a role in the double shooting.

“This conviction sends another powerful message to the gang members who think they rule the streets of New Jersey – we are coming at you with all of our law enforcement resources, and we are going to put you away,” said Director Elie Honig of the Division of Criminal Justice. “We will continue to join forces in multi-agency investigations targeting the leadership and the most dangerous members of these violent street gangs.”

The charges for which Holdren was convicted are contained in a 24 count indictment handed-up by a State Grand Jury sitting in Trenton in 2007 that charged six men with gang-related activity involving a variety of crimes in Monmouth and Ocean Counties, including two murders in the City of Long Branch in Monmouth County in less than one month.

This spate of crimes was committed in the time period from just before Thanksgiving to the day prior to New Years Eve 2006. The defendants charged in the indictment besides Holdren are as follows: Zackery Butts, a/k/a “Zoo,” 28, of Freehold,; Paul Lewis, a/k/a “P-Lew,” 25, of Long Branch,; Quemere McClendon, a/k/a “Tragedy,” 27, of Long Branch,; Darnell Stovall, a/k/a “D-Nell,” 26, of Long Branch,; and Valdo Thompson, a/k/a “SB” and “Soldier Boy,” 27, of Jackson.

A cooperative investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, The State Attorney General’s Office, New Jersey State Police, City of Long Branch Police Department and Lakewood Police Department led to the indictment against the defendants. McClendon, Stovall and Lewis were charged with the murder of Keith Mason on Dec. 12, 2006, in Long Branch. McClendon, Holdren and Thompson were charged with the murder of Michael Montgomery and the attempted murder of Keith Logan in Long Branch on Nov. 21, 2006. Holdren and Thompson were also charged with Conspiracy to Commit and Attempting to Commit the Murder of Michael Stallworth on Dec. 28, 2006, in Lakewood. Zachery Butts was charged with Possession of a Handgun for an Unlawful Purpose.

All of the men also faced or are facing Racketeering and Conspiracy charges during this time period due to their involvement with the Bloods street gang and associated criminal behavior.

As noted, Quemere McClendon and Valdo Thompson were also charged in the Montgomery-Logan shooting-homicide. The charges against Thompson are still pending. McClendon however, has been convicted for both the Montgomery/Logan shooting (by way of guilty plea) and for the homicide of Keith Mason committed on Dec. 14, 2006 (by way of trial). In the Mason homicide, Quemere McClendon, Darnell Stovall and Paul Lewis planned a home-invasion style armed robbery of Keith Mason who lived on Second Avenue in Long Branch. During the robbery, McClendon shot Keith Mason once in the chest in front of Mason’s young son. McClendon, Stovall and Lewis all fled the scene and left Mason dying on his kitchen floor. Mason’s small child, who was not physically injured during the crime, was left alone with his dying father.

The trial involving the murder of Keith Mason was also presided over by Judge Mellaci. Assistant Prosecutor Jacquelynn F. Seely of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and Deputy Attorney General Philip Aronow prosecuted the case for the State.

At the conclusion of that trial in Jan. 2011, Quemere McClendon was found guilty of first degree Felony Murder, first degree Armed Robbery, second degree Conspiracy to commit Armed Robbery and Armed Burglary, second degree Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, third degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child, and second degree Certain Persons Not to Possess a Firearm.

McClendon was sentenced by Judge Mellaci on May 3, 2011, to an aggregate sentence of 55 years in state prison with a 40 year period of parole ineligibility. Subsequently on December 19, 2011, McClendon pled to first degree Conspiracy to Murder Keith Logan. He was sentenced on February 24, 2012 by Judge Mellaci to 20 years in state prison, subject to the No Early Release Act (NERA) requiring he serve a minimum of 85 percent of that sentence before becoming eligible for parole. The sentence was run concurrent to the earlier sentence.

Darnell Stovall pled guilty on May 12, 2011, to the following: first degree Armed Robbery of Keith Mason, second degree Conspiracy to commit Robbery and Burglary, second degree Possession of Weapon for Unlawful Purpose, second degree Burglary, and third degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child. Pursuant to the terms of Stovall’s plea agreement, Judge Mellaci sentenced him to a state prison term of 22 years on Aug. 12, 2011. His sentence is subject to NERA, and therefore, Stovall must serve 85 percent of the sentence imposed before he will be eligible for release on parole.

Paul Lewis pled guilty on March 19, 2009, to the following: first degree Armed Robbery of Keith Mason, second degree Conspiracy to commit Robbery and Burglary, second degree Possession of Weapon for Unlawful Purpose, second degree Burglary, and third degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child. On Aug. 26, 2011, Judge Mellaci sentenced him to a State Prison term of 15 years. Pursuant to the NERA, Lewis must serve 85 percent of the sentence imposed before he will be eligible for release on parole.

In addition to the double shooting-homicide, the verdict returned by the jury today also convicted Holdren of a robbery related to his gang activity, but unrelated to the shooting of Logan and homicide of Montgomery. That incident occurred on December 12, 2006, a few weeks after the shooting, when Holdren, acting on orders and in agreement with other gang members, including Valdo Thompson, robbed a man at gunpoint in Lakewood. Unbeknownst to Holdren, the victim, J.H., was an FBI Informant posing as a gun buyer.

Evidence presented during trial showed that on Dec. 28, 2006, tensions between the Sex, Money, Murder set of the Bloods street gang and a rival set of the Bloods street gang resulted in an attempt to kill Michael Stallworth of Lakewood. As disclosed during trial, the New Jersey State Police learned of the impending Murder through a court authorized electronic intercept and took action to stop the homicide. With the assistance of the Lakewood Police Department, a motor vehicle stop was conducted on Zachery Butts’ vehicle, and a loaded .45 caliber handgun was found inside. Butts was on his way to deliver the weapon to Holdren. Holdren was found guilty by the jury today of the attempt on Stallworth’s life.

Zachery Butts pled guilty on June 19, 2008, to second degree Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose in connection with the attempt on Michael Stallworth’s life. Pursuant to the terms of Butts’ plea agreement, Judge Mellaci sentenced him to a State Prison term of 8 years with a 4-year period of parole ineligibility on Feb. 4, 2011.

With the exception of Valdo Thompson, all of the men are serving lengthy jail sentences for their roles in crimes listed in the indictment.

The terms of the co-defendants’ plea agreements were reached after consultation with, and with the approval of, the families of the victims of the homicides.

As mentioned earlier, the charges against Valdo Thompson, Jr. are still pending. Thompson is believed to have been the leader of the Sex, Money, Murder set in Monmouth and Ocean Counties at the time these crimes occurred. Thompson is charged with: Racketeering, Conspiracy to Murder Keith Logan, Attempted Murder of Keith Logan, Murder of Michael Montgomery, Conspiracy to Murder Michael Stallworth and the Attempted Murder of Michael Stallworth, all first degree crimes. He also faces additional charges involving weapons and the distribution of Controlled Dangerous Substances.

The trial ending in today’s verdict was jointly prosecuted by Assistant Monmouth County Prosecutor Jacquelynn F. Seely and Deputy Attorney General Daniel Bornstein.

Carl Holdren is represented by Adam Weisberg, Esq., Valdo Thompson is represented by Robert Tarver, Esq., Quemere McClendon was represented by Ruben Scolavino, Esq., Darnell Stovall was represented by James Kinarney, Esq., Paul Lewis was represented by Barry Shapiro, Esq. and John Perrone, Esq. and Zachery Butts was represented by Steve Nelson, Esq.