LOS ANGELES — Authorities in the United States are currently on the lookout for a long-standing leader of a Los Angeles street gang. According to investigators, this individual operated a criminal operation similar to that of a mafia, engaging in activities such as murder, human trafficking, and extortion. Simultaneously, he was involved in the entertainment industry as an entrepreneur, as confirmed by federal prosecutors on Wednesday.
The individual in question is Eugene Henley Jr., also known as “Big U.” He is among 18 members of the Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips who have been indicted in a federal complaint for various federal offenses including drug trafficking, conspiracy, and illegal possession of firearms. This information was disclosed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office through an official statement.
While ten gang members have been taken into custody this week, Henley, aged 58, and two others are currently evading authorities and are thus labeled as fugitives, according to the statement. It was also mentioned that some of the defendants were already behind bars before these recent developments.
Eugene Henley Jr., known as “Big U” seen in an undated interview with ABC affiliate KABC.
Henley allegedly masterminded a criminal operation that investigators dubbed the “Big U Enterprise,” and is also suspected of embezzling donations to Developing Options, an anti-gang charity he founded but which prosecutors say he used “as a front for fraudulent purposes and to insulate its members from suspicion by law enforcement.”
He is suspected in the 2021 killing of an aspiring rap musician who was signed to his recording company, Uneek Music, according to prosecutors.
The rapper, identified in court documents as “R.W.,” was allegedly shot and killed by Henley after he recorded a “defamatory song” about the gang leader at a Las Vegas studio, prosecutors said. R.W.’s body was found in a ditch off Interstate 15 in the Nevada desert.
Prosecutors said Henley ran the enterprise like a mob boss and used his stature and long-standing association with the Rollin’ 60s and other street gangs to intimidate businesses and individuals in Los Angeles.
“Not only did the enterprise expand its power through violence, fear, and intimidation, but it also used social media platforms, documentaries, podcasts, interviews, and Henley’s reputation and status as an ‘O.G.’ (original gangster) to create fame for – and stoke fear of – the Big U Enterprise, its members, and its associates,” the U.S. attorney’s statement said.
Henley is accused of organizing criminal activity including extortion, robbery, trafficking and exploiting sex workers, fraud, and illegal gambling. In addition, he’s suspected of submitting a fraudulent application for a COVID-19 pandemic relief loan for Uneek Music.
It wasn’t known Wednesday if Henley has an attorney. If convicted, he could face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison.
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