Bronx Gang Member Convicted Of Racketeering And Related Offenses, Including 2014 Shooting Of Three Individuals
Christopher Howard, a member of the Bronx gang MBG, was convicted of racketeering conspiracy and firearms offenses for shooting into a crowd in August 2014, injuring three people including his rival target, and now faces 10 years to life in prison.
Christopher Howard was convicted of racketeering conspiracy, assault with a deadly weapon in aid of racketeering, and a firearms offense for his role in a August 17, 2014 shooting at the Mill Brook Houses in the Bronx. The attack, motivated by retaliation for a prior jaw injury inflicted by a rival gang member, injured three individuals—including the intended target—and was part of MBG’s broader pattern of violence and narcotics trafficking from 2007 to 2017. Howard, who boasted about his gang affiliation on social media, faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison, following a one-week trial prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
Christopher Howard, a member of the Bronx-based street gang 'Money, Bitches, Guns' (MBG), was convicted on March 6, 2019, of racketeering conspiracy, assault with a deadly weapon in aid of racketeering, and a firearms offense. The conviction stemmed from a targeted shooting on August 17, 2014, in which Howard fired into a crowd at the Mill Brook Houses in retaliation for a prior assault that had broken his jaw, injuring three people including his intended rival. Evidence presented at trial showed Howard was an active MBG member from 2007 to 2017, participating in narcotics trafficking and using social media to boast about his gang affiliation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York prosecuted the case, highlighting the investigative work of the NYPD and DEA. Howard, 26, faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum potential sentence of life imprisonment. The one-week trial concluded with a guilty verdict on all counts, underscoring the federal government’s focus on dismantling violent street gangs through RICO charges. This case exemplifies the intersection of gang violence, firearms offenses, and coordinated law enforcement efforts in urban communities.
Extracted insights
- person christopher howard
- person Geoffrey S. Berman
- Christopher Howard convicted of racketeering conspiracy, assault with a deadly weapon in aid of racketeering, and firearms offense
- Christopher Howard member of Money, Bitches, Guns (MBG) street gang
- Christopher Howard shot into crowd Mill Brook Houses courtyard on August 17, 2014
- Christopher Howard injured three individuals in August 2014 shooting
- Money, Bitches, Guns (MBG) based in Mill Brook Houses in the Bronx
- Money, Bitches, Guns (MBG) responsible for narcotics trafficking and acts of violence from 2007 through October 2017
- Geoffrey S. Berman announced conviction of Christopher Howard
- Christopher Howard faces mandatory minimum 10 years in prison and maximum life in prison
- U.S. District Judge Robert W. Sweet presided over one-week trial of Christopher Howard
- Christopher Howard member of MBG from 2007 through October 2017
Press Release Bronx Gang Member Convicted Of Racketeering And Related Offenses, Including 2014 Shooting Of Three Individuals Thursday, March 7, 2019 Share FacebookLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. XLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. LinkedInLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. Email For Immediate Release U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that CHRISTOPHER HOWARD, a/k/a “Juju,” a member of a violent, Bronx-based street gang known as “Money, Bitches, Guns” (“MBG”), was convicted yesterday of racketeering conspiracy, assault with a deadly weapon in aid of racketeering, and a firearms offense. HOWARD was convicted following a one-week trial before U.S. District Judge Robert W. Sweet. U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Christopher Howard was a member of a violent street gang that operated in and around NYCHA’s Mill Brook Houses. In August 2014, he shot into a crowd of people in the Mill Brook Houses, injuring three individuals. Now he stands convicted for his crimes. We thank the New York City Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration for their tireless efforts to secure this important conviction.” As reflected in the Indictment, documents previously filed in the case, and evidence introduced at trial: From 2007 through October 2017, HOWARD was a member of MBG, a local street gang based in the Mill Brook Houses in the Bronx that was responsible for narcotics trafficking and several acts of violence. As part of his membership in MBG, Howard boasted about his gang membership on social media and shot at a rival gang member. Specifically, in the early morning hours of August 17, 2014, HOWARD, aiming for a rival gang member who had previously broken HOWARD’s jaw, shot into a crowd of people gathering in a small courtyard in the Mill Brook Houses. Three people were injured as a result of the shooting, including HOWARD’s intended target. * * * HOWARD, 26, of the Staten Island, New York, faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum potential sentence of life in prison. Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexandra Rothman, Christopher Clore, and Jordan Estes are in charge of the prosecution. Updated March 7, 2019 Topics Firearms Offenses Violent Crime Component USAO - New York, Southern Press Release Number: 19-064
Press Release Bronx Gang Member Convicted Of Racketeering And Related Offenses, Including 2014 Shooting Of Three Individuals Thursday, March 7, 2019 Share FacebookLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. XLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. LinkedInLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. Email For Immediate Release U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that CHRISTOPHER HOWARD, a/k/a “Juju,” a member of a violent, Bronx-based street gang known as “Money, Bitches, Guns” (“MBG”), was convicted yesterday of racketeering conspiracy, assault with a deadly weapon in aid of racketeering, and a firearms offense. HOWARD was convicted following a one-week trial before U.S. District Judge Robert W. Sweet. U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Christopher Howard was a member of a violent street gang that operated in and around NYCHA’s Mill Brook Houses. In August 2014, he shot into a crowd of people in the Mill Brook Houses, injuring three individuals. Now he stands convicted for his crimes. We thank the New York City Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration for their tireless efforts to secure this important conviction.” As reflected in the Indictment, documents previously filed in the case, and evidence introduced at trial: From 2007 through October 2017, HOWARD was a member of MBG, a local street gang based in the Mill Brook Houses in the Bronx that was responsible for narcotics trafficking and several acts of violence. As part of his membership in MBG, Howard boasted about his gang membership on social media and shot at a rival gang member. Specifically, in the early morning hours of August 17, 2014, HOWARD, aiming for a rival gang member who had previously broken HOWARD’s jaw, shot into a crowd of people gathering in a small courtyard in the Mill Brook Houses. Three people were injured as a result of the shooting, including HOWARD’s intended target. * * * HOWARD, 26, of the Staten Island, New York, faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum potential sentence of life in prison. Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexandra Rothman, Christopher Clore, and Jordan Estes are in charge of the prosecution. Updated March 7, 2019 Topics Firearms Offenses Violent Crime Component USAO - New York, Southern Press Release Number: 19-064