Henley and 18 other members of the Los Angeles gang have been charged with crimes in a multi-year criminal investigation. Henley is said to be a fugitive.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a list of charges against Eugene Henley, Jr., 59, an entertainment entrepreneur and Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crip (Rollin’ 60s). The federal complaint alleges that Henley ran operations posing as gang prevention programs, all the while, committing shake downs, corruption, COVID-19 relief fraud, and even a homicide with the 2021 murder of an aspiring rapper, identified in the case’s affidavit as “R.W.”
Henley, who went by his moniker, “Big U,” is named as a lead defendant in a case that has 18 other co-conspirators all belonging to the Rollin’ 60s gang organization.
“The RICO charges against Mr. Henley and his associates reflect a pattern of crimes that runs the gambit from extortion to tax evasion, all under the umbrella of a well-organized criminal organization led by Mr. Henley,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office.
“Additionally, Mr. Henley allegedly duped the County of Los Angeles by running a charitable organization that promoted anti-gang solutions while continuing criminal activity that was directly contrary to his charity.”
The charges allege that from “2010 to the present, Henley’s criminal group – identified in court documents as the “Big U Enterprise” – operated as a mafia-like organization that utilized Henley’s stature and long-standing association with the Rollin’ 60s and other street gangs to intimidate businesses and individuals in Los Angeles.”
The DOJ says that their 4-year investigation showed that celebrities, corporations and other philanthropic interests donated to Developing Options, but it was funneled to Big U Enterprises.
Ark Republic secured documents showing a 2011 appeal from Henley’s organization, Development Options, in its denial of funding from the City of Los Angeles’s initiative, the Office of Gang Reduction and Youth Development (GRYD). While the appeal was denied, Henley eventually received millions from the city. Moreover, the funds were to go towards activities that thwarted gang activity, but much of it was pocketed, according to the charges.
Response of the City of Los Angeles for Eugene Henley’s charitable organization, Development Options, appeal for funding for the GYRD program.| Read: Saving the AFIBA Center, the last Black community center on Crenshaw and Slauson
Another charge Henley faces is the murder of a rapper who was signed to Henley’s Uneek Music, which was co-owned by Mark Martin, 50, a.k.a. “Bear Claw,” of the Beverlywood area on the west side of Los Angeles.
When the victim refused to record at the desired rate that Uneek Music’s studio demanded, he instead made a diss track against Henley. The DOJ states that “Henley allegedly drove R.W. to North Las Vegas, shot him in the head, and dragged the victim’s body off Interstate 15 into the desert and left it in a ditch.” Afterwards, he threatened studio workers into silence while he and his business partner, Martin, scrubbed the studio of surveillance footage. Martin is also one of those charged and is expected to appear in United States District Court on Wednesday.
The murder of “R.W.” reignites longtime suspicions against Henley for being connected to the killing of Los Angeles rapper and activist, Nipsey Hussle (né Ermias Ashgedome). Also a member of the Rollin’ 60s, Ashgedome was gunned down in South Los Angeles on March 31, 2019 at the age of 33. While Eric R. Holder, Jr. was identified as the shooter and recently was found guilty and sentenced to 60 years to life, Henley, has been alleged to be connected.
Other persons arrested were Luce Cannon and Bricc Baby, whose real names are Termaine Williams and Zihirr-Arabic Mitchell. Williams and Mitchell are regulars on multiple Youtube channels and podcasts focusing on L.A. gang culture, hip hop and the music industry. Cannon was on a podcast where he claimed Henley and others knew about Ashgedome’s death because it was planned as an internal homicide.
Henley has consistently denied all allegations, and has yet to be apprehended or turn himself in at press time.
So if the Los Angeles County Government is knowingly funding an active gang leader is this an example of state-sponsored gang activity?