A nearly two-year long police investigation, "Operation Under Siege," revealed over 100 suspects, dozens of guns, and piles of drugs, all in connection to a plot to assassinate cops. The team behind this plot? A strange alliance of the Bloods and the Crips, traditionally rival gangs. They allegedly set aside their differences to plan the assassinations of patrol cops in projects in the Rockaways. Police Commish Ray Kelly said one gang associate "intended to position himself on rooftops and shoot police officers who were compromising his business in Far Rockaway and South Jamaica."
Four sects of the the Crips and a few individual Bloods allegedly started a new gang known as "Flocc," which rose to prominence in Far Rockaway by cornering the narcotics trade. "The Bloods in South Jamaica aren't loyal to the Bloods in Far Rockaway, who were feuding with the Crips," one source told the Daily News. "That's what made this so unusual." Nearly 300 court-authorized wiretaps unveiled a drug ring at project houses in Far Rockaway, where Flocc members allegedly made $15,000 a week and used the money to buy guns for their plan to kill patrol officers around the projects.
Blood associate Keith Livingston was arrested in September after police heard him say things like "I'm going to shoot the beat walkers" on a wiretapped phone. He pleaded not guilty to charges of criminal possession of a weapon and conspiracy, and is being held on $250,000 bail. The investigation also led to the arrest of a former corrections officer, Farrad Smith, who was storing weapons for gang members.
Police officials estimate the gang was involved in two drug-related murders and 11 shootings during the two-year investigation. Police were able to gather information on a lot of the suspects through YouTube. Many gang members allegedly posted videos of themselves rapping about their exploits, with lyrics like "A guy was a nobody, but now sells big / And he will spray the Man to protect his land."
Queens District Attorney Richard Brown told NY1, "Queens County is a much safer place to live today as a result of [police] work and the work of their colleagues." Police have arrested 104 and are still on the lookout for 8 others. Police also seized 60 guns, including AK-47s and Uzis.
