The FBI uncovered a ‘violent gang’ leading to more than 15 arrests after the carjacking of NFL star Jaylen Reed.
Former Houston Texans safety Reed, now with the New England Patriots after an off-season trade sending Kayshon Boutte in the opposite direction, was held at gunpoint inside his garage on January 4.
A group of masked men took Reed’s SUV, before a police chase ended in a crash after the vehicle was located in north Houston.
Last week, a months-long FBI investigation brought more than 15 arrests after a dramatic bust of a notorious group called YNS, referred to by the FBI as a ‘violent Houston gang.’
An agent testified in court on Tuesday that it all started with the incident involving Reed, 23, and his car, per the Houston Chronicle.
Court documents from the initial crime said Reed was robbed due to his status as a ‘known public figure in the community.’
Jaylen Reed was the victim of a carjacking in January while he played for the Houston Texans
Court documents said Reed was targeted as a ‘known public figure in the community’
One man – Montreal Frye – was arrested in connection with the theft of the NFL star’s car but a dump of cell phone data revealed his brother, Jocquez, was also in the area at the time of the theft.
When they started investigating Jocquez, it led investigators into the gang’s world, and their social media promotion of rap music boasting about committing crimes in the area.
Five men among the suspects arrested – Darrell Sampson, Jocquez Frye, Jacob Barrett, Kristian Winters and Jaquan McClendon – appeared at a lengthy hearing on Tuesday at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas in Downtown Houston.
They have been charged with numerous offenses including conspiracies to commit robbery and distribute controlled substances, as well as weapons charges.
The hearing was adjourned by Magistrate Judge Dena Palermo before he made a decision on if the men, all younger than 20, could be released on bond ahead of trial.
Prosecutors revealed more information about the long case as they argued for the men to be held in custody, with FBI Special Agent Marquis Nelson testifying for almost four hours.
He claimed the FBI went undercover under the guise of the group’s rap ambitions, setting up a series of meetings in which the group claimed their lyrics were real stories.
The gang went on to commit thefts that were ‘controlled’ FBI operations, where they were actually being recorded.
Reed is now with the Patriots but his carjacking sparked an extensive FBI operation in Houston
The FBI Houston Field Office performed a sting operation last week arresting more than 15 men
They were led to believe they were preparing to rob a person of thousands of dollars in case when they were surrounded by a SWAT team and taken to custody in a September 23 sting operation.
Defense attorneys argued the FBI source prompted the men to commit the crimes, while Agent Nelson argued their operation redirected the gang away from the public.
‘We took that risk on ourselves instead of letting them go out and commit crimes,’ Nelson said.
Attorney Joyce Raynor said it was ‘surprising that the government would entice these men to commit a crime,’ per Houston Public Media.
Agent Nelson said authorities started looking at Frye’s social media accounts after the Jaylen Reed car theft and that prompted a deeper dive into their activities, which prompted concerns over intention to instigate violence from other gangs.
The court gallery featured mothers, sisters and romantic partners of the men as defense attorneys also argued they had mostly clean records and strong family ties.
Officials said more cases were expected to be unsealed later this week as more details emerge over the arrests.
