AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File
The seal on the J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building is seen June 9, 2023, in Washington.
Six alleged Houston gang members will continue to be held in federal detention following a lengthy hearing on Tuesday.
The six men — Darrell Simpson, Joquez Frye, Jacob Barrett, Kristian Winters, Triwayne Davidson and Jaquan McClendon — were among more than 15 suspects arrested last week. The arrests were made by the Houston FBI office’s Safe Streets Task Force in coordination with the Houston Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Houston division.
FBI Houston announced the arrests last week and accused them of being members or “associates” of YNS, which the FBI described as a “violent Houston gang.”
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The six who appeared at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas in Downtown Houston on Tuesday have been charged with a number of offenses, including murder, theft of drugs, assault, battery, armed robbery, illegal possession of a firearm and illegal modification of a firearm.
During the hearing, FBI Agent Marquis Nelson presented a report with photos reportedly posted by the defendants on social media or pulled from their phones by investigators showing their alleged involvement in criminal activity.
The report included images of firearms allegedly converted to fire like machine guns, while other posts and photos from the presentation included dead bodies and bricks of cocaine the FBI claimed were stolen from cartel members.
According to the FBI, the six defendants were allegedly preparing to rob a Walmart shortly before they were arrested. Nelson said a confidential source tied to the music industry aided in the arrests.
Attorneys for the defendants argued they were entrapped because law enforcement agents drew the suspects to a fake stash house during their investigation.
Attorney Joyce Raynor said it was “surprising that the government would entice these men to commit a crime.”
U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena Palermo did not immediately render a decision on whether to release the defendants with bail, saying she would continue to consider the arguments.