Big U, alleged Los Angeles gang leader, ordered to remain jailed ahead of trial
An alleged Los Angeles gang leader, known as Big U, was ordered to remain jailed on Tuesday while awaiting trial on charges contained in a 43-count federal indictment, including racketeering, fraud, extortion, and embezzlement.
Eugene Henley Jr., the so-called rap "godfather," surrendered to authorities last month in connection with a federal complaint that also linked him to the 2021 killing of an aspiring rapper in Las Vegas.
The 58-year-old pleaded not guilty at a downtown Los Angeles courthouse to the charges on April 8, and has been behind bars since.
U.S. Magistrate Judge A. Joel Richlin heard arguments for and against the 58-year-old's release from pretrial detention on Tuesday. Prosecutors successfully argued that the defendant would present a threat to the community, the victims and witnesses if freed.
According to federal prosecutors, Henley is a leader of the Hyde Park-based Rollin' 60s Neighborhood Crips and runs a vast, "mafia-like" organization that has committed crimes such as murder, trafficking and COVID fraud. Six other people allegedly linked to the case were also arrested.
In court papers, prosecutors said that for decades, Henley "has put on a public facade, masquerading as a reformed gang member and legitimate businessman whose only ambition was to better his community. But defendant wasn't helping Crenshaw. He was helping himself."
Henley's charges include a single count of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, along with multiple counts of robbery, extortion, wire fraud and embezzlement, among other charges.
Prosecutors accuse Henley of killing Las Vegas rapper Rayshawn Williams in Jan. 2021, saying the victim, who had been signed by Henley's Uneek Music record label, had recorded a defamatory song about Henley.
Henley is also accused of defrauding famous athletes, including former Laker Shaquille O'Neal, by persuading them to donate money to charity, then allegedly pocketing the funds himself.
He is also accused of fraudulently obtaining funding from the Gang Reduction and Youth Development program supervised by the L.A. Mayor's Office.
Authorities also allege Henley submitted a fraudulent application for a COVID-19 pandemic relief loan in which he claimed that Uneek Music was operating at a $200,000 profit in 2019 despite operating at a $5,000 loss that year, which should have disqualified it from loan eligibility.
If convicted, Henley could face a sentence of hundreds of years in prison, according to prosecutors.
A pretrial conference is scheduled for May 9 in downtown Los Angeles
