Feds sweep up Jamaica Plain gang members they say set up a cleaning company to go along with the more traditional drug dealing, shootings and robberies

Agents from a variety of federal law-enforcement agencies and Boston Police today swept up more than 40 alleged members of the Heath Street gang, based at the Mildred Hailey apartments in Jamaica Plain, on charges that range from drug dealing and being a felon in possession of a firearm to committing RICO violations.

But some of the alleged members of the long standing, violent gang also updated their criminal resumes by setting up a cleaning company that, starting in 2020, earned more $917,000 through fraudulent pandemic unemployment and small-business loan applications, both in Massachusetts and several other states, according to documents unsealed today in Boston federal court.

The Woburn-based concern, Married 2 the Mop, also provided faux jobs as cover to Heath Street members, according to affidavits by a Department of Labor agent. The now defunct company's Facebook page claims: "We partner with premier hotels throughout New England, ensuring guests enjoy stellar experiences provided by our housekeepers who set the bar on professionalism and energy, guided by compassionate leadership formed through 16 years of field experience."

When not busy overseeing carpet cleaning, Riccara and Rachel McKinney, formally charged with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act conspiracy) and wire fraud, allegedly took part in a number of shoplifting incidents at malls across eastern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire - in particular of sunglasses:

During the thefts, the involved individuals openly take merchandise, sometimes directly in front of store associates. When confronted by store associates, the individuals often become belligerent, make threats, and at times, engage in acts of violence. The individuals then leave with the merchandise without providing payment. Based on the investigation, these thefts constitute one of several methods of generating illicit income by members/associates of the Heath Street Gang.

Other members were charged with being felons in possession of firearms or selling a variety of drugs, in operations that the US Attorney's office says spread from the Jamaica Plain/Mission Hill area to Maine and California. One of the people arrested today was Charles Bomman, 33, on charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. According to an affidavit by an ATF agent, Bomman already has convictions between 2009 and 2017 for multiple counts of armed assault to murder, assault and battery on a police officer, assault and battery on a jail guard and assault and battery on a public employee. And yet, by June, 2021, he was back on the street - and getting arrested on unspecified new charges by Boston Police:

While BOMMAN was being booked on the charges, BPD officers made certain observations. BOMMAN bragged about how much money he made and informed the booking officer that he was "self-employed." When an officer commented that BOMMAN lived in a community outside of Boston, BOMMAN responded: "I make too much money to live in the city. What would I look like driving a Porsche and parking it in the projects [a reference to the Mildred Hailey Housing Development]. I make my money in the city and bring it out to the sticks." During the booking process, when officers attempted to take a booking photo, BOMMAN made a hand sign that is consistent with the Heath Street Gang. BOMMAN also asked if he could have the sign in his booking photo. BOMMAN told officers that the sign "means we bodying opps" – a reference to targeting rival street gangs of the Heath Street Gang. While making a phone call, BOMMAN told an individual to call BOMMAN's girlfriend for bail money. BOMMAN stated that he had seven "bands" in his dresser - a "band" is a common slang term for $1,000.

The US Attorney's office states:

It is alleged that the Heath Street Gang commonly recruits juveniles living in the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments to join the Gang and participate in crimes on the Gang’s behalf, including shootings. It is further alleged that members of the Heath Street Gang require younger prospective members/associates to commit acts of violence as an act of initiation and often reward the juveniles with appearances in Heath Street Gang songs or music videos, which are used to publicly assert and affirm Gang membership/association, brag about acts of violence they have committed and denigrate and threaten rival gangs. On numerous occasions, members/associates of the Heath Street Gang have allegedly brazenly assaulted local law enforcement officers while engaged in official duties.

Another alleged gang member, Theodore Gamble-Williams, 39, of Jamaica Plain, was charged with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, after an investigation that started when somebody noticed an Adidas bag just sitting at the JFK/UMass Red Line stop on Aug. 29, 2020 and turned it into the T. Transit Police opened it and found a loaded gun, several plastic bags containing cocaine,another bag containing marijuana, cash, unused plastic bags and a digital scale.

Jameel Gibbons, 39, of Roslindale, is charged with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances for an incident at Mildred Hailey at which Boston Police officers, after being tipped off by a BHA officer, arrested him - following a struggle in which officers tased him outside 287 Centre St, around 9:30 p.m. on Sept. 30, 2022:

During the encounter with GIBBONS, one officer noticed that GIBBONS kept placing his hands in his pockets. The officer asked GIBBONS to remove his hands from his pockets and brought his hands towards GIBBONS' waist area. Before he could touch GIBBONS, GIBBONS pushed the officer's hand away and began aggressively speaking to the officer. The officer observed that GIBBONS had a white substance in his mouth which the officer believed could be cocaine base. The investigator became concerned that GIBBONS was both hiding cocaine base in his mouth and potentially had a weapon on his person. The officer asked GIBBONS to place his hands behind his back in order to conduct a pat-frisk. The officer observed that GIBBONS was chewing what appeared to be drugs in his mouth in a potential attempt to destroy evidence. Multiple officers tried to secure GIBBONS. GIBBONS resisted these actions, including multiple requests to place his hands behind his back.

Statement by the US Attorney's office, includes the names of the 40 people and the charges against them.

Innocent, etc.