Nine charged in federal racketeering case tied to Bloods-linked gang

Nine alleged gang members are facing federal racketeering charges following the unsealing of a second superseding indictment, according to the Justice Department.

The indictment charges the defendants with racketeering conspiracy, racketeering murder and attempted murder, and firearms offenses tied to their alleged membership in the United Bloods Nation and the Cautious District subset of the Immaculate Balla Family, commonly called the Makk Ballers, prosecutors said. Court documents describe Cautious District as a violent street gang operating across Eastern Virginia, Maryland and Delaware and allegedly involved in murder, robberies, narcotics trafficking, shootings, violent assaults and other crimes.

The nine defendants named in the indictment are Christopher Clovis-Weathers Monfiston, 34, of Chesapeake; Tyvon Lyncurtis Smith, 34, of Parksley; Ky’riq Nygee Weathers, 29, of Parksley; Markiece Obryant Harmon, 41, of Hare Valley; Zyshon Bell, 24, of Temperanceville; Travon Bell, 22, of Parksley; Antoine Muhammad Beverley, 30, of Onancock; Quaizal Kellam, 25, of Exmore; and Kemyrion Boggs, 22, of Onancock — all Virginia residents. Smith, Monfiston and Weathers were named in the original indictment, while the remaining six were added following further investigation, the Justice Department said.

According to court documents, gang members and associates were expected to retaliate against rival gangs. Prosecutors allege that on Feb. 13, 2024, Smith, Monfiston and Weathers coordinated travel from their homes in Virginia Beach to a residence in Accomack County, where they hoped to encounter a rival gang member they believed had assaulted Weathers two days earlier. They allegedly hid in nearby woods and ambushed Victim 1, shooting him multiple times. The victim died from his injuries.

In a separate series of incidents, Smith, Boggs and other gang members allegedly fired at the home of a rival gang member’s father on Jan. 19, 2024, in an attempt to draw the rival out of hiding. Smith, Weathers, Zyshon Bell and other gang members allegedly returned to the residence on Feb. 11. Prosecutors allege that Zyshon Bell and another gang member looked through the windows to locate a sleeping victim and then fired dozens of shots into the home, striking Victim 2 and leaving that person partially paralyzed.

The gang members are also accused of participating in other shootings and robberies, including armed carjackings. Investigators seized numerous firearms while executing search warrants, including guns that were forensically linked to shootings allegedly carried out by the gang, officials said.

Smith, Monfiston and Weathers each face a minimum sentence of life in prison for their alleged roles in Victim 1’s killing. Zyshon Bell faces a maximum sentence of life, while the remaining defendants face up to 20 years in prison. A federal judge would determine any sentences after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Accomack County Sheriff’s Office is leading the investigation along with Homeland Security Investigations. The Justice Department emphasized that an indictment is merely an allegation and that all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.