Eradicating Gangs

The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office is committed to eradicating violent street gangs from Suffolk County.

In January 2018, District Attorney Sini announced the formation of a Gang Unit within the Enhanced Prosecution Bureau to focus exclusively on investigating and prosecuting crimes committed by gang members, including members of MS-13. The Unit comprises Assistant District Attorneys and Detective Investigators who work closely with a multitude of law enforcement agencies, including local, state and federal agencies.

The Gang Unit is responsible for the prosecution of gang-related crimes, as well as certain prosecutions in which the defendant is a known gang member. By streamlining gang prosecutions under the purview of a single Bureau, those prosecutors are able to become experts on gang prosecutions, the gangs operating in Suffolk County, the way gangs operate generally, and on specific identified gang members here in Suffolk County.

The Assistant District Attorneys and Detective Investigators receive extensive training both internally and externally by gang experts so they are continuously informed of the latest gang-related intelligence and are on the cutting edge of gang prosecutions. The Gang Unit also co-hosts bi-weekly meetings with all local, state and federal law enforcement agencies involved in the arrest, prosecution, imprisonment and post-release supervision of gang members in Suffolk County to share intelligence and coordinate enforcement efforts.

As a result of the District Attorney's Office's targeted investigation of gang members, in December 2019, the Office announced one of the largest takedowns of MS-13 gang members and associates in U.S. history. The two-year investigation resulted in criminal charges against 96 MS-13 gang members and associates in Suffolk County and contributed to the arrest of more than 230 MS-13 gang members worldwide.