HOUSTON — On Tuesday, sixteen individuals allegedly linked to the YNS gang face federal charges following an indictment by a grand jury and the filing of criminal complaints against ten others. The charges include conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, attempted possession with intent to distribute cocaine, conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.

The defendants are Jocquez Frye, 18; Darrell Sampson, 18; Jacob Barrett, 18; Kristian Winters, 18; Jaquan McClendon, 19; Triwayne Davison, 20; Donfarius Holmes, 24; Haven Duncan, 29; Jason Pittman, 34; Ledanyan Bennett, 19; Alex Davison, 32; Monterio Whitfield, 30; William Nolan-Waddell, 34; Javonte Hoyle, 28; Will Clark, 28; and Xzaveon Francis, 28, all from Houston. Frye, Sampson, Barrett, Winters, McClendon, and Triwayne Davison made their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena Palermo on September 28, when the court ordered them held without bond pending further proceedings.

Holmes, Duncan, Pittman, Bennett, Alex Davison, Whitfield, Nolan-Waddell, Hoyle, Clark, and Francis appeared before Judge Palermo for detention hearings on September 29-30. According to the court record, these defendants are accused of conspiring to transport what they believed to be 50 kilograms of cocaine to a buyer, then robbing the individual after the delivery. At the time of their arrests, authorities discovered firearms, zip ties, and gloves in the possession of these ten defendants.

The court was told that YNS is a violent gang active in Houston’s Greenspoint area, allegedly involved in homicides, assaults, home invasions, vehicle burglaries, and trafficking in drugs and firearms. The court heard that the weapons posed a danger to innocent bystanders and that the alleged activities could provoke retaliatory violence in the Greenspoint area. The court reviewed social media posts and videos depicting alleged YNS members displaying firearms equipped with machinegun conversion devices, assaulting a rival gang member, and intimidating rivals outside their residences. Social media posts and messages introduced into evidence allegedly showed members discussing past and planned violent crimes, firearms trafficking, and threats against rival gangs and groups.

Authorities connected defendant Jocquez Frye to the armed carjacking on January 4 of a former Houston Texans player at his residence. On July 23, several alleged gang members met with a confidential informant before traveling to a location while armed and dressed in black clothing, masks, and gloves, as alleged. The court heard that YNS members plotted to rob what they believed was a drug stash house containing 42 kilograms of cocaine. At the time of their arrests on September 23, Sampson, Barrett, and Winters were allegedly planning a separate armed robbery, intending to rob an individual at gunpoint after what they believed would be a major cocaine transaction.

If convicted, all 16 face a maximum penalty of life in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The investigation was conducted by FBI Houston and the Houston Police Department, with support from the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sebastian Edwards and Samuel Blackington are prosecuting the case.