Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., today announced the indictment of nine members of the alleged “Fast Life” criminal enterprise for a wide range of alleged street crimes and financial fraud, including homicides, gunpoint robberies, and drug sales, and stealing money through fraudulent checks.
Fast Life is a subset of the “Mac Ballers” gang, and primarily operates in East and West Harlem, with ties to several New York Housing Authority (“NYCHA”) developments, including the Johnson, Manhattanville and Saint Nicholas Houses.
Fast Life is allegedly primarily a money-making organization broken into two subsections: “Speed Demons,” who allegedly committed acts of violence, and “Act Bad,” who allegedly made money through drug sales and financial fraud. “Speed Demons” were typically younger, lower-level members of Fast Life.
Each defendant is charged in a New York State Supreme Court indictment with Enterprise Corruption. In total, the defendants are collectively charged with 48 counts, including various counts of Murder in the Second Degree, Attempted Murder in the Second Degree, and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, among other charges. [1]
There are six other individuals involved who are co-conspirators charged in separate indictments.
“As alleged, this highly structured criminal enterprise is responsible for a wide range of violent and dangerous criminal activity,” said District Attorney Bragg. “Their money-making operation fueled their ability to commit violence and chaos, including, we allege, a double homicide, shootings and multiple gunpoint robberies. The combination of street crime and financial fraud is incredibly dangerous, and we utilized our significant expertise in these areas to unravel this criminal enterprise and hold them accountable.”
“The ‘Fast Life’ crew allegedly terrorized our city with gun violence, drug trafficking, and financial fraud—preying on innocent people to line their own pockets,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “This level of street crime, including calculated, cold-blooded murder, created fear on our streets. But this indictment makes clear: their reign of terror ends today. I am thankful to the NYPD investigators and all of our law enforcement partners for their relentless work to dismantle this criminal network and bring its members to justice.”
According to court documents and statements made on the record, DAJON GILBERT allegedly served as a top lieutenant in the Manhattan branch of Fast Life from 2022 through 2024, before he assumed the role as leader.
On March 23, 2024, two “LA World” crew members allegedly shot a Fast Life member at the Moon Rock Smoke Shop at East 125th Street and Lexington Avenue. The LA World members are separately charged for this incident in a April 2025 indictment announced by the Office. [1]
On March 24, 2024, ELIJAH REIS and other charged co-defendants allegedly planned a retaliatory shooting against LA World. Pursuant to their orders, a lower-level member of Fast Life, who has been separately charged by the Office, allegedly murdered LA World member Harry Mendoza and his girlfriend Ashely Ballard in East Harlem.
The defendants also allegedly committed several gunpoint robberies. On April 28, 2024, at approximately 2:55 a.m., KENDALL WATTS allegedly coordinated a gunpoint robbery outside a Lower East Side bar where several co-conspirators robbed a victim of his Cartier watch.
On May 7, 2024, at approximately 1:35 a.m., SAMMUEL CASTILLO allegedly texted a charged co-defendant a possible robbery location at West 38th Street and 7th Avenue. At approximately 2:03 a.m., CASTILLO sent the co-defendant a message stating that their two intended targets were asleep in a vehicle. At approximately 3:14 a.m., CASTILLO and the co-defendant took the victims’ jewelry and vehicle at gunpoint.
The violence allegedly escalated further on May 28, 2024, when GILBERT, accompanied by WATTS and another charged co-defendant, allegedly kidnapped a rival and committed a broad daylight shooting on the street in West Harlem. The kidnapped rival was able to escape from the defendants’ car during the shooting, which took place in the presence of innocent bystanders.
To fund this violence, the defendants allegedly sold drugs and committed financial fraud. GILBERT allegedly served as the sole supplier for Fast Life’s K2 operation, while REIS supplied cocaine.
REIS and a charged co-defendant allegedly conspired to possess cocaine with the intent to sell it between April 6, 2024, and October 31, 2024. On one occasion, on October 31, 2024, a charged co-defendant texted REIS, “WE GOTTA GET ANOTHER SPOT.” REIS replied, “WE GOTTA JUST CHILL FOR NOW,” and “NO SALES.”
From July 31, 2023, to September 29, 2023, members of Fast Life allegedly operated a financial fraud ring which stole personal identification information from unsuspecting victims through forged checks. To get this information, a high-ranking member of Fast Life messaged a Telegram account belonging to an unknown user, which sent social security numbers, dates of birth, license numbers and addresses for a small fee. The defendants would use the information to open fictitious financial accounts and submit forged checks.
In September 2023, a charged co-conspirator allegedly obtained a victim’s personal information and documents and took photos that he sent to the high-ranking Fast Life member. Additional charged co-conspirators helped open a Truist bank account in the victim’s name and transferred $120,000 to a joint account to another charged co-conspirator.
Between September 13, 2023, and September 18, 2023, members of the conspiracy transferred $59,920 from a victim’s bank account into the bank account of another charged co-conspirator.
Between August 18, 2023, and October 20, 2023, a co-conspirator made 24 transactions, sending more than $11,000 over Cash App to other charged co-conspirators from the fraudulent checks.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant D.A.s Marcella Lupski and Andrew Mercer, under the supervision of Assistant D.A. Pierre Griffith (Chief of the Violent Criminal Enterprises Unit), Christopher Prevost (Deputy Chief of the Trial Division) and Executive Assistant D.A. Lisa DelPizzo (Chief of the Trial Division). Assistant D.A.s Kelly Thomas (Deputy Bureau Chief of the Financial Frauds Bureau) and Minji Kim assisted, under the supervision of Assistant D.A. Kofi Sansculotte (Chief of the Financial Fraud Bureau) and Executive Assistant D.A. Jodie Kane (Chief of the Investigation Division). Investigative Analysts Olivia Deming, Jonathan Diver, Reilly Fletcher, Felix Poley, Nicole Boudrieau, and Jade Yang also assisted with the case.
D.A. Bragg thanked the NYPD, particularly Detective Peter Quatrale, retired Detective Desiree Garcia, Sergeant William Busch, and Lieutenant Rafael Tosado, all of the Gun Violence Suppression Division, as well as Lieutenant Eloise Walter and Detective Qurban Fariad, of the 25th Precinct.
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[1] The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. All factual recitations are derived from documents filed in court and statements made on the record in court.