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Bloods Street Gang Members Convicted of Murdering Pregnant Woman and Two Others
Convictions follow month-long trial into retaliatory killings tied to Neighborhood Bloods street gang.
Two members of the Neighborhood Bloods street gang based in Jersey City were convicted in federal court for their roles in the 2017 murders of three people, including a pregnant woman, according to an announcement by Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
Markell Brown, 37, known as “Sayboy,” and Terence Shaw, 37, known as “Sweet Meat,” were found guilty of charges stemming from the violent killings carried out on January 16, 2017, as part of a gang-related conspiracy. The convictions include multiple counts of murder in aid of racketeering, use of firearms in furtherance of a violent crime, and causing death through the use of a firearm.
According to court documents and trial evidence, Brown and Shaw conspired to kill a rival gang member amid an ongoing feud. The pair, using a stolen U-Haul truck and two-way radios, planned and executed a coordinated attack that resulted in the deaths of three Jersey City residents.
The victims included the intended target, a rival gang member; his 25-year-old pregnant girlfriend; and a fellow associate of Brown and Shaw, who had assisted them in accessing the victim's Fulton Avenue apartment. Prosecutors stated that Brown shot the associate in the chest as he exited the scene in an apparent effort to prevent future cooperation with law enforcement.
The jury returned a full conviction against Brown on all counts, including three murders in aid of racketeering and associated firearms charges. Shaw was convicted of two of the three murders; the jury did not reach a unanimous verdict on one count related to the third killing.
Brown and Shaw each face mandatory life sentences for the murder in aid of racketeering convictions. Additional firearm charges carry mandatory consecutive sentences of ten years for each count, with maximum penalties including life imprisonment and fines up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for April 22, 2026.
“These convictions hold accountable violent gang members who carried out a calculated, execution-style triple homicide, including the murder of a young pregnant woman. The defendants planned these killings with chilling deliberation and then attempted to silence their own associate to avoid justice. Today’s verdicts make clear that this level of brutality will be met with the full force of federal prosecution, and that those who terrorize our communities will face severe consequences.” - Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Newark Field Division, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Jersey City Police Department as part of the Jersey City Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). Launched in 2018, the VCI is a collaborative effort among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies aimed at reducing violent crime in and around Jersey City.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kendall Randolph and Robert Frazer of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit, along with James Graham of the Special Prosecutions Division, are prosecuting the case.
The convictions mark a significant development in efforts to dismantle violent gang activity in the region and reflect years of coordinated law enforcement efforts under the VCI framework.
