15 Alleged OutSouf Gang Members Indicted, Racketeering, Murders, Shootings And Carjackings

Prosecutors say the case spans more than two years of alleged gang activity in Trenton, Hamilton, and Ewing, including homicides, attempted murders, assaults, robberies, and the use of stolen cars and shared firearms.

Fifteen alleged members and associates of a violent Trenton street gang known as OutSouf have been indicted in a sweeping racketeering case that state prosecutors say ties the group to murders, attempted murders, shootings, assaults, robberies, and carjackings in Trenton and nearby communities.

Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice announced the indictment, which charges all alleged adult members of the group, including alleged leader Justice Chambers, 25, of Trenton, in a 50-count indictment. Prosecutors said all defendants have been arrested and 13 are currently detained pending trial.

According to the indictment, prosecutors allege that from February 2023 through June 2025, OutSouf operated out of South Trenton and was responsible for repeated violent crimes in Trenton as well as in Hamilton and Ewing townships. Authorities say Chambers led the gang, alongside Jhosse Tolentino, who is now deceased and was described as a high-ranking member.

The state alleges the gang had a defined internal structure. Prosecutors identified Semaj Parker as an alleged mid-level member, Jihad Jackson as an alleged keeper of the gang’s firearms, and several others as alleged lower-level members and shooters, with additional defendants accused of acting as associates.

The indictment describes a gang that prosecutors say became especially violent after Tolentino was killed on April 9, 2023. According to the state, OutSouf members then carried out multiple retaliatory incidents, referred to in the indictment as “drills,” in an effort to avenge his death, assert dominance in South Trenton, and target rival gangs operating in the city.

Among the violence cited in the case are the August 19, 2023, homicide of “T.F.” and the September 16, 2023, homicide of “B.L.” Prosecutors allege those killings were carried out by lower-level members trying to gain “stain” or “rank” within the gang.

The indictment also lays out what prosecutors describe as a recurring pattern in how the gang allegedly carried out those attacks. According to the state, members obtained firearms, used vehicles that were sometimes stolen or outfitted with swapped license plates to avoid detection, entered rival territory, and opened fire on rivals or other Trenton residents. Prosecutors further allege that gang members then took credit for the violence on social media and in a rap video.

The state specifically alleges that OutSouf rappers claimed responsibility in publicized rap videos for the T.F. and B.L. homicides, the April 9, 2024, shooting of members of rival gang H-Block, and two additional aggravated assaults.

Prosecutors also allege that from April 9, 2023, to June 28, 2025, gang members circulated “community guns” among members to carry out the drills, with the same firearms allegedly used in multiple homicides and aggravated assaults. Two of those firearms were allegedly seized from Jackson on Oct. 6, 2023, and Jan. 18, 2024. Chambers and Jackson are accused of helping lower-level members obtain firearms for the attacks.

Vehicles also play a major role in the indictment. Prosecutors allege that on Aug. 15, 2023, Parker and a juvenile identified as E.M. discussed stealing a car, and that three days later, a Ford Escape was stolen or carjacked and then used in the T.F. homicide.

In a separate incident on Jan. 23, 2025, prosecutors allege that Elijahwon Jackson, Zai’yae Rowell, Yasin Brantley, and Nychee Carmona stole a Honda CR-V and drove it with a U-Haul box truck to another location. Authorities said three firearms, a mask, and gloves were recovered after their arrest.

Chambers faces some of the most serious allegations in the case. Prosecutors say he is charged with one count of murder, four counts of attempted murder, assaults, weapons offenses, conspiracy, and being a leader of organized crime, in addition to the racketeering charges.

“The violence allegedly carried out by this gang strikes at the heart of our communities,” Davenport said in a statement. “Every family deserves to feel safe on their block and in their home. We will continue working with our law enforcement and community partners to dismantle organizations that threaten that sense of security.”

Division of Criminal Justice Director Theresa L. Hilton described the indictment as the product of months of coordinated investigative work. Mercer County Prosecutor Janetta D. Marbrey, Trenton Police Director Steve Wilson, and acting New Jersey State Police Superintendent Jeanne Hengemuhle also credited a joint effort by local, county, and state law enforcement agencies.

The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorneys General Elizabeth Newton, Jaclyn Dowd, and Special Deputy Attorney General Kyle Petit under the supervision of Deputy Chief Nicole Siano and Bureau Chief Cassandra Montalto. Mercer County Assistant Prosecutors Daniel Matos, Scott Gershman, and Laura Sunyak also assisted in the investigation. The case was investigated by detectives from the Division of Criminal Justice, the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Trenton Police Department.

The potential penalties are severe. Prosecutors noted that first-degree murder carries a sentence of 30 years to life in prison, with 30 years before parole eligibility, and a fine of up to $200,000. First-degree racketeering carries 10 to 20 years in prison, subject to the No Early Release Act, and fines up to $500,000. Other first-degree charges carry 10 to 20 years, second-degree charges carry five to 10 years, third-degree charges carry three to five years, and fourth-degree offenses carry up to 18 months in prison.

As in all criminal cases, the indictment contains allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.