A member of a neighborhood street gang that calls itself “300” has admitted to his role in a gang-related shooting that injured a 12 year-old child.
Marc Taylor, aka “Bando,” 20, of Jersey City, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini in Newark federal court to one count of aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering and one count of discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
On July 7, 2020, Taylor, and two other people associated with violent gang activity, drove to the territory of a rival gang and approached a group of individuals standing on a sidewalk. Taylor fired numerous rounds with a .45 caliber handgun through the front passenger seat window while another individual simultaneously attempted to fire a Tec-9 assault pistol through the sunroof.
A 12-year-old was shot in the leg. Prosecutors said the assault in rival gang territory was a retaliation for prior gang violence.
Taylor was arrested with two other 18 year-olds, identified as Jashawn Tate and Damari Blackwell, after crashing their car while trying to elude law enforcement officers.
The count of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering activity is punishable by a maximum of 20 years in prison. The count of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life, which must run consecutively to any term of imprisonment imposed on any other charges.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited the Jersey City Police Department; the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office; and special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The investigation was conducted as part of the Jersey City Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). The VCI was formed in 2018 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Jersey City Police Department, for the purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Jersey City. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate to strategize and prioritize the prosecution of violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New Jersey Division, the U.S. Marshals, the Jersey City Police Department, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, the Hudson County Jail, and the New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center.