Brooklyn Man Arrested for Armed Home Invasion Robbery Conspiracy

A three-count indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging Devone Jefferys, also known as “Moneybags,” with Hobbs Act robbery conspiracy, attempted Hobbs Act robbery, and possessing and brandishing a firearm during an attempted home invasion robbery.  Jefferys was arrested this morning, and is scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow before United States Magistrate Judge Steven M. Gold.

Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, John B. Devito, Special Agent-in-Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the charges.

As alleged in the indictment and other court filings, in the early morning hours of July 31, 2015, Jefferys and his co-conspirators entered an apartment building in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, to steal heroin and money from a drug dealer who resided there with family members.  Posing as NYPD officers, Jefferys and his co-conspirators entered the victims’ apartment, drew their firearms and bound several victims with duct tape.  When the robbers discovered that one of the victims had thrown a bag of heroin out a window, Jefferys forcibly removed one of the women from the apartment, and took her to a back alley to search for the drugs.  When he was unable to find the bag of heroin, Jefferys forced the woman to perform oral sex on him at gunpoint, and then raped her before fleeing.

 “Posing as NYPD officers and brandishing firearms, Jefferys and his co-conspirators terrorized victims of an attempted home invasion robbery, with Jefferys escalating the violence still further by raping a female victim,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue.  “Together with our law enforcement partners, we will work unceasingly to protect residents of our communities from this type of senseless violence.”

Jeffery’s and his co- conspirators are alleged to have committed horrific crimes that may also leave deep mental and emotional scars on their victims,” stated ATF Special Agent-in-Charge Devito.  “The ATF/NYPD Joint Robbery Task Force will work in lockstep with our partners in the United States Attorney’s Office to identify, pursue and successfully prosecute individuals like this to ensure that justice is brought to the unjust. We will continue to send the message to both the perpetrators and their victims that the law enforcement community will not allow lawless behavior and will use every resource at its disposal to protect the public from violence.  I would like to thank all of our partners that put effort into this case and will continue to work until justice is served.

 “This case is a reminder of the heinous acts that are too often associated with drugs and drug money,” said NYPD Commissioner O’Neill. “But those who would commit crimes like these – rape, armed robbery – should know that law enforcement professionals like those at the NYPD, the ATF and the US Attorney are driven by a desire to apprehend them and build strong cases against them. I want to thank the investigators who worked on this case. It is our hope that there will now be a successful prosecution and that this process helps the victims as they continue to heal.”

The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.

The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section.  Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Harris is in charge of the prosecution.

The Defendant:

DEVONE JEFFERYS (also known as “Moneybags”)
Age:  27
Brooklyn, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-359