By Tiffany Williams –
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, Mayor Eric Adams, and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced the indictment of 12 alleged members of the Floss Money Ballers (FMB) gang following a year-long investigation into a surge of shootings across Southeast Queens. The defendants, facing a 33-count indictment including conspiracy and attempted murder, are accused of driving much of the violent crime in neighborhoods including Springfield Gardens, Laurelton, Queens Village, and the Baisley Park Houses.
The investigation comes in the wake of the September 2024 shooting death of 18-year-old Akim Cisse outside a Springfield Gardens McDonald’s, which authorities say was part of escalating violence between FMB and rival Blitz Gang 4 (BG4). In retaliation, FMB members allegedly fired bullets into a South Jamaica home the following day, though no one was injured. Subsequent incidents include several shootings, the recovery of multiple firearms—including a ghost gun—and plots targeting rival gang members during marijuana deals and public encounters.
DA Katz emphasized the scale of the alleged violence: “As alleged, these 12 suspected members of the Floss Money Ballers gang were responsible for the vast majority of shooting incidents in Southeast Queens over the past year. Directly following this takedown, these neighborhoods reported zero shootings over Labor Day weekend.”
Mayor Adams framed the arrests as a victory for public safety: “The days of ‘anything goes’ are over in New York City. Every gang busted in this city means safer communities and more lives saved.” NYPD Commissioner Tisch called it an end to a “reign of terror,” noting that the department has carried out over 50 gang-related takedowns and arrested nearly 400 gang members this year.
The 12 defendants were arraigned on August 28 before Queens Supreme Court Justice Bruna DiBiase and remanded, with return dates set throughout October. Eight were arrested in Queens, while four were already in custody on other matters. Prosecutors say the FMB members have been the driving force behind shootings, assaults, and other acts of violence across Southeast Queens, stemming from the remnants of the Money World gang dismantled in 2023.