By Tiffany Williams –
Kade Lewin was 12 years old, sitting in a parked car in Brooklyn, when gunfire struck him multiple times. He died at the scene. A second person in the car was wounded and survived.
Federal prosecutors now say three gang members and associates opened fire because they mistakenly believed a rival was inside.
An indictment unsealed Thursday in federal court in Brooklyn charges Ousmane Diallo, Mayel Bussereth and Jonah Luc with racketeering and firearm-related offenses in connection with the March 31, 2022, killing.
Prosecutors identified the defendants as members and associates of the ICG Babiez, a subgroup of the nationwide Insane Crip Gangsters street gang. Diallo is also known as “Ous” and “OP,” Bussereth as “MB,” and Luc as “Jojo” and “Twin.”
The three were scheduled to be arraigned Thursday afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marcia M. Henry.
According to the indictment and court documents, the defendants drove from Crown Heights to East Flatbush intending to target a rival gang associate.
They circled the block at East 56th Street and Linden Boulevard several times before opening fire on a vehicle parked along the road, prosecutors allege.
The person they believed they were targeting was not inside. Kade was.
Prosecutors allege that the gunfire killed the child and wounded another bystander, a woman who survived her injuries.
“As alleged, the defendants murdered a 12-year-old boy and shot another victim in a drive-by shooting in Brooklyn. Today’s indictment demonstrates this Office’s commitment to making our communities safer by holding gang members accountable for senseless acts of gun violence that endanger our communities,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “I commend our federal prosecutors, the HSI agents, and NYPD detectives who relentlessly pursued justice for this innocent child.”
U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. announced the indictment with Pete Gizas, acting special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New York, and NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch.
The allegations describe a deliberate search for a rival followed by gunfire directed at the wrong vehicle. The consequences fell on two bystanders, including a child who never left the scene alive.
The federal case places that shooting within a broader alleged pattern of gang violence.
Prosecutors say ICG operates in Brooklyn and elsewhere across the country. According to the indictment and court documents, members and associates commit murders, attempted murders and assaults to strengthen their standing within the gang and promote the organization.
Authorities described retaliatory violence that has contributed to gang-related shootings in Crown Heights and Flatbush.
The charges against Diallo, Bussereth and Luc focus on their alleged involvement in the shooting that killed Kade. The account released by prosecutors describes the defendants acting together but does not specify each defendant’s individual role in driving or firing a weapon.
“As alleged, these defendants committed a chilling and remorseless act of violence, unleashing gunfire in an attempted attack on a rival that instead killed an innocent 12-year-old child and injured another bystander,” stated Acting HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Pete Gizas.
“This senseless, callous brutality devastated a family and endangered an entire community. HSI New York is working side by side with our partners to disrupt violent gangs, identify the people responsible for their crimes and protect the neighborhoods they place at risk.”
The investigation involved federal agents and NYPD detectives, with assistance from the Kings County District Attorney’s Office.
Nocella specifically credited the NYPD’s 67th Precinct Detective Squad for its investigative work and thanked the district attorney’s office for its assistance in the prosecution.
“These defendants, members of the Insane Crip Gangsters gang, allegedly opened fire on a Brooklyn street and killed a 12-year-old child,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch.
“This case is yet another example of the NYPD’s tireless work to take down the gangs that are endangering our communities and claiming the lives of innocent children. I thank our NYPD investigators and law enforcement partners for their work to hold these gang members accountable and make our city safer.”
The indictment comes more than four years after the shooting. Kings County District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said his office had worked with its law enforcement partners since the night Kade was killed.
“Kade Lewin was just 12 years old when his life was tragically cut short by senseless gun violence. Since that terrible night, my office has worked closely with our law enforcement partners to bring those responsible to justice. I commend U.S. Attorney Nocella and his team for bringing these charges, and we will continue working to hold violent offenders accountable and build on the historic progress we’ve made in keeping Brooklyn safe.”
The case now moves into federal court with three defendants facing charges tied to the fatal shooting. At its center remains the allegation that a gang’s attempt to attack a rival instead ended the life of a 12-year-old boy sitting in a parked car.