Donell Allick Jr., aka ‘D-Nice’, 25, of New Haven, pleaded guilty Thursday before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to a racketeering offence related to his participation in a violent New Haven street gang and the murder of an individual in September 2022.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in an effort to address violence in New Haven, the ATF, FBI, DEA and New Haven Police Department, working closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office, have been investigating a gang war between members and associates of the Exit 8 street gang and rival gangs in the Hill section and other areas of the city.
The Exit 8 gang is named after the geographic area accessed by exiting Interstate 91 at Exit 8 in New Haven. Recently, younger members of Exit 8 are identifying themselves with the word ‘Honcho’, which is derived from the street name of an Exit 8 member who was murdered on Quinnipiac Avenue in February 2020.
The investigation revealed that Allick and other members of the Exit 8 gang engaged in drug trafficking, used and shared firearms, and, since June 2018, have committed at least three murders and 16 attempted murders. Exit 8 members and associates also stole vehicles, at times from outside of the state, and used those stolen vehicles when committing acts of violence.
Gang members also promoted, coordinated, facilitated, and celebrated their narcotics distribution and acts of violence through text messaging and the use of social media applications and websites, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube.
Allick pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity, including acts of violence, narcotics trafficking, and gun sales, and specifically admitted that, on September 16, 2022, he and others shot Kenneth Cloud, 46, who was sitting on the porch of an Atwater Street residence in New Haven.
The victim was paralyzed as a result of the shooting and died approximately three months later. Forty-three shell casings were found at the scene of the shooting. Ballistics analysis revealed that 19 had been fired from a handgun later found in Allick’s vehicle, and 24 had been fired from a handgun later found inside Allick’s residence.
At sentencing, which is not scheduled, Allick faces a maximum term of imprisonment of life.
Allick has been detained since his arrest on November 10, 2022. On July 15, 2024, he was sentenced to 115 months of imprisonment in a separate federal case.
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