Posted on: March 17, 2025 09:25 AM

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Long Island bloods member charged with gang related shooting and selling fentanyl resulting in death and two non fatal poisonings

Earlier today, a 12-count superseding indictment was unsealed in federal court in Central Islip charging Bloods gang member Joshua Crowell, also known as “Twiggy,” and Bloods associate Bruce King, also known as “Brucey,” with assault in aid of racketeering. Crowell was also charged with distributing fentanyl resulting in death, distributing fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury and other gang related crimes committed in Suffolk County between 2021 and 2024.  Crowell and King were arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Lee G. Dunst and ordered detained pending trial.

John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Raymond A. Tierney, Suffolk County District Attorney, Michael Alfonso, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI New York) and Kevin Catalina, Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), announced the charges.

“The charges in the superseding indictment highlight the extreme danger that violent gangs like the Bloods pose to the people of Long Island, ranging from shootings that injure bystanders to dealing lethal drugs that claim lives and destroy families,” stated United States Attorney Durham.  “My Office is working closely with our federal and local partners to make our communities safer by dismantling and eradicating street gangs that have zero regard for human life and holding gang members and associates accountable for their crimes.”

Mr. Durham thanked the Nassau County Police Department and the Southampton Town Police Department for their assistance.

"These alleged gang members represent a grave threat to the safety and stability of our community. Their willingness to engage in brazen acts of violence - as demonstrated by the shooting of three victims in Southampton - shows a complete disregard for human life. Equally disturbing, is the distribution of fentanyl, a lethal substance that has devastated countless families across Suffolk County,” stated District Attorney Tierney. “The charges announced today send a clear message that such dangerous criminal activity will not be tolerated in our neighborhoods and I thank the EDNY for their leadership on this investigation. This case exemplifies why partnerships between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies are essential in our fight against organized crime. These collaborative efforts ensure that violent offenders face the full weight of the law, and they provide us with the tools needed to dismantle criminal organizations from top to bottom.”

“As alleged, the defendants had blatant disregard for human life through their brazen violence and deadly distribution of fentanyl into our Long Island neighborhoods. HSI and its law enforcement partners will continue to identify, disrupt, and dismantle violent gangs operating within our community. I commend our law enforcement partners for their relentless effort and professionalism to make our communities safer,” stated HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Alfonso.

“For years, these individuals have been a scourge on our community through the distribution of fentanyl and vicious gang-related shootings,” stated SCPD Commissioner Catalina. “While their activities often targeted rival gang members, their recklessness could very easily have injured innocent victims. The Suffolk County Police Department will continue to work with its partner law enforcement agencies to put violent gang members behind bars and ensure the safety of Suffolk County residents and visitors.”

As set forth in the superseding indictment and court filings, the defendants engaged in multiple acts of violence on behalf of the Bloods, including a March 2, 2021 shooting in which they traveled to a party hosted by rival gang members at a rented home in Southampton, New York. Upon arrival, the defendants began shooting into the residence with three guns, including an AK-47 style assault rifle, wounding three partygoers who were not gang members.

Additionally, Crowell and co-conspirators operated a longtime drug trafficking network during which Crowell sold fentanyl and other illegal substances.  In May 2022, Crowell sold fentanyl that caused serious injury to a female customer.  Less than one month later, Crowell sold fentanyl that caused a male customer to stop breathing and die from ingesting the fentanyl. In June 2023, Crowell distributed fentanyl that was ingested by a male customer and caused him to stop breathing. In this instance, life-saving efforts were successful, and he survived.

The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Crowell and King each face up to life imprisonment.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.   

From DOJ