PEABODY — Resident Damien Willette, 30, was charged with conspiracy to make interstate communications with the intent to extort, the Massachusetts U.S. District Attorney’s office said in a statement released on Tuesday.
Willette and two others, William Walley, 30, of Worcester and Michael O’Shea, 36, of Fall River, are allegedly connected to the Gangster Disciples gang and are being accused of threatening two victims for money while in jail.
Willette, who was arrested on Monday, is also charged with making interstate communications with intent to extort along with Walley, and is detained pending a hearing on March 10.
Willette was the cellmate of Walley in March 2023 and, later, the cellmate of O’Shea from May 2023 through June 2023, the District Attorney’s Office said.
According to court documents, the three men allegedly threatened two individuals, the first, a former Gangster Disciple who was recruited into the gang by Willette, and the second, their romantic partner.
The former gang member is referred to as Victim 2 in court documents, while their partner is referred to as Victim 1.
Willette expected the former gang member to provide him and his fellow gang members in prison with financial assistance during his incarceration from November 2020 to May 2024, a practice the Gangster Disciples refer to as “aid and assistance.”
“Willette allegedly told Victim 2 that he would be ‘blessed out’ of the gang if he continued to provide ‘aid and assistance,’” the statement read. “However, Victim 2 attempted to disassociate from the Gangster Disciples gang soon after his recruitment. When Victim 2 stopped providing assistance, Victim 1 continued on his behalf.”
Allegedly, on or around March 2023, the defendants started threatening the victims with physical violence if they stopped providing money to them while they were incarcerated.
For example, the District Attorney’s office said, Willette allegedly told the former gang member that he would not be “blessed out” of when Willette was released from state prison.
He also allegedly threatened the victims with physical violence like getting other gang members to pistol whip the victims and that “it’s going to be bad for you and everyone you know” if they stopped providing “aid and assistance.”
Also, it is being alleged that O’Shea instructed a non-incarcerated co-conspirator to tell Victim 1 that a Gangster Disciple will “come find you and your family for thinking it’s a game.”
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division Jodi Cohen, announced the federal indictments on Tuesday.
According to the statement from the District Attorney’s Office, assistance was provided by the Massachusetts Department of Correction and the Lawrence Police Department, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Cheng of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
All three men are facing a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 for their charge of conspiracy to make interstate communications with the intent to extort.
In addition, Willette and Walley face another sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 for the charge of making interstate communications with intent to extort.
