Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, has announced that Jerrin Pena, also known as "Rooga" and "Perry," has pleaded guilty to charges related to his involvement with the violent gang Own Every Dollar (OED). Pena admitted to several charges including racketeering conspiracy before U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry J. Ricardo.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams stated, “On April 14, 2019, Jerrin Pena murdered Hector Cruz, an innocent bystander to gang violence. That murder is just one of the many acts of violence that members and associates of Own Every Dollar have committed that have terrorized Washington Heights and surrounding communities. This Office will not stop its pursuit of dangerous gangs, and violent gang members will be apprehended and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
The indictment accuses Pena and other OED members of numerous violent crimes in Washington Heights and nearby areas in Manhattan. The charges include five murders and 15 attempted murders.
On April 14, 2019, Pena allegedly shot at a rival gang member on West 135th Street in Manhattan but missed his target. Instead, he struck bystander Hector Cruz in the liver; Cruz died from his injuries about a month later.
Pena also pleaded guilty to attempted murder from February 28, 2023, involving a stabbing incident at the Metropolitan Detention Center; a gunpoint robbery on January 22, 2022; conspiring to traffic over four kilograms of fentanyl; and trafficking firearms from Pennsylvania to New York.
In addition to Pena's plea deal, thirteen other OED defendants have previously pled guilty in this case. Among them is Mayovanex Rodriguez who received a sentence of 25 years for a murder committed in 2022.
Pena faces multiple charges with maximum sentences ranging from five years to life imprisonment: racketeering conspiracy (life), attempted murder (20 years), Hobbs Act robbery (20 years), discharging a firearm during a crime (life), narcotics conspiracy (life), and firearms trafficking (five years). Sentencing is set for March 4, 2025 by U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken.
Williams acknowledged the contributions of both the New York City Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration in this case which is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah L. Kushner, Kevin Mead, Alexandra S. Messiter, and Ashley C. Nicolas from the Narcotics Unit.