Tyjon Preston, also known as "TJ," has been sentenced to 22 years in federal prison for his involvement in violent gang activities in New Haven. The sentencing was announced by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden and includes five years of supervised release following imprisonment.
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, made the announcement alongside John P. Doyle, Jr., State’s Attorney for the New Haven Judicial District; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge at ATF Boston Field Division; Anish Shukla, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the FBI; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA for New England; and New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson.
The investigation focused on a gang war involving members of the Exit 8 street gang and rival groups within New Haven. Exit 8 is named after an area accessed from Interstate 91 at Exit 8. Recent younger members have started using "Honcho" to identify themselves after a member was murdered in February 2020.
Authorities revealed that Preston and other Exit 8 members were involved in drug trafficking and numerous violent acts since June 2018, including three murders and sixteen attempted murders. They also used stolen vehicles to commit these crimes and utilized social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram to coordinate their activities.
Preston pleaded guilty on April 24, 2024, to conspiracy related to racketeering activities. He admitted involvement in several shootings between April and July 2021 that resulted in deaths or injuries among rival gang members.
The investigation was conducted by multiple agencies including ATF, FBI, DEA, local police departments from New Haven and Hamden, with support from Connecticut State Police and Forensic Science Laboratory. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Longevity, and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs aimed at reducing violence through collaborative law enforcement efforts.
For more details on these initiatives: PSN can be found at www.justice.gov/psn; OCDETF information is available at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.