Federal authorities are seeking Los Angeles music executive and community activist Eugene Henley, aka “Big U,” who they accused of leveraging his alleged connections with the South Los Angeles street gang the Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips to run a vast, “mafia-like organization” that committed several crimes, including murder, trafficking and COVID fraud.
The U.S. Department of Justice said 10 people were arrested early Wednesday after an extensive FBI investigation into an alleged criminal conspiracy, with another handful of suspects already in state custody.
Henley and one other suspect, Bryan Mejia, were said to be fugitives, Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph McNally said.
Among other crimes, authorities accuse Henley, the founder of Big U Enterprise, with murdering a young Las Vegas rapper, Rayshawn Williams, in January 2021.
The criminal complaint also claims that Henley defrauded famous athletes including former Lakers star Shaquille O’Neal and current Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green by persuading them to donate money to charity that he allegedly pocketed himself.
He is also accused of fraudulently obtaining funding from the Gang Reduction and Youth Development program supervised by the L.A. Mayor’s Office.
Henley runs the Los Angeles music promotion company Uneek Music. He was instrumental in launching the career of the late Los Angeles rapper Nipsey Hussle, who was shot to death in south Los Angeles in 2019.
Henley once served 13 years in prison for trying to steal cocaine from an undercover sheriff’s deputy in 1991. His son, Daiyan Henley, is a linebacker entering his second season with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Anyone with knowledge of Henley’s whereabouts was asked to call the FBI.