Opinion ID: 2799908
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Harlem Boys Enterprise

Text: Moten was a leader of a violent gang known as the “Harlem Boys” or “Young Hit Men” that sold narcotics for nine years in the Bartram Village Housing Development (“Bartram Village”) located in Southwest Philadelphia. From about October 2001 through approximately October 6, 2010, the Harlem Boys controlled the illegal drug trade in Bartram Village, and, for most of that time, Terrance Hamm ran the street-level operations of the enterprise, which trafficked in crack cocaine, marijuana, and prescription drugs. Hamm would obtain bulk quantities of drugs from various sources of supply, prepare the drugs for sale, and distribute them himself and through a network of street-level drug dealers. He and his co-conspirators used their residences and other 1 Because Moten was convicted after a jury trial, “we must defer to the jury’s verdict and view the evidence in the light most favorable to the government. Therefore, we recount the government’s [uncontested] version of the facts.” United States v. Serafini, 233 F.3d 758, 763 n.4 (3d Cir. 2000) (citation omitted). 2 houses or apartments located in or near Bartram Village to store, cook, package, and sell crack cocaine, and to store drug proceeds, firearms, and ammunition. Around April 2007, after several search warrants were executed in Bartram Village, Hamm stepped back from his involvement in the organization’s criminal activity. After that, Moten became the leader of the Harlem Boys. Hamm, however, later resumed his drug trafficking activities and continued to obtain, supply, and sell crack in and around Bartram Village. Even before assuming a leadership role, Moten was a supplier and distributor of illegal narcotics and a gunman for the enterprise. He committed acts of violence with other members of the enterprise to protect their turf and frequently provided firearms to his co-conspirators for use in robberies, assaults, and other crimes. Merrell Hobbs, Reginald Stephens, Bryan Hill, Warren Stokes, Hikeem Torrence, Omar Roane, Damon Turner, Allen Parker, Tayale Shelton, Shyheem Davis, and Anthony Freeman, were also distributors of illegal narcotics and gunmen for the enterprise. Khalil Allen, Andre Tiller, Kareem Pittman, and Carol Miles were distributors of illegal narcotics. Terrance Hamm’s brother Charles was a supplier of cocaine to the enterprise and a distributor of illegal narcotics; he also was responsible for the New Jersey drug sales of the enterprise. Kareem Pittman, Melika Parker, and Roneisha Scott maintained premises used by the enterprise to manufacture, package, store, and sell drugs, and to store guns. Members of the enterprise committed, attempted, and threatened to commit acts of violence, including murder, assault, and robbery, to protect and expand the enterprise’s operations. While some acts of violence occurred prior to April 2007, the violence 3 intensified in the years following Terrance Hamm’s reduced role and Moten’s elevated role in the gang.