CBL/BFL
| Founded | 2009 |
|---|---|
| Years active | 2009—Present |
| Territory | Towne Gardens Housing Complex |
| Ethnicity | Mainly African American |
| Rivals | Ronnie Gang |
CBL/BFL, also known by the full name Cash Been Long / Brothers For Life, is an American gang based in Buffalo, New York and was established in the Towne Gardens Housing Complex located in Willert Park in 2009.[1]
History
[edit]The gang was established around 2009 in the Towne Gardens Housing Complex[2] and to this day it remains the central hub and operational center for the gang. Many of the members of the gang live in the housing complex. Members utilized parking lots and a retail plaza adjacent to the Towne Gardens to distribute narcotics, including heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, crack cocaine, marijuana, and other controlled substances.[3] The gang has extended operations outside of the Towne Gardens area and out near the corner area of Jefferson Avenue near Broadway extending to the Broadway-Fillmore and Clinton Avenue which is situated outside of the Towne Gardens Housing Complex in which they use the areas to transport weaponries and narcotics.[4]
On September 21, 2015, a member of the CBL/BFL gang by the name of Miquise Jones who went by the alias Scaife attempted to murder three rival gang members on East Ferry Street in Buffalo, where one of the victims, only known as Victim L, ran into a local corner store in an attempt to not get shot which then, approximately 20 minutes later, Jones drove to Genesee and Crossman Streets where another co-defendant shot another rival gang member, only identified as Victim K.[5] Another accomplice to this shooting was Maurice Rice who helped assist in the attempted murder of the three rival gang members, he would be sentenced to 19 years in prison for conspiracy and Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act violations.[6]
Members of the gang have participated in the creation of music videos, particularly those of the rap and drill genre. In these videos, members of the CBL/BFL gang exhibit their association with criminal activity including the showing off the United States currency and what seems to be illegally owned and bought firearms which are meant to be displayed in a mocking, violent, and overall to give shock value.[7]
The gang's main form of profits is the sale of narcotics which include the distribution of the narcotics all the way to downtown. The gang also gained infamy after the gang was connected and directly involved with several murders and acts of violence in the area with many of the perpetrators having gang symbols on them, including colors on clothing and gang tattoos.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ Tarentino III, Frank A. (2020-06-08). "CBL/BFL gang member who participated in multiple attempted murders of rival gang members going to jail for 19 years". Drug Enforcement Administration. Retrieved 2024-10-08.
- ^ "Suspected gang members indicted for violent crimes". WKBW-TV. 2018-08-30. Retrieved 2024-10-08.
- ^ "CBL/BFL Gang Member Convicted Of Two Murders In Aid Of Racketeering, And Multiple Other Charges, Sentenced To Life In Prison". United States Department of Justice. 2021-12-06. Retrieved 2024-10-08.
- ^ "12 alleged members of East Side gang indicted". WIVB-TV. 2018-08-30. Retrieved 2024-10-08.
- ^ Young, Yasmin (2022-01-21). "7 Notorious Gangs In Buffalo & Deadly Crimes They've Committed". WBLK. Retrieved 2024-10-09.
- ^ "Gang member headed to prison for multiple attempted murders of rival gang members". WGRZ. 2020-06-08. Retrieved 2024-10-09.
- ^ Burns, Barbara (2020-06-08). "CBL/BFL Member Who Participated In Multiple Attempted Murders Of Rival Gang Members Going To Jail For 19 Years". United States Department of Justice. Retrieved 2024-10-09.
- ^ Fairbanks, Phil (2020-02-15). "Inside a Buffalo street gang: Tattoos, music, 'fighters' and 'shooters'". The Buffalo News. ISSN 0745-2691. OCLC 8882862. Retrieved 2024-10-08.