In the early morning hours of New Year's Day in 2015, the life of 36-year-old Calvin Austin was tragically cut short in Newark, New Jersey. Authorities discovered the male victim at approximately 4:30 a.m. in an area about a half-mile from the city's central business district. He had sustained a fatal gunshot wound. Emergency services transported him to University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead about an hour later.
The investigation into Austin's death, which was ruled a
homicide, led authorities down a path that uncovered a significant criminal enterprise operating in Newark. While the immediate circumstances of the shooting remained under investigation, law enforcement officials began to unravel a connection between his death and a violent drug trafficking organization. This network was associated with the Sex, Money, Murder set of the Bloods street gang and was heavily involved in the distribution of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine in the city.
In connection with the broader investigation into the drug trafficking ring, which was linked to Calvin Austin's death, authorities made several arrests. A number of individuals were charged with conspiracy to distribute narcotics. These suspects included Calvin Swinton, Lance Yarbough, Jahad Gorsuch, Coyette Elliott, Derrick Davidson, Rashem Batts, Kiion Scovil, Tishawn Scovil, and Amanda Brown. The charges brought against them carried the potential for severe penalties, including the possibility of life in prison, as law enforcement worked to dismantle the violent criminal network.
