Bronx, NY – Federal prosecutors have charged two alleged Bronx gang members with the 2021 murder of 16-year-old Nisayah Sanchez, who was gunned down in broad daylight during a violent gang feud that left multiple young victims across the borough.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton of the Southern District of New York announced that Ahmar Garcia, known as “OB,” and Raheem Patterson, known as “Rah Rah,” have been indicted for murder and attempted murder in aid of racketeering, along with related firearms offenses. The charges stem from a September 29, 2021, shooting in which Sanchez was killed and another individual wounded as part of an ongoing war between rival street gangs.
According to court filings, Garcia and Patterson were members of an alliance including the MacBallers, Drillys, and 800 YGz gangs, groups historically affiliated with the Bloods. Prosecutors say they ambushed Sanchez, a member of the opposing Sev Side, Third Side, and Reyway alliance, which was linked to the Crips. The shooting took place near a Bronx street corner in broad daylight.
Patterson also faces additional counts for a separate shooting on December 2, 2021, in midtown Manhattan, when he allegedly fired multiple shots at a rival gang member as the individual was leaving a restaurant.
Both defendants were transferred from state custody, where they were serving sentences for other violent crimes, and will appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah L. Cave. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer.
“These charges stem from a violent gang war that played out on the streets of New York and ended with the cold-blooded murder of sixteen-year-old Nisayah Sanchez,” said U.S. Attorney Clayton. “Our Office will bring gun-toting criminals who threaten the safety of New Yorkers to justice.”
HSI Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel and NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch both condemned the defendants’ alleged actions, calling the attack “brazen” and “callous,” and credited the joint investigation by HSI, the NYPD, and the Bronx District Attorney’s Office.
Garcia, 25, and Patterson, 28, each face mandatory life sentences if convicted on the murder charges, with Patterson facing additional potential life imprisonment on the firearm and racketeering counts.