A Grand Jury indicted a Bloomfield teen Friday on charges he used Twitter to orchestrate the sale of illegal firearms.
Authorities say Bomani Duncan (left) and Taquan Williams (right) used social media for illegal gun sales. (Essex County Department of Corrections) NEWARK -- An Essex County grand jury indicted a 19-year-old Bloomfield man Friday on charges he used Twitter to orchestrate a host of gang-related crimes, including the sale of illegal firearms.
Bomani Duncan now stands accused of 22 counts of robbery, gun trafficking and multiple other charges, said Essex County Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman Katherine Carter.
Two other men--Taquan Williams, 19, and Yasin Shabazz, 18--both of East Orange, were indicted on related charges, Carter said.
Authorities allege that starting on Feb. 18, Duncan conspired with others to illegally sell guns in furtherance of a G-Shine set of the Bloods Street Gang dispute with a rival group.
Details of the current dispute were not made available, but authorities in East Orange have said feuds between local street gangs date back decades. A summer flare-up between rival Bloods sets led to multiple shootings and one thwarted gang killing, East Orange police confirmed in August.
As part of their alleged gang activities, Duncan and other accused members of the G-Shine set allegedly met at a firing range in Randolph for shooting practice.
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Authorities arrested Duncan in East Orange on Sept. 28. Following an arraignment hearing, he was remanded into custody at the Essex County Jail Facility on $150,000.
The grand jury indicted Williams on seven of counts, including conspiracy to commit robbery, multiple weapons offenses and possession of prescription pills with intent to distribute, Carter said.
Shabazz now stands charged with attempting to buy a gun from Duncan without a valid purchasers' permit and attempting to sell a handgun to Duncan via Twitter, authorities said.
Vernal Coleman can be reached at vcoleman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @vernalcoleman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
