There’s a new gang dealing hard drugs and weapons in Greater Boston, the “Asian Boyz.” The feds just arrested nine alleged members.
“Ride around with that 9 milli’ and I’m strapped through with that four-five,” Sary “Baby Gangsta” Rath raps in the “Blue Money” music video with more alleged members of the ABZ crew as they flash symbols and boast about their alleged criminal activity, including shootings and drug dealing. “I ain’t talk about IG but my killers they going to go live. / If we looking for the enemies, I can bet one hundred that they gon’ hide.”
Rath, 37, formerly of Lowell, who the feds say usually shortens “Baby Gangsta” down to just “BG,” was arrested Thursday and is currently being held in state custody on charges of one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
But Rath — the purported gang leader — didn’t do all of his work on his own and on the same day the feds pulled in eight more alleged members of the ABZ gang — one of the largest Asian street gangs, the feds say, known for drug and firearm trafficking and brutal intergang violence.
Those arrested Thursday and charged in federal court in Boston were: Anel “A-Tecc” Reyes, 24, of Lawrence, on fentanyl distribution-related charges; Samnang “Smiley” Son, 33, of Lowell, on charges related to illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, as well as conspiracies for dealing meth and firearms as well as “switches” that can convert semi-automatic weapons into fully automatic machine guns; Billy “Juju” Chan, 18, of Lowell, also on charges related to dealing illegal firearms, meth and “switches.”
Also arrested on charges related to dealing meth were: Bill “Bonez” Pham, 35, of Acton; Brian “Cheech” Gingras, 37, of Lowell; Marcus “Heartless” Holder, of Newton, N.H.; and Joseph Bagrowski, 35, of Chelmsford, who the feds have no listed street name for.
“The defendants charged yesterday promoted violence and pumped poison into the Lowell community for a profit,” said acting U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Joshua Levy. “This office and our law enforcement partners will continue to relentlessly investigate, identify and disrupt criminal organizations and do all that we can to ensure our communities are safe from violence and the proliferation of drugs and firearms.”
Rath, who the feds say is a “self-admitted member” of the gang going on 15 years, allegedly ran his crew — along with Chan, who is allegedly member of the Young Crip Hitters, an affiliated gang — to distribute homemade fake Adderall pill that were actually packed with meth, using the front business “Money Affiliated.” They did everything in-house, a federal detention memo alleges, from manufacturing to distribution. Their downfall came when they allegedly dealt to an undercover agent 12 times between March 2022 and October 2022.
They’re also accused of selling at least 15 guns, including five machine gun conversion “switches” and even untraceable “ghost guns.”
“This operation targeted the Lowell based set of the nationally recognized ABZ street gang, which is a violent and prolific drug and firearms trafficking organization. The Lowell Police department is committed to working with all our law enforcement partners to disrupt these violent, drug and firearm trafficking organizations,” said Greg Hudon, Superintendent of the Lowell Police Department.
