Three Alleged Gang Members Indicted for Extortion

BOSTON – A federal indictment was unsealed yesterday charging three alleged Gangster Disciple gang members with making threats of physical violence to extort money from two victims.

Damien Willette, 30, of Peabody; William Walley, 30, of Worcester; and Michael O’Shea, 36, of Fall River were indicted with conspiracy to make interstate communications with the intent to extort. Willette and Walley were also charged with making interstate communications with intent to extort. Willette was arrested yesterday and detained pending a hearing on March 10, 2025. O’Shea and Walley, who are serving state prison sentences, will appear in federal court in Boston tomorrow.

According to court documents, Willette was the cellmate of Walley in March 2023 and, later, the cellmate of O’Shea from May 2023 through June 2023. The defendants allegedly threatened two individuals – a former Gangster Disciple who was recruited into the gang by Willette (Victim 2) and their romantic partner (Victim 1) – while serving state prison sentences. Specifically, the defendants allegedly conspired to make threatening communications, including threats of physical violence and to extort money from the victims.

According to the charging documents, Willette expected Victim 2 to provide him with financial assistance during his incarceration from November 2020 to May 2024, as well as to his fellow incarcerated gang members. Gangster Disciple gang members refer to this practice as “aid and assistance.” Willette allegedly told Victim 2 that he would be “blessed out” of the gang if he continued to provide “aid and assistance.” However, Victim 2 attempted to disassociate from the Gangster Disciples gang soon after his recruitment. When Victim 2 stopped providing assistance, Victim 1 continued on his behalf.

It is alleged that, on or about March 2023, the defendants started threatening the victims with physical violence if they stopped providing money to them while they were incarcerated. For example, Willette allegedly warned the victims that if they failed to provide “aid and assistance,” Victim 2 would not be “blessed out” when Willette was released from state prison. Willette allegedly specified that he would have gang members pistol whip the victims that “it’s going to be bad for you and everyone you know” if they failed to provide “aid and assistance.” It is further alleged that O’Shea instructed a non-incarcerated co-conspirator to tell Victim 1 that a Gangster Disciple will “come find you and your family for thinking it’s a game.”

The charge of conspiracy to make interstate communications with the intent to extort provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of making interstate communications with intent to extort provides for a sentence up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts Department of Correction and the Lawrence Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Cheng of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.  

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/PSN.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.