FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 26, 2010
CONTACT: Erica Derryck, DA Harris’ Office, (415) 553-1167
BNT GANG MEMBER CONVICTED OF FIRST DEGREE MURDER IN 2008 ROBBERY AND SHOOTING
20-Year-Old Gang Member Murdered Father of Three
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – District Attorney Kamala D. Harris announced today that BNT Gang Member Brian Yang, age 20, was convicted by a jury of first degree murder and robbery. The defendant faces 26 years to life in prison.
According to evidence presented at trial, the victim, Gregory Chapman, a 46-year-old father of three, was shot on May 13, 2008 during the commission of a robbery that occurred in the Lakeview District of San Francisco.
During the investigation into the shooting, San Francisco Police Inspectors found Brian Yang's finger print on the victim’s sunglasses. In October, Brian Yang was arrested for possession of gun in a vehicle and confessed to committing the robbery with a co-conspirator he had just met and could not identify.
District Attorney Kamala D. Harris announced in February that the criminal grand jury indicted Yang, plus eight other members and one affiliate of the “B.N.T.” (Broke Niggas Thievin’) street gang for multiple murders and crimes. This conviction represents the first trial that resulted from that series of indictments.
“This is the first conviction that resulted from our sweeping indictments of the violent BNT gang, but it won’t be the last. Together with the San Francisco Police Department, we have cracked down on the gang violence and senseless murders committed by this gang and we won’t stop until it’s over,” said District Attorney Kamala D. Harris.
The Territory of the BNT street gang is Third Street surrounded by Newhall to the West, Mendell to the East, Kirkwood to the North and Newcomb to the South and an area surrounding Commer & Garlington Court. The gang has been implicated in dozens of violent crimes in San Francisco over the past several years. The San Francisco District Attorney’s Office had been investigating the BNT gang and beginning on December 1, 2009 the District Attorney’s office began presenting evidence of the gang’s crimes and criminal enterprise to the grand jury. The presentation of evidence took nearly three months and included the live testimony of 77 witnesses. At the close of evidence, the grand jury issued its indictment.
The arrest and prosecution of defendant Brian Yang was the result of investigation by Inspector Mike Philpott and Inspector Mike Gaynor and dozens of San Francisco Police officers from Bayview Station and other district stations, and Gang Task Force and Homicide inspectors who investigated and developed all the cases against the BNT gang. Eric Fleming is the Assistant District Attorney who presented the case to the grand jury. Linda Allen is the Assistant District Attorney who prosecuted the case.
The case is next on in court on June 30, 2010 to set the sentencing.
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