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Eugene Henley Jr., 58, also known by the alias “Big U” (pictured above), was arrested this week and charged with being the alleged leader of the South Los Angeles-based Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips and allegedly posed as an anti-gang activist. In his capacity as the leader of the gang, federal prosecutors claim he ran a “criminal enterprise that committed a series of racketeering crimes, including extortion, human trafficking, fraud, and the 2021 murder of an aspiring rap musician.”
Making the arrest of Henley even more interesting than it already is, is the fact that multiple famous names (or initials) are mentioned in FBI reports submitted by federal prosecutors. According to those reports, Henley’s “Big U Enterprise” would often require celebrities and athletes to “check in” with him when they were in Los Angeles. And by “check in” with him, prosecutors claim he would require these famous folks to pay a “tax” in order to keep form being robbed or becoming a victim of other crimes.
The Los Angeles Times reports on one such alleged incident involving a professional boxer with the initials “A.B.”
In 2022, [Andrew Roosa, a special agent with the FBI] wrote, the FBI interviewed a cooperating witness, identified only as CW-1, who claimed that rap artists, athletes and other visitors needed to pay Henley a fee when they came to the city.
CW-1 told authorities about a large buy-in dice game in L.A. in June 2019. The game involved a professional boxer, identified only as A.B., A.B.’s associates, and several prominent NBA players. According to CW-1, A.B. and his associates fixed the game, cheating the NBA players out of millions of dollars using “teased” dice.
After that game, Roosa wrote, Henley directed associates to “rough up” A.B., who had not checked in with Henley, “and to get the money back from him on behalf of the cheated NBA players.” Multiple members of the Rollin’ 60s allegedly arrived and were used “to press A.B.”
Henley stepped in, CW-1 told authorities, “because he was involved in and/or would approve of any dice games or similar events, such as parties, involving large sums of money and prominent NBA players and celebrities” in the city.
According to the complaint, CW-1 knew of other times in which NBA players or celebrities would need to get approval in advance from Henley to ensure their safety at events such as parties, games or advertising shoots. CW-1 said the celebrities would have to pay Henley for protection and approval “or face retaliation from the Big U Enterprise.”
In what is surely just a coincidence, professional boxer Adrien Broner admitted in 2024 that he took NBA star John Wall for $3 million shooting dice and in card games. Also in what could be just another complete coincidence, an Adrien Broner associate claimed in a 2019 video of the boxer shooting dice that he had won over $1 million gambling in just 30 days.
The “A.B.” mentioned in the FBI report allegedly cheated a current NBA All-Star out of $1.5 million and a former NBA All-Star out of $5 million using the loaded dice. Henley reportedly discussed charging the players $100,000 to get their money back from the boxer.
The Los Angeles Times also reports that Henley allegedly duped athletes and celebrities, including current and former NBA players Draymond Green and Shaquille O’Neal, who each donated $20,000 to his charities, only to later allegedly transfer most of the money to his own personal bank accounts.
A Department of Justice press release adds, “Two other alleged members of the criminal enterprise – Sylvester Robinson, 59, a.k.a. ‘Vey,’ of Northridge, and Mark Martin, 50, a.k.a. ‘Bear Claw,’ of the Beverlywood area of Los Angeles – were arrested today on the same criminal complaint in which Henley is charged.”
“The RICO charges against Mr. Henley and his associates reflect a pattern of crimes that runs the gambit from extortion to tax evasion, all under the umbrella of a well-organized criminal organization led by Mr. Henley,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office. “Additionally, Mr. Henley allegedly duped the County of Los Angeles by running a charitable organization that promoted anti-gang solutions while continuing criminal activity that was directly contrary to his charity. IRS-CI is proud to partner with fellow law enforcement organizations to investigate these criminal organizations to protect our communities from further harm.”