Eugene “Big U” Henley made his first appearance in court Thursday as he faces charges for a series of racketeering crimes, including extortion, human trafficking, fraud, and the 2021 murder of an aspiring rap musician. Alex Rozier reports for the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on March 20, 2025.
A South Los Angeles gang leader who is accused of acting as a community activist while running a criminal enterprise pleaded not guilty Tuesday to numerous federal charges, including racketeering, murder, extortion and fraud.
Eugene "Big U" Henley Jr., 58, of the South LA community of Hyde Park, made an initial court appearance in downtown Los Angeles Tuesday.
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WATCH HEREHenley, a long-time leader with the Rollin' 60s South LA gang, was charged last month after authorities accused him of running a "mafia-like" criminal operation identified in court documents as Big U Enterprise, which benefited from Henley's association with the gang;
Henley also received grants from government agencies for the charity, which were then diverted to the criminal enterprise, according to authorities.
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Federal prosecutors added there’s probable cause to believe Eugene “Big U” Henley, Jr. killed a man named Rayshawn Williams in Las Vegas and dragged his body in the desert.
Williams, according to court papers, was an artist for Henley’s label “Uneek Music. After Williams wrote a song to “diss” Henley, the gang leader kidnapped and murdered Williams in retaliation, prosecutors said.
Additionally, Henley is suspected of submitting a fraudulent application for a COVID-19 pandemic relief loan for Uneek Music.
If convicted, he could get a life sentence as his trial is set to begin on May 20.
