South LA gang leader and self-proclaimed community activist arrested for ‘mafia-like' crimes

A long-time leader of a notorious South Los Angeles-based street gang identified by authorities as an entertainment entrepreneur and a self-proclaimed community activist was charged in a federal complaint that alleges he ran a vast criminal enterprise, authorities announced Tuesday.

Eugene "Big U" Henley Jr., 58, of the South LA community of Hyde Park, was arrested after he surrendered to law enforcement agents for being part of a "mafia-like" criminal operation identified in court documents as Big U Enterprise, which benefited from Henley's association with the Rollin' 60s street gang, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Earlier today, federal officials announced federal charges against 19 defendants as part of Operation #DrawDown & asked for the public's help in locating 2 men who were considered fugitives throughout today. Both men are now in custody. #Captured @usao_losangeles @lapdhq @irs_ci pic.twitter.com/fOgEwktq88

— FBI Los Angeles (@FBILosAngeles) March 20, 2025

Henley, an executive producer on the six-part FX series "Hip Hop Uncovered," is accused in the federal complaint of running a criminal enterprise that committed a series of racketeering crimes, including extortion, human trafficking, fraud, and the 2021 murder of an aspiring rap musician, the Justice Department said.

Henley, who has nearly 300,000 followers on Instagram, portrayed himself as an anti-gang activist associated with a charity that was a front for the criminal operation, authorities said. Henley received grants from government agencies for the charity, which were then diverted to the criminal enterprise, according to authorities.

"The allegations in the complaint unsealed today reveal a criminal enterprise that engaged in murder, extortion, human trafficking, and fraud – all led by a supposed anti-gang activist and purported music entrepreneur who was nothing more than a violent street criminal," said Acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally.

Henley is charged in the complaint with conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.

Arrest warrants were executed Tuesday morning in connection with the investigation. Four people named in the complaint were already in custody. Ten more were taken into custody since Monday. Henley was on the run prior to the announcement of his arrest Wednesday evening.

Video from NewsChopper4 showed some of the people under arrest at a processing center set up outside the Federal Building in Los Angeles.

Henley rose up the ranks of the South LA gang during the 1980s, but since then became a high-profile entertainment entrepreneur and self-proclaimed activist who was a regular on online talk shows and podcasts.

"Not only did the enterprise expand its power through violence, fear, and intimidation, but it also used social media platforms, documentaries, podcasts, interviews, and Henley’s reputation and status as an "O.G." (original gangster) to create fame for – and stoke fear of – the Big U Enterprise, its members, and its associates," the DOJ said in a news release.

The criminal group at the center of the DOJ investigation has been operating since at least 2010.

Donors, including celebrities and athletes, were defrauded by nonprofits under the Big U Enterprise umbrella, including Henley's Developing Options charity, authorities said. The Hyde Park-based charity was marketed as a youth program to divert kids away from gangs, violence, drugs and other criminal activity.

"But the Big U Enterprise allegedly used it as a front for fraudulent purposes and to insulate its members from suspicion by law enforcement, the DOJ said in a statement. "Henley allegedly embezzled large donations that celebrities and award-winning companies made to Developing Options, which Henley immediately converted to his personal bank account."

The criminal complaint also claims famous athletes, including NBA players, were persuaded to donate money to the charity.

The criminal complaint indicated that Developing Options is primarily funded through the City of Los Angeles' Mayor's Office through the Gang Reduction Youth Development (GRYD) Foundation.

In a statement, Mayor Karen Bass' press secretary said the city program has "strict oversight."

"The City has zero tolerance for malfeasance and over the past two years increased oversight on GRYD programs," press secretary De'Marcus Finnell said. "The City has strict oversight in place, however the complaint alleges a sophisticated effort to thwart oversight for many avenues of funding including the City. This alleged act does not reflect the work of the GRYD program overall, which has helped lead to a dramatic decrease in gang-related violence citywide two years in a row."

Akil Davis, assistant director in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office, said Henley and his partners duped well-meaning donors, using the charity to further their personal finances and criminal activities.

"The lead defendant and others in this case have for too long gotten away with violent acts and stealing money from taxpayers and well-intentioned donors whether they use intimidation tactics or wield influence as rehabilitated original gangsters,” Davis said. “The FBI and our partners have worked for four years to bring justice in this case and will continue to rule out this kind of criminal behavior plaguing the streets of Los Angeles."

In January 2021, Henley killed an aspiring musician signed to Uneek Music, Henley's music label, the DOJ said. Henley and Uneek Music paid the victim to travel to Las Vegas to record music at a Grammy Award-winning music producer's studio, investigators said.

The victim, identified in court documents as RW, did not record at an agreed-upon rate and recorded a song that was defamatory about Henley, who then drove the victim to North Las Vegas, shot him in the head, and left his body in a ditch off Interstate 15, according to authorities.

Henley also is suspected of submitting a fraudulent application for a COVID-19 pandemic relief loan for Uneek Music.

"He has maintained the image of an entertainment industry entrepreneur, running a music label and of somebody who gives back to the community here in Los Angeles," McNally said. "The facts alleged in the complaint paint a very different picture. It is one of a murder, a thief, a liar."

It wasn't known Wednesday if Henley has an attorney. If convicted, he could face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison.