Cardi B’s Pregnant Best Friend Star Brim Charged In Sweeping NYC Bloods Gang Roundup

The best friend of Bronx superstar Cardi B has been charged in a sweeping roundup of members of the 59 Brims, a violent Bloods street gang. But the heavily pregnant Star Brim won't be arrested until she gives birth, officials say.

Brim — real name Yonette Respass — was one of 18 defendants named in an indictment of gang members in the Southern District of New York Tuesday. She is accused of being the highest ranking female member of the gang and is charged with slashing a person and participating in a racketeering conspiracy.

While many of the gang members named in the indictment have been arrested, Brim was not as she is expected to give birth in the coming days. Prosecutors say they are in discussions with her attorney regarding a time and date for self-surrender.

The summary of charges in the 59 Brims case reveals startling details about the organizational structure of the gang — including real names and street names of the gang's highest ranking members and their roles in the criminal operation. There are two rank structures — one for 59 Brims who are in prison and one for those who are free, prosecutors say. The heads of the "Prison Lineup" and the "Street Lineup" each have their own leader, who is named the "Godfather."

Prosecutors say they arrested Street Lineup Godfather Willie Evans, or "Mills," in the Bronx borough of New York at 6 a.m. Tuesday. He is facing two murder charges as well as racketeering, firearms and conspiracy charges. They also arrested a number of the 59 Brims borough leaders, or "High 020s," Tuesday morning, including Queens High 020 Albert Shoulders, aka "Bundy," and Bronx High 020 Jamarr Simmons, aka "Show Off."

Prosecutors say Brim is the highest-ranking female member of the 59 Brims, also known as "Godmother." Female members of the gang who do not report to other gang officials are required to report to her. Previous "Godmother" Jerlaine Little, aka "Noni," was also arrested.

Brim has become somewhat of a celebrity alongside her longtime friend Cardi B, with more than 920,000 followers on Instagram the day of her arrest. Cardi B has posted about Brim to her millions of followers previously, saying in 2018 she was "proud of her" and outlining some of her previous run-ins with the law.

Cardi B has previously opened up about her past with the Bloods gang. She told GQ magazine she started hanging out with Bloods when she was 16 and members urged her to join.

But she said feared for her future when it became understood that being in a gang was a "lifelong commitment." She said becoming a stripper at 19 helped her move away from a life of crime.

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