VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – A Virginia Beach man described in court documents as "second-in-command" of a local sect of the United Blood Nation pleaded guilty to recruiting for the gang in a hearing Wednesday at Virginia Beach Circuit Court.
Tony Roshawn Haynes, 23, pleaded guilty to three felony counts of recruiting a juvenile for gang membership, one felony count of gang participation, one felony count of schedule I/II drug possession, and one misdemeanor count of recruiting for gang membership.
By signing the agreement, Haynes admitted he was a member of G-Shine, which court documents describe as "a blood sect that falls under the United Blood Nation."
Haynes signed a stipulation of facts that gives insight into gang recruiting strategies in Hampton Roads. The document says Haynes was in the "GLEAM line of G-Shine, which was specifically the hierarchy structure for the City of Virginia Beach." In late April 2021, Haynes held the rank of "“001 Gz up lowerdub," meaning he was second-in-command of GLEAM at the time, prosecutors said.
The entirety of Haynes' thirty-six year sentence was suspended except for the time he's already served; however, that suspended sentence comes with numerous conditions. Haynes must demonstrate good behavior during incarceration plus ten additional years and faces up to five years of supervised probation. The agreement also forbids him from associating with or contacting any criminal street gang members.
In addition, Haynes agreed not to wear or display any gang emblems or insignias, appear in any courtroom where gang members are being prosecuted, or visit any school grounds unless he is a parent or guardian of a child at that school. Lastly, the deal bars him from tagging any property with gang-related symbols or graffiti, posting any gang-related content on the internet, or possessing any type of weapons or body armor.
