In custody, Clarence “Preacher” Heatley, a ruthless drug lord, had turned on his children, leaving behind a legacy of shattered trust.
He was a dangerous criminal leader of a narcotics trafficking and violent crime operation in the Bronx and Harlem section of New York City.
Highlights
- Clarence Heatley was an infamous criminal who committed crimes in the Bronx and Harlem sections of New York City.
- He was involved in these criminal activities since childhood and is currently serving a life sentence.
- Heatley betrayed his son and daughter, who was exposed by his son, Shaka Heatley.
Heatley and his gang, known as the “Preacher Crew,” were involved in dr*g dealing, extortion, k*dnappings, and even m*rders in the pursuits of power and street control.
By the early 1990s, the police, in cooperation with the FBI, brought down him and his gang.
To avoid the d*ath penalty, Heatly pleaded guilty to charges in exchange for a plea bargain and is serving his sentence in a federal prison in Florida.
From Harlem Street To Infamous Dr*g Kingpin: Clarence Heatley’s Rise and Fall
A notorious cr*minal mastermind, Clarence Heatley was born around the early 1950s and grew up in Harlem, New York.
Growing up on the mean streets, he never made it past fourth grade and quickly learned to survive on the streets.
The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) investigation of New York City drug kingpin Clarence Heatley during the late 1980s. Unravel the mystery alongside the FBI’s greatest law enforcers and forensic scientists.#TheFBIFileshttps://t.co/blehAIjBNz pic.twitter.com/EIVJiZGOFN
— Corruption By Cops (@cops_by) October 11, 2022
As Preacher grew older, his life of cr*me, including g*n possession and r*bbery, earned him multiple convictions during the 1970s.
Moreover, Heatley, aka The Black Hand of D*ath, ran a violent crime enterprise in what was called the “Preacher Crew.”
The Preacher Crew operated in both the Bronx and Harlem while selling dr*gs and participating in extortion, k*dnappings, and m*rder.
One of their more popularly known exploits was allegedly k*dnapping singer Bobby Brown for a dr*g debt.
By the early 1990s, the NYPD and FBI had a special task force working to eliminate the Preacher Crew.
Ultimately, the dr*g kingpin and his right-hand man, former housing cop John Cuff, were taken into custody.
Facing numerous counts of homicide, he struck a plea bargain in 1999 to avoid the d*ath penalty and plead guilty to racketeering and m*der conspiracy, tied to 13 different dr*g-related m*rders.
Furthermore, Heatlet received a life sentence under the terms and is serving his life imprisonment at the Federal Correctional Institution Talladega.
Blood Ties And Betrayal: Clarence Heatley’s Son, Daughter, And Girlfriend in the Crime World
Clarence Heatley was a notorious crime figure who ran a far-reaching dr*g operation in an enormous portion of the area of Harlem.
His son, Shaka Heatley, shared chilling details about his upbringing within the violent world and his father’s involvement in several criminal activities.
Clarence “Preacher” Heatley – The Preacher Crew https://t.co/cMtV3rGKnx via @YouTube
— MARLON E. ALLADIN II (SHADYDEFJAM) (@MARLONALLADIN) October 28, 2022
He exposed a painful betrayal of his father, who informed on him and his sister when in custody.
It sent shockwaves to his children, knowing that their dad turned them in through his cooperation with the government.
Moreover, his son expressed how it pains him so much that it has been hard to balance his love for his father with the betrayal of his trust.
I hug my sister but when I hug her she whispering in my ear you know Daddy telling on us so I’m like what and the police tell me yo you can’t be touching us I was like yo this my sister.
Additionally, Shaka and his sister engaged in these criminal activities and the violent mindsets that pervaded the family’s operations.
Similarly, Heatley’s criminal enterprise, known as “The Family,” was driven in part by the involvement of his son, daughter, and girlfriend.
Additional Information
- The Gangsters America’s Most Evil episode, “The Black Hand of Death,” details Clarence Heatley’s violent cr*mes.
- He spent most of his childhood in a juvenile detention center starting from the age of nine.
- Heatley and his crew abducted a 13-year-old boy named Donnell Porter, who was on his way to school.
