A federal judge has ruled that community activist and music executive Eugene "Big U" Henley will remain imprisoned for at least five years while a mountain of evidence in his racketeering case is sifted through. Big U's trial, initially scheduled for May 19, 2025, was anticipated as one of the largest courtroom showdowns in recent history. But not so, prosecutors say, in this high-stakes case. These days, as a judge and lawyers grapple with around 20,000 intercepted phone calls and 19 defendants caught up in a sweeping federal indictment, the labyrinth is more like it for both the prosecution and the defense, one that's anything but fast to navigate.
U.S. District Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha approved the postponement over prosecutors' postulated objections that they needed more time to prepare. That ruling will keep Big U in federal custody for at least another year and lock in a new trial date for May 5, 2026.
At the heart of it all is what the government describes as the "Big U Enterprise," an alleged criminal enterprise with connections to the Rollin' 60s Crips. The enterprise took part in a variety of crimes, including murder, drug trafficking, robbery, wire fraud, and tax evasion, and operated dating back to 2010, according to the indictment.
Big U, who also runs Uneek Music and has been vocal about his work in the community, has been charged with 43 federal crimes, among the charges racketeering conspiracy, murder, extortion, embezzlement, and fraud against COVID-19 relief programs. Prosecutors claim that he arranged for the killing of a promising young rapper named Rayshawn Williams in Las Vegas and squandered donations that were given to him to provide financial support for at-risk youth.
The list of co-defendants sounds like a street aliases class roll: Mark Martin, "Bear Claw," Zihirr Mitchell, "Bricc Baby," Termaine Ashley Williams, "Luce Cannon," are a few of the 18 others named in the indictment. The court, however, has denied motions by the defense to sever Big U's trial from the rest, which means the 19 will be tried together.
The evidence is overwhelming, and so too are the stakes. For Big U, who for years was seen as a reformed man using his platform for change only, after all, you'd been reading about an upcoming trial that could either vindicate years of work or a fall from grace from which there is no chance of recovery.
He'll spend that time in custody while both sides plow through thousands of hours of surveillance and wiretap recordings that will make up the backbone of one of the most high-profile racketeering cases in recent memory. But as the legal gears slowly grind forward, this trial isn't simply about Big U. It's about power, perception, and the thin line between community leadership and criminal empire.
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