Unsealed court documents dropped Wednesday, revealing intercepted calls that paint a dark picture of Eugene “Big U” Henley Jr.’s alleged operations.
The 58-year-old, a longtime figure in South L.A.’s rap scene and leader of the Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips, turned himself in and now faces federal racketeering charges.
The FBI has been investigating Big U since 2021, uncovering what prosecutors call the “Big U Enterprise,” a violent, mafia-style organization accused of murder, extortion, fraud, and human trafficking. But the biggest bombshells came from the wiretaps.
In one call from 2023, Big U made his stance clear, “Can’t no n*gga beef with me, n*gga. Cause if he do, I’m a kill him. Period. I. Am. Going. To. Murder. Him.”
Another recording from December 31, 2022, captured him speaking on his reputation “What you guys see on the Internet, y’all keep hearing other people who don’t have nothing to talk about but sell. Let me explain something to you. If I would’ve had a problem with any man, color, creed, king, or kind, the issue would’ve been resolved, and he wouldn’t be here, or I wouldn’t be here. It ain’t no kid nothin’.”
He continued, “And it damn near nobody who been in this muthafucka longer than me, can stand against me, and me be who I am. If I had a problem with any man and this wouldn’t be so funny to me. I’m still who they say I am.”
Despite past claims of stepping away from gang life, another wiretap from April 2023 caught him shutting that down: “I’m retired, n*gga? Activist? I’ll pull up on your block right now, n*gga, and show up and show out, n*gga. That’s what happened to the last n#ggas that thought I was retired.”
Authorities say Big U used his decades-long influence with the Rollin’ 60s to run an enterprise involved in everything from fraud to murder.
One of the most disturbing accusations ties him to the January 2021 execution of an aspiring rapper, identified only as “R.W.” According to prosecutors, the rapper made a disrespectful track aimed at Big U. Soon after, he was shot in the face near Las Vegas.
Beyond the violence, investigators also claim he scammed donors, including celebs and NBA players, through his nonprofit Developing Options. While it was supposed to help at-risk youth, court docs say the money went straight into his pockets.
With these wiretaps now public and a federal case stacking against him, Big U’s decades of influence in South L.A. may be coming to an end. If convicted, he faces years behind bars.
