RIVERHEAD, NY – A member of the Bloodhound Brim street gang has been sentenced to 22 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy and armed robbery as part of a long-running gang investigation that resulted in the convictions of 31 defendants.
Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced that Joel Badger, 20, of Medford, was sentenced on July 8, 2026, after pleading guilty to Conspiracy in the Second Degree and Robbery in the First Degree. Prosecutors said Badger was one of 31 members and associates charged in a 103-count indictment following a multi-year investigation into gang-related violence committed between August 2021 and February 2024.
According to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, the investigation, conducted by the District Attorney’s Gang Task Force in partnership with the Suffolk County Police Department, uncovered three separate criminal conspiracies involving 34 violent incidents. Authorities said the investigation included 18 shootings, three armed robberies, and the seizure of 12 loaded handguns that were linked to 13 shootings. All 31 defendants named in the indictment have now been convicted.
Prosecutors said Badger admitted participating in a conspiracy to commit murder while serving as an active member of the Bloodhound Brims. According to court records, gang members committed acts of violence under the direction of higher-ranking members in an effort to gain status within the organization.
One of the incidents connected to the conspiracy was the April 1, 2023, fatal shooting of Kimberly Midgette, a 44-year-old schoolteacher, in Hempstead. Investigators said members of the Bloodhound Brims mistakenly believed Midgette was affiliated with a rival gang before she was shot and killed. Badger has not been convicted in that homicide and remains pending prosecution on separate murder charges in Nassau County.
Badger also admitted participating in an armed robbery that occurred on September 27, 2023, in Ridge. According to prosecutors, he and two accomplices lured a victim to a parking lot, where Badger displayed a firearm before robbing the victim. During the robbery, one of the accomplices allegedly slashed the victim with a knife.
Badger entered his guilty plea on January 12, 2026, before Acting Supreme Court Justice Anthony S. Senft Jr. On July 8, 2026, Justice Senft sentenced him to 22 years in state prison followed by five years of post-release supervision.
| Key Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Defendant | Joel Badger, 20, of Medford, New York |
| Sentence | 22 years in state prison followed by 5 years of post-release supervision |
| Sentencing Date | July 8, 2026 |
| Court | Suffolk County Supreme Court |
| Presiding Judge | Acting Supreme Court Justice Anthony S. Senft Jr. |
| Charges | Conspiracy in the Second Degree and Robbery in the First Degree |
| Guilty Plea Entered | January 12, 2026 |
| Gang Involved | Bloodhound Brims street gang |
| Investigation Period | August 2021 through February 2024 |
| Indictment | 103-count indictment involving 31 defendants |
| Investigation Agencies | Suffolk County District Attorney’s Gang Task Force and Suffolk County Police Department |
| Total Defendants Convicted | 31 |
| Violent Incidents Investigated | 34 incidents, including 18 shootings and 3 armed robberies |
| Firearms Recovered | 12 loaded handguns linked to 13 shootings |
| Robbery Incident | September 27, 2023, armed robbery in Ridge, New York |
| Related Homicide | Kimberly Midgette, a 44-year-old schoolteacher, was fatally shot in Hempstead on April 1, 2023 |
| Murder Case Status | Badger remains pending prosecution on separate murder charges in Nassau County |
In announcing the sentence, District Attorney Tierney said the case demonstrates Suffolk County’s commitment to aggressively prosecuting gang violence and pursuing long-term conspiracy investigations that hold criminal organizations accountable.
