Big U will remain in custody until May 2026 as prosecutors review thousands of wiretaps in a major federal case.
Eugene “Big U” Henley will remain in federal custody until at least May 2026 after a judge ruled prosecutors need more than a year to prepare for trial in a sweeping racketeering case involving nearly 19 alleged gang members and tens of thousands of intercepted phone calls.
Big U, the boss of Uneek Music and a community activist, had pushed to keep his original trial date of May 19, 2025.
But federal prosecutors argued the case’s complexity, number of defendants and massive volume of evidence made that timeline impossible.
The court sided with the government and delayed the trial by nearly a year.
The decision, signed May 12 by U.S. District Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha, means Big U will stay in jail until at least May 5, 2026, when the trial is now scheduled to begin.
Those recordings are expected to be central to the government’s case, which accuses Big U of leading a criminal organization known as the “Big U Enterprise,” tied to the Rollin’ 60s Crips.
Big U is charged in a 43-count federal indictment that includes racketeering conspiracy, murder, extortion, wire fraud, bank fraud, tax evasion and embezzlement.
The government alleges the group’s crimes stretch back to at least 2010 and include murder, kidnapping, robbery, human trafficking and financial fraud.
Among the 18 other defendants are several known by aliases, including Mark Martin (“Bear Claw”), Zihirr Mitchell (“Bricc Baby”) and Termaine Ashley Williams (“Luce Cannon”).
The court has not granted any motions to separate Big U’s trial from the others, meaning all 19 defendants will be tried together.
The indictment accuses Big U of orchestrating the murder of aspiring rapper Rayshawn Williams in Las Vegas and misusing charitable donations.
He’s also accused of defrauding government programs, including pandemic relief funds.
Despite the serious charges, Big U has pleaded not guilty to all counts.
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