New Jersey gang member accused of murder tracked down via Instagram, copssay

A supposed gang member from Jersey City, New Jersey, has been charged for the murder of a rival gang member.

Police say they used both surveillance video and a photo from the suspect’s Instagram account to catch him.

Phillip Wiggins Jr., 24, has been charged with the murder of Damone Smith, 25, who was killed on March 31, 2020, according to federal prosecutors. He was charged in federal court this week.

Smith was taken to Jersey City Medical Center in a private vehicle after he was shot, according to NJ.com. He sustained gunshot wounds to the upper body and was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Wiggins is allegedly associated with the street gang known as “Wilkinson Enterprise” or “Nuski Gang,” which operates in the area of Wilkinson Avenue, Ocean Avenue, Martin Luther King Drive and Wegman Parkway in Jersey City, according to prosecutors

Wiggins and Smith were allegedly members of rival gangs, according to prosecutors

According to the criminal complaints, Wiggins can be seen in surveillance footage shooting Smith on the night of the murder.

Police officers recovered sneakers at Wiggins’ home that matched the sneakers worn by the shooter, according to federal prosecutors.

In addition, officers reviewed an Instagram post that Wiggins made on the day of the murder. In the photo, police say he is wearing clothing that is similar or identical to clothes worn by the shooter, prosecutors noted.

Less than 24 hours after the murder, Wiggins posted an article from a local media outlet detailing the circumstances of the crime.

Wiggins was charged with murder in aid of racketeering, discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and causing death through the use of a firearm.