United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that KEVIN PEREZ, a/k/a “Kay Flock,” was sentenced yesterday to 30 years in prison for committing violent crimes as the leader of a Bronx-based gang, known as “Sev Side/DOA.” In March 2025, a jury convicted PEREZ of racketeering conspiracy, attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon in aid of racketeering, and a firearm discharge offense following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman, who imposed today’s sentence.

According to the indictment, public court filings, and the evidence presented at PEREZ’s trial:

Since at least 2020, PEREZ was the leader of a gang based on East 187th Street in the Bronx, known as Sev Side/DOA, which is short for “Dumping on” (shooting) “Anything” or “Dead on Arrival.” Members of the gang committed violence against gang rivals to protect their territory, enhance the reputation and wealth of Sev Side/DOA, and increase their status within the gang. The gang primarily supported itself through bank and wire fraud, which in turn funded PEREZ’s music career.

Throughout 2020 and until his arrest in late 2021, PEREZ and his co-conspirators carried out a string of shootings. The violence included a June 20, 2020, shooting in which a gang rival was struck in the jaw and several other victims were hit. Days after the shooting, PEREZ and his co-conspirators put out a music video that bragged about the shooting. PEREZ was also held responsible for attempted murders on June 26, 2020; August 10, 2020; and November 10, 2021, which collectively resulted in multiple people being shot. The evidence also showed that, while committing this violence, PEREZ used his status as a recognized “drill rap” artist to celebrate his gang’s crimes. PEREZ put out songs—several of which received millions of views—that glorified his violence, threatened more of it, and taunted rival gang members who had been murdered.

In imposing today’s sentence, Judge Liman remarked that the defendant “taunted, celebrated, and created a culture of violence” and that the harm the defendant caused “was immense.”

In addition to his prison term, PEREZ, 22, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced to five years of supervised release.

Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Police Department and Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, and also thanked the New York County District Attorney’s Office for its assistance.

The case is being handled by the Office’s Violent Organizations and Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ni Qian, Michael R. Herman, Patrick R. Moroney, Elizabeth A. Espinosa, and Jim Ligtenberg are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialists Ananya Sankar and David Naguib.

S: U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York