MEMBERS OF A murderous Brooklyn street gang allegedly headed

MEMBERS OF A murderous Brooklyn
street gang allegedly headed by rapper Lil'
Kim's ex-boyfriend, have been indicted on
federal charges that could get them the
death penalty, prosecutors said yesterday.
Reputed gang kingpin Damion (World) Hardy
and his "Cash Money Brothers" crew allegedly
dealt cocaine in Bedford-Stuyvesanfs Lafayette
Gardens and murdered five people over the past
decade, prosecutors charged,
If convicted, Hardy, 30, and 12 of the gang's
members face the death penalty or life in prison..
"The arrests . . . strike a devastating blow to a
drug gang responsible for spreading fear and violence in one of our communities," said. U.
S. Attorney Roslynn Mauskopf. Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said the indictments should
serve notice that, "We are committed to removing
violence and drug dealing from our public housing developments.
" Hardy, who has been. in. custody since last
August after being nabbed when he returned from
a trip to Iraq, is due to be arraigned in Brooklyn
Federal Court today. Eight members of the gang
were arraigned yesterday, and four others were
being sought.
The indictment contends Hardy and his brother; the late Myron (Wise) Hardy, founded the violent gang, also known as "CM.B," in 1991.
Damion Hardy dated. LIT Kim in 2003, and
was a suspect in an October 2003 incident in
which rapper 50 Cent and his entourage were shot
at. outside the DoubleTree Hotel in Jersey City.
Earlier this month.,' Lil' Kim was sentenced to a
BY NANCIE L KATZ and BILL HUTCHINSON
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS
year in prison for lying to a grand jury probing a
2001 Shootout outside radio station Hot 97's Manhattan studio that also involved. 50 Cent's entourage. Lil' Kim declined to comment yesterday.
Hardy was taken, into custody last year after
traveling to Iraq and. the Middle East on a bogus
passport. When questioned by federal agents,
Hardy allegedly said he would fight in a jihad
against the United States and claimed, to be Jesus.
The indictments paint a picture of a gang
where life was cheap and drugs were lucrative.
Myron Hardy's 1999 slaying by a rival gang set
off a bloody turf war, officials said. Prosecutors
said Damion Hardy retaliated by ordering the
execution's of rivals Ivory (Peanut) Davis and
Jerrod (Kojack) Mackens.
Davis was shot twice in the back, outside Club
NV at Spring and Hudson Sts. in SoHo on Aug.
10, 2000. Davis, who later died from his wounds,
tried to flee in a car, but lost control and killed an
innocent bystander; Austrian filmmaker Jhoan
Camitz,
Prosecutors said Hardy also ordered the slaying of James Hamilton, who was gunned down in
August 2000 inside his Brooklyn seafood restaurant.
In addition, the indictment charges Hardy and
his thugs with the murder of Darryl Baum in June
2000, and Baum's brother, Tyrone, in July 2003.
nkatz@nydailynews.
Bryan Smith
Lil' Kim Leaves court earlier in month. Members of street
gang headed by her ex, Damion (World) Hardy were indicted
yesterday.