‘Central Divis Players’ sentenced to life

Two members of the “Central Divisadero Players” gang were sentenced to multiple life sentences in San Francisco federal court on Friday.

Charles “Cheese” Heard, 33, Jaquain “Loc” Young, 44, Adrian “Tit” Gordon, 29, Esau “Sauce” Ferdinand and Monzell Harding Jr., 26, were convicted of racketeering charges in March 2018.

The gang was also known as the Central Divis Playas and CDP, prosecutors said.

Heard was convicted of murdering Andre Helton and Isiah Turner in a double-homicide near the University of San Francisco on August 2008. San Francisco federal Judge William Orrick handed down multiple life sentences to Heard.

Young was convicted of murdering Helton’s brother, Jelvon Helton, at the Gravity bar in the Marina neighborhood in November 2010. Young was sentenced to three life sentences, in addition to 20 years for additional charges.

The rest of the defendants in CDP were charged for 22 counts as a racketeering organization that worked in the Western Addition to “preserve and protect power,” according to prosecutors. Eight life sentences and multiple maximum sentences were handed down.