Merrick, along with Tommy Shay, James Coffee and Terry Le Strange, operated in the New York waterfront and involved in burglary and pickpocketing as well as raiding the nearby vessels anchored in the Hudson River.
A group of individuals, including Merrick and his associates Tommy Shay, James Coffee, and Terry Le Strange, were active on the New York waterfront, engaging in crimes such as larceny, robbery, and piracy against vessels in the Hudson River.