We also wanted to know or did we? If convicted of the racketeering conspiracy charged in Count 1, each defendant could receive as much as life in prison and a $250,000 fine. To have his name continuously thrown into the affairs of others and to be used as a scapegoat for criminal activity he has no connection to needs to cease.. Robinson was revered for breaking the color barrier, but dont forget about those who followed. He said, I want to give back to Robbins, Roberson says. On April 28, 2018, Clemon, Maxwell, and Harris, on orders from Smith, allegedly killed Leroy Allen as part of a leadership dispute at a Gangster Disciples meeting in Bridgeton, Missouri. Certain defendants were also charged with murder, attempted murder, and various firearms crimes. Gangster Disciples Prison Gang Profile & Structure - InfoTracer Anthony Dobbins, 53, of Troy, Illinois, an alleged national Board Member, is charged with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms crimes. According to the indictment, the Gangster Disciples is a violent street and prison gang founded in the 1960s that has engaged in large-scale drug trafficking and violence throughout the United States. Moving swiftly after winning convictions of Gangster Disciples leader Larry Hoover and other high-ranking gang members two weeks ago, authorities indicted eight additional men Friday in a. Frank Smith, 47, of Naperville, Illinois, an alleged Board Member, is charged with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms crimes; Warren Griffin, 51, of Lancaster, Kentucky, an alleged Board Member, is charged with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms crimes; Anthony Dobbins, 53, of Troy, Illinois, an alleged Board Member, is charged with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms crimes; Sean Clemon, 50, of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, an alleged Governor, is charged with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms crimes; Dominque Maxwell, 28, of Cape Girardeau, an alleged Assistant Governor, is charged with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms crimes; Perry Harris, 29, of Cape Girardeau, an alleged Treasurer and Chief of Security, is charged with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms crimes; and. It is the very of core of law enforcements mission to ensure that everyone feels safe in their homes and neighborhoods, and it is a hard reality that many people across our country simply do not enjoy this basic sense of security because of gangs like the Gangster Disciples, said Assistant Attorney General Caldwell. Shauntay Craig, 37, of Birmingham, Alabama, held the rank of Gangster Disciples "Board Member". Yates says he thinks more Americans than ever support moves to rehabilitate ex-offenders, which led to the passage of the First Step Act. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. "They were very disciplined, very organized," Sanders said. The organizational culture of the Gangster Disciples - ajc Criminal Investigation is proud to work alongside our law enforcement partners in this case to bring these criminals to justice.. Life on a third straight one-year contract with the mega-talented Astros isnt bad at all. The GD are involved in criminal activity in more than 30 states. Alleged leaders of Gangster Disciples indicted on racketeering charges The charges and allegations in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. With the charges unsealed today, we are taking an important, powerful step in the fight to disrupt and dismantle gangs operating in this region. Utilizing firearms to injure or intimidate others cannot be tolerated and there is no question that the public is safer today because of the hard work, dedication, and collaboration of all of the agencies that played a part in this investigation., Todays indictment is a result of investigative efforts in our Fairview Heights Resident Agency and strong partnerships with federal, state and local law enforcement partners, said Sean Cox, FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge. You have to harm or kill somebody as part of your initiation, there's a lot of torture that might be involved, Sanders said. Volunteers from the Jacksons organization were at Yates event, helping unload trucks and handing off boxes of food. Lock With the charges unsealed today, we are taking an important, powerful step in the fight to disrupt and dismantle gangs operating in this region. Some counts specifically name their enforcement teams, for example, "HATE Committee" and "BLACC Team" are two specially named teams. At the top of the national group is the "Chairman," a man known as L.H. Murder in aid of racketeering is a death-eligible offense. The Gangster Disciples are a highly organized and ruthless gang that recognizes no geographical boundaries, and its members have far too long indiscriminately preyed upon and infected the good people of our communities like a cancer. He wasnt supposed to come home at all. Further, Gangster Disciples members would teach other members how to commit certain crimes, including frauds and would provide drugs on discount to other Gangster Disciples members for resale. A 16-count indictment was returned by a grand jury on April 22, and unsealed today in the U.S. District Court of the Western District of Tennessee. according to a release from the United States Department of Justice. The Black Disciples Gangster Nation initiate new members with beat-downs by fellow gang members, murders, and other violent crimes. May 4, 2016 / 3:51 PM / CBS/AP. After a somewhat-quiet offseason, the Fire are widely picked to finish near the bottom of the Eastern Conference and miss the playoffs again. Several of its members are known to be active and retired military. Robinson was revered for breaking the color barrier, but dont forget about those who followed. The indictment alleges he was conspiring with Anthony Dobbins, another board member, who was among those arrested. As a street gang, the Gangster Disciples had a board of directors, governors, regents, coordinators and, of course, soldiers to do the dirty work. The FBIs Safe Streets Gang Task Forces recognize no boundaries either, and we are committed to identifying, disrupting and dismantling the most violent gangs that seek to harm our communities. On April 28, 2018, Clemon, Maxwell, and Harris, on orders from Smith, allegedly killed Leroy Allen as part of a leadership dispute at a Gangster Disciples meeting in Bridgeton, Missouri. The Gangster Disciples is a violent gang that began in Chicago in the 1970s when the Black Disciples and the Supreme Gangsters merged, the Atlanta indictment says. This illustrates, when we work together, how effective our law enforcement alliances are in pursuing and eradicating violent street gangs to make our communities safer., TheBOP takes seriously ourmission toprotect the safety and security of our correctional institutions and the public, said Miranda Faust, Administrator of the Federal Bureau of Prisons' (BOP) Intelligence and Counter Terrorism Branch. The charges and allegations in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Barry Boyce, 44, of Charleston, Missouri, an alleged member of the gang, is charged with RICO conspiracy. "They know when we make the arrest of a 12-year-old, it's going to not really go very far.". "Right in front of the camera. Domestic Cannabis Suppression / Eradication Program, Red Ribbon Toolkit - Resources For Your Community, DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, Intelligence Research Specialist Job Announcements, Schedule A Hiring Authority: Intelligence Research Specialist, Privacy Impact Assessment and Management Information Systems, Victim Witness Assistance Program Resources. Some of these teams have names, such as "Hate Committee" or "Blacc Team. For more information on the indictment on the Gangster Disciples members, click here. The Black Disciple Gangster Nation changed from a community organization back into a gang with an influx of drugs into the area. But U.S. Attorney John Lausch urged U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber last year to keep Hoover in federal prison for the rest of his life. Larry Hoover grew up in Chicago and became the leader of the Supreme Gangsters, which merged with a rival gang to become the Black Gangster Disciple Nation. "By arresting these particular king pins we were actually taking off a lot of drugs, but more importantly we were stopping a lot of the violence," Sanders said. The "Treasurer" assists the governor in collecting dues for each state for the national Treasurer. "he was responsible for violence drug trafficking and murders, including orchestrating the murder of a . The long list of violent crimes alleged in this indictment including two murders and multiple violent assaults make plain the threat to our communities posed by criminal organizations like the Gangster Disciples, said Nicholas L. McQuaid, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Departments Criminal Division. Sean Clemon, 50, of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, the alleged Governor of the state of Missouri, is charged with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms crimes. Download the WHAS11 News app now. Other acts of violence alleged as part of the conspiracy include a nightclub stabbing in East St. Louis, Illinois, a nonfatal shooting in Cape Girardeau,and multiple unsuccessful murder plots. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms says the Black Disciple Gangster Nation remains strong, with 30,000 members around Chicago and in 30 other states. The symbol of the Black Gangster Disciple Nation stemmed from the three previous gangs just mentioned above. An official website of the United States government. And I said, Absolutely. . I am especially grateful for the support of the ATF and the many dedicated law enforcement officers at all levels of government who contributed to this investigation., ATF has no higher priority than investigating violent crime and ensuring that those who use firearms in furtherance of their criminal activities are held accountable, said Fred Winston, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Kansas City Field Division. On April 28, 2018, Clemon, Maxwell and Harris, on orders from Smith, allegedly killed Leroy Allen as part of a leadership dispute at a Gangster Disciples meeting in Bridgeton, Missouri. That is why it is so significant that todays indictments charge top leaders within the Gangster Disciples. The indictment says the two men threatened to kill anyone who challenged their authority and, on May 18, 2018, shot and killed a rival Gangster Disciples board member on the South Side of Chicago. They also teach new members about gang codes, rules, regulations, and technology. This investigation demonstrates ATFs commitment and the commitment of our law enforcement partners to ensure that Missouri and Illinois communities remain a safe place to live, work and raise families. It had a compilation of video captured by police cameras that illustrated the influence gangs had on the streets of Chicago. But there are far fewer people with the wherewithal to lead organizations like the Gangster Disciples. The indictment filed by federal prosecutors accuses Griffin, also known as 'GG' and 'Big Head' of murdering a rival Gangster Disciples board member in Chicago back in 2018. The decision to merge the two gangs came from a fear that gang warfare would decimate the black youth of the region. The Atlanta case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Hans B. Miller of the Criminal Divisions Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. We are committed to dismantling violent gangs like the Gangster Disciples and holding their members accountable for criminal conduct., These charges target national and state leaders of one of the most notorious street gangs in America, said Steven D. Weinhoeft, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. According to court documents, the Gangster Disciples is a national gang active in more than 24 states with a highly organized structure including board members and governor-of-governors who each controlled geographic regions; governors, assistant governors, chief enforcers and chiefs of security for each state or regions within the state where the Gangster Disciples were active; and coordinators and leaders within each local group. Polling Place: Is Patrick Kane the greatest Blackhawk ever? how interested you are in the Fire, whose season begins Saturday against New York City FC at Soldier Field. released a report in 2011 that revealed that at least 53 gangs are represented in the military, particularly the branches of the Army. Because, I gotta admit its good.. This case results from investigations by ATF, FBI, Federal Bureau of Prisons, IRS Criminal Investigation, Missouri Department of Corrections, Illinois State Police, the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis, Bridgeton Police Department, Cape Girardeau Police Department, and Chicago Police Department. None of those guys is reverting to the streets and getting involved in crime.. Gangster Disciples leaders sentenced to prison He pointed out that they came from Trumps U.S. Department of Agriculture. Gangster Disciples Gang Initiation and Colors, a political action committee dubbed V.O.T.E. May 4, 2016 1:29 PM PT. GD hasa very structured hierarchical organization. Murder in aid of racketeering is a death- eligible offense. The gang also provided financial and other support to members charged with or incarcerated for gang-related offenses and members who were fugitives from law enforcement were provided safe houses in which to hide from police. James Yates, a former high-ranking member of the Gangster Disciples, formed the Revitalization of Robbins Initiative after his life prison sentence was overturned and he was released in April under the federal First Step Act. Though Hoover was not accused of wrongdoing, the indictment alleged that in September 2014, Gangster Disciples members Anthony Dobbins and Warren Griffin discussed how Hoover had recently appointed them as "board members," a powerful position directly beneath Hoover that gave them authority over the gang's national operation. In addition to the RICO conspiracy, all 16 defendants are charged with a cocaine-distribution conspiracy, and Crawford, Shaw, Taylor, Champion and Bowers are charged with seven counts of attempted murder in aid of racketeering and using a firearm during the commission of those offenses. Attorneys Kim S. Dammers, Ryan K. Buchanan and Stephanie Gabay-Smith of the Northern District of Georgia.