We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to eliminate the terror gang members inflict upon our communities, and will exhaust every available resource, including the federal RICO statute, to bring them to justice. Barry Boyce, 44, of Charleston, Missouri, an alleged member of the gang, is charged with RICO conspiracy. After a somewhat-quiet offseason, the Fire are widely picked to finish near the bottom of the Eastern Conference and miss the playoffs again. 2023 InfoPay, Inc. All Rights Reserved. "he was responsible for violence drug trafficking and murders, including orchestrating the murder of a . Contact reporter Heather Fountaine athfountaine@whas11.comand follow her onTwitter (@WHAS11Heather)andFacebook. In 1973, Hoover was sentenced to. Thirty individuals were taken into custody today and two remain at large. He wasnt supposed to come home at all. almost corporate organization spread out over several states. They then recruited heavily in Chicago, within jails and prisons, and across the United States. "They were very disciplined, very organized," Sanders said. 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. About 900 gang factions operate in Chicago today, police say. Five Gangster Disciple members were convicted after an April . Flipboard 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. They organize community clean-up events, "Stop the Violence" rallies, and events to feed the homeless as a way to mask their criminal activities. of Corrections, Gwinnett County PD, and Marietta PD), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, United States Marshal's Service and United States Postal Inspection Services. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Conor Mulroe and Jeremy Franker of the Criminal Divisions Organized Crime and Gang Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ali M. Summers of the Southern District of Illinois, with substantial investigative support from the U.S. Attorneys Offices for the Eastern District of Missouri and the Northern District of Illinois. 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 a release from the United States Department of Justice. how interested you are in the Fire, whose season begins Saturday against New York City FC at Soldier Field. Lancaster is in Garrard County, about 100 miles east of Louisville. Her husband Johnny Jackson was a board member of the Gangster Disciples, which, according to federal prosecutors, sold more than $100 million a year in drugs and, at its peak, had more than 6,000 members. Among the crimes alleged in the indictment are two gang-related murders. ForAppleorAndroidusers. Other high-ranking members of the gang have been released from prison under the same law. EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Steven D. Weinhoeft, announced today that seven alleged members of the violent Gangster Disciples gang, including top national and state leaders, have been charged in a federal indictment accusing them of a years-long interstate racketeering conspiracy involving multiple murders, drug trafficking, and other crimes. The letter explained that the food was coming from USDAs Farmers to Families Food Box program. The lawlessness these gangs bring to our cities is terribly destructive and oftentimes difficult to prosecute. The results of that poll, in a word: Oof. 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. 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. 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; Hoover was born on November 30, 1950 in Jackson, Mississippi. Before that, he spent several years working for the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) in Chicago, as the Special Agent in Charge during the early 2000s, describing the gang as having ranks, like a military. The Federal Bureau of Investigation today announces the arrest of Shauntay Lamarr Craig, an alleged leader of the violent Gangster Disciples criminal enterprise, at New Orleans, Louisiana. Among the crimes alleged in the indictment are two gang-related murders. They use front organizations to integrate themselves in the communities they live in. An official website of the United States government. The gang employs a structured hierarchy, with leadership positions such as national Board Members and state Governors. Each of the defendants is alleged to be a member or leader of the Gangster Disciples and to have conspired to conduct the gangs affairs through a pattern of racketeering. Harrell, who spent time in prison for financial crimes about 20 years ago, says his goal is to feed people and help rehabilitate ex-offenders like himself. These charges show how a national gang like Gangster Disciples can wreak havoc here and in communities across the country, with crimes that run the gamut from murder to drug trafficking to credit card fraud. Download the WHAS11 News app now. The indictment also alleges various acts of drug trafficking by Gangster Disciples members, including an ongoing scheme to smuggle the synthetic drug K2 into Missouri state prisons. The charges and allegations in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. 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. The federal indictment was unsealed today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois. Yates says he was dumbfounded when he returned to Robbins after getting out of prison. (WMC) - The Gangster Disciples is a dangerous gang founded in the 1970's in Chicago, Illinois. At the top of the national group is the "Chairman," a man known as L.H. Why does it take Donald Trump to do something like this? Yates says he thinks more Americans than ever support moves to rehabilitate ex-offenders, which led to the passage of the First Step Act. 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. Walton, Ahmad and Laderris Dickerson, 45, of Chicago, are also charged with carjacking and Walton and Dickerson are charged with a related firearms offense. ", Clean-up crews: These are enforcement teams who work for the Chief Enforcer, administering discipline (including assault and murder) to members who violate the rules. 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. May 4, 2016 / 3:51 PM / CBS/AP. Life on a third straight one-year contract with the mega-talented Astros isnt bad at all. The gang is well known for the distribution of narcotics and white collar crimes. Boxes containing a mattress and toys are piled in the arms of a volunteer unloading a truck during an Oct. 15 giveaway in Robbins. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS See GD. Those gangs are generational. East St. Louis, Ill. The United States Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Steven D. Weinhoeft, announced today that seven alleged members of the violent Gangster Disciples gang, including top national and state leaders, have been charged in a federal indictment accusing them of a years-long interstate RICO conspiracy involving multiple murders, drug trafficking, and other crimes. One shows an incident in 2003 of how gangs use children to distribute drug. Its like 1960 or 1950, Yates says. The Black Disciple Gangster Nation (BDGN) is a gang that was formed in the south side of Chicago in 1960 when two rival gangs, the Black Disciple Nation (led by David Barksdale) and the Gangster Nation (led by Larry Hoover) combined to become one group under co-leadership. The charges and allegations in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. These are the people who keep gangs like the Gangster Disciples alive, year in and year out, generation after generation. 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. Perry Harris, 29, of Cape Girardeau, an alleged Treasurer and Chief of Security for the state of Missouri, is charged with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms crimes. Board Members: highest-ranking members after the Chairman. Assistant governors collect dues from individual groups, called "counts" or "decks.". The Black Disciple Gangster Nation was responsible for the death of Army sergeant Juwan Williams during a brutal initiation beating that included kicks to the head. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Volunteers unload hundreds of boxes containing food during an Oct. 15 giveaway in Robbins. The gang employs a structured hierarchy, with leadership positions such as national Board Members and state Governors. Each of the defendants is alleged to be a member or leader of the Gangster Disciples and to have conspired to conduct the gangs affairs through a pattern of racketeering. "He's pulling a gun from his waistband," Sanders said. By using InfoTracer you agree to comply with the conditions set forth in the InfoTracer terms of service. Attorneys Kim S. Dammers, Ryan K. Buchanan and Stephanie Gabay-Smith of the Northern District of Georgia. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.