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It seems almost impossible that he would be able to communicate that to anyone if he were trying to, he said. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. (WMC) - The Gangster Disciples is a dangerous gang founded in the 1970's in Chicago, Illinois. "Responsible for seeing that punishment, including 'Kill on Sight' (KOS) orders and 'greenlights,' which authorize physical punishment, are effectuated for Gangster Disciples who violate gang rules. If Leinenweber decides Hoover has served enough time in federal prison under the life term he was handed in 1997 for running a criminal enterprise, Hoover still faces a 200-year Illinois state court sentence from 1973 for ordering the killing of a gang member he suspected was stealing from him. CHICAGO (AP) _ Five members of the Gangster Disciples street gang have been indicted in the killings of two fellow gang members, in what one prosecutor Thursday called ``cold, steely, calculated business decisions. One of the victims was cooperating with investigators. Larry Hoover made a statement in the 1990s claiming that he had put his violent past behind him and that GD now meant Growth and Development, not Gangster Disciples. With the charges unsealed today, we are taking an important, powerful step in the fight to disrupt and dismantle gangs operating in this region. He is currently in prison, but still communicates with other gang leadership. InfoTracer expressly prohibits the use of information you obtain from search results (a) to discriminate against any consumer; (b) for the purpose of considering a consumers eligibility for personal credit or insurance, employment, housing, or a government license or benefit; or (c) otherwise to affect a consumers economic or financial status or standing. An official website of the United States government. After a somewhat-quiet offseason, the Fire are widely picked to finish near the bottom of the Eastern Conference and miss the playoffs again. Yates says he spent a lot of time in prison thinking about how to give back to a community he knows he damaged through drug dealing and violence. The RICO conspiracies charged here include attempted murder, narcotics trafficking, extortion, firearms crimes, obstruction of justice and other crimes in furtherance of the Gangster Disciples enterprise and to raise funds for the gang. You always have naysayers, he says. Sanders launched a task force in the early 2000s with the DEA in Chicago focusing on taking out the Top 21 major players in organized crime, Gangster Disciples included. Among the crimes alleged in the indictment are two gang-related murders. They also teach new members about gang codes, rules, regulations, and technology. 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.. 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. 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. Yates says he knows that many prosecutors, law enforcement officers and others will never believe hes now a do-gooder. Hoover is seeking a reduction in his life prison term. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS The DEA labeled Hoovers conviction as the beginning of the end for the Black Disciples Gangster Nation. Attorneys Kim S. Dammers, Ryan K. Buchanan and Stephanie Gabay-Smith of the Northern District of Georgia. Robinson was revered for breaking the color barrier, but dont forget about those who followed. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. 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. Coach Ezra Hendrickson, Fire looking to prove doubters wrong, Baseball quiz: Remember what happened after Jackie, Kahleah Copper: Precious mettle for the new-look Sky. The Black Disciple Gangster Nation re-created themselves as a business organization opening community centers and offering jobs to local people. The U.S. attorney in Atlanta announced on Wednesday a sweeping racketeering indictment against the Gangster Disciples, a multistate criminal organization accused or murder, extortion, drug dealing on a large scale, prostitution, financial fraud and more. This is a 70-year-old man in the twilight of his years who has serious medical complications and is seeking release to finally be with his wife, children and grandchildren after nearly 50 years of separation, Moore said. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Date: January 22, 2021 Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov Atlanta Shauntay Craig, aka Shake, and Donald Glass, aka Smurf, both leaders of the national gang, the Gangster Disciples, have been sentenced for racketeering conspiracy involving murder. Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney John A. Horn of the Northern District of Georgia, U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III of the Western District of Tennessee, Special Agent in Charge J. Britt Johnson of the FBIs Atlanta Division and Special Agent in Charge A. Todd McCall of the FBIs Memphis Division made the announcement. It also promoted the Gangster Disciples enterprise through member-only activities, including conference calls, birthday celebrations of the gangs founder, the annual Gangster Ball, award ceremonies and other events. Yates says he thinks more Americans than ever support moves to rehabilitate ex-offenders, which led to the passage of the First Step Act. Watch what we do. Reverend Jesse Jackson was a frequent visitor who encouraged BGDN and other gangs to be politically active in demanding job opportunities in the construction industry and to foster accountability from local businesses. Louisville saw a record breaking 173 homicides in 2020 and as the new year turned, that troubling trend has continued. Two leaders of the Gangster Disciples, a national street gang with roots in Chicago, were sentenced on Friday for a racketeering conspiracy involving murder. The violence perpetrated by the Gangster Disciples in this district and nationwide has long been a particular focus of our top law enforcement agencies. Among the crimes alleged in the indictment are two gang-related murders. On May 18, 2018, Griffin and Dobbins are accused of killing Ernest Wilson, a rival Board Member, in Chicago, Illinois. Other high-ranking members of the gang have been released from prison under the same law. Copyright 2016 WMC Action News 5. Count: The geographic divisions of the Gangster Disciples are called "counts" or "decks.". The BOPs intelligence component appreciates the opportunity to assist our federal partners in detecting and disrupting criminal activity related to inmates in the BOP's custody., Investigating organized crime and related financial schemes are a top priority for CI, said Tamera Cantu, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation (CI), Chicago Field Office. Hoover who prosecutors have called the most notorious gang leader in Chicagos modern history isnt charged in the indictment, which targets leaders of the Gangster Disciples in downstate Illinois and eastern Missouri in a racketeering case that includes two murders. 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. A 12-count indictment was returned by a grand jury on April 27, and unsealed today in the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Georgia. The Black Gangster Disciples became known as, "a young street organization striving for a place of high recognition and respect in the City of Chicago" (Emery, n.d., p. 11). On May 18, 2018, Dobbins and Griffin shot and killed Earnest Don Smokey Wilson, 65, a rival Gangster Disciples board member, in the 7100 block of South Euclid Avenue in Chicago, according to the East St. Louis indictment. Download the WHAS11 News app now. Official websites use .gov (WMC) - The Gangster Disciples is a dangerous gang founded in the 1970's in Chicago, Illinois. Have a news tip? Walton, Ahmad and Laderris Dickerson, 45, of Chicago, are also charged with carjacking and Walton and Dickerson are charged with a related firearms offense. Yates and Harrell see it as ironic that Trump, who has refused to denounce white supremacists, signed the law that allowed Yates, a Black man, to leave prison. Life on a third straight one-year contract with the mega-talented Astros isnt bad at all. 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. For Yates, 20 years in prison was enough, according to Safer. 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; These guys have evolved to help the community they harmed.. The gang protected its power and operation through threats, intimidation and violence, including murder, attempted murder, assault and obstruction of justice. A lock (LockA locked padlock) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. 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. Hoover attorney Justin Moore said Tuesday he wasnt aware of the new indictment and questioned the idea that Hoover could have been involved in gang affairs from behind bars. In addition to the RICO conspiracy, Glass and Mobely are each charged with committing or attempting to commit murder in aid of racketeering and using firearms during those crimes. Hoover is serving a life sentence in a super-max prison in Colorado. "A Governor is aware of and coordinates much of the (gang's) criminal activity within that state," the indictment says. He's currently being held at a federal prison in Ashland, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The "Chief of Security" for each state protects the members of gangs within the state. The Atlanta case is being investigated by the FBI Atlanta's Safe Streets Gang Task Force (composed of members of the FBI, Alpharetta Police Department (PD), Atlanta PD, Clayton County PD, DeKalb PD, Forest Park PD, GA Dept. The Gangster Disciples (often abbreviated as the GD's, formerly GDN) are an African American street and prison gang, which was formed in 1969, by Larry Hoover and David Barksdale. The Drug Enforcement Administration Cape Girardeau Resident Officeinvestigated this case with theATF, 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. The counts' Chief Enforcers additionally head up "enforcement teams" and "clean-up crews," comprised of members who enforce the rules and administer discipline against those who do not. GD hasa very structured hierarchical organization. The new indictment says one member of the gang, Anthony Dobbins, told another, Warren Big Head Griffin, in September 2014 that Hoover had appointed them as board members the highest rank in the gangs leadership. For more information on the indictment on the Gangster Disciples members, click here. ", 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. But recent indictments against Gangster Disciples members downstate and in Atlanta suggest that the corporate structure of the gang has remained in place. Dobbins is being held in the same prison where Hoover is being held, the federal super-max in Florence, Colorado, according to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. Attorneys Jerry Kitchen, Samuel Stringfellow, Beth Boswell, and Michelle Parks of the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Tennessee. The Black Disciples Gangster Nation initiate new members with beat-downs by fellow gang members, murders, and other violent crimes. Warren Griffin, 51, of Lancaster, Kentucky, an alleged national Board Member, is charged with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms crimes. The Robbins Park District let Yates stage his food giveaway in a parking lot down the street from the suburbs police station. The indictment describes the Gangster Disciples as a violent gang with a long history of lawlessness in the United States. 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. Boxes containing a mattress and toys are piled in the arms of a volunteer unloading a truck during an Oct. 15 giveaway in Robbins. 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. We also wanted to know or did we? 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. 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. The health and well-being of our citizens is one of my highest priorities, the presidents letter said. Image from Chicago gang video provided by Jeffersontown Police Chief Rick Sanders, Indiana State Trooper struck, killed by driver accused of attempting to evade police, Beshear confirms 4 dead after severe weather makes its way through Kentuckiana, 'We can handle it': Fans brave the weather for Big Nita's Cheesecake. how interested you are in the Fire, whose season begins Saturday against New York City FC at Soldier Field. In Georgia, for example, the Gangster Disciples brought money into the gang through, among other things, drug trafficking, robbery, carjacking, extortion, wire fraud, credit card fraud, insurance fraud and bank fraud. At the time, the leaders of two different groups, the Black Disciples and the Supreme Gangsters, aligned their groups and created the Gangster Disciples (GD). He said, I want to give back to Robbins, Roberson says. They then recruited heavily in Chicago, within jails and prisons, and across the United States. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. May 4, 2016 / 3:51 PM / CBS/AP. The Memphis case is being investigated by a multi-agency task force consisting of the FBI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Memphis Multi-Agency Gang Unit; the Memphis PD; the Shelby County, Tennessee Sheriffs Office; the Jackson PD Gang Enforcement Team; the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation; the Madison County, Tennessee Sheriffs Department; the 28th District West Tennessee Drug Task Force; the Tipton County, Tennessee, Sheriff's Office; the 26th Judicial District Attorney Generals Office; the 25th Judicial District Attorney Generals Office; the Atascosa County, Tennessee District Attorneys Office; and the Shelby County District Attorney Generals Office. We aint looking back. Imprisoned Gangster Disciples founder Larry Hoover, who says hes no longer involved with the gang and is asking for an early release from his life sentence, promoted two men to top posts in the gang while locked up in a federal super-max prison in Colorado, according to an indictment unsealed Monday in East St. Louis. 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. 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. This prosecution underscores that coordinated criminal activity will be met with a coordinated and focused law enforcement response by the Criminal Division and our law enforcement partners at the federal, state, and local level. Cases like these make a difference, and I want to thank all the law enforcement and U.S. Attorney Office and Organized Crime and Gang Section prosecutors who worked so hard to build this case., Atlanta has historically been resistant to the incursion of these national gangs, but unfortunately todays indictment shows how this landscape has changed in just the last few years, as the Gangster Disciples are only one of several gangs that now boast a strong foothold, said U.S. Attorney John Horn. Formed in 1974 as a 60-man operation, the GD has matured into a centralized criminal organization with nearly 30,000 members in Chicago and spreading into at least 35 other States with several thousand more members. Moore questioned why prosecutors who previously have said they suspected Hoover was still involved in the gang hadnt brought up the latest accusation during arguments over Hoovers bid for a reduced sentence. Ronald Safer, a defense lawyer who was a federal prosecutor on the Gangster Disciples case, has said hed still prosecute Yates and other ranking members of the gang but would seek significantly less prison time for most. The gang employs a structured hierarchy, with leadership positions such as national "Board Members" and state "Governors." "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," Nicholas L. McQuaid, Acting Assistant . Rapper Kanye West appealed to President Donald Trump in 2018 for Hoovers release. Secure .gov websites use HTTPSA lock ( The notorious gang started was founded by Larry Hoover in Chicago in the 1960s but has since spread to at least 31 states and 110 cities, according to the Department of Justice. Glass was also sentenced for firearms crimes. They use front organizations to integrate themselves in the communities they live in. As a street gang, the Gangster Disciples had a board of directors, governors, regents, coordinators and, of course, soldiers to do the dirty work. Five Gangster Disciple members were convicted after an April . The decision to merge the two gangs came from a fear that gang warfare would decimate the black youth of the region. 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. James Yates was sentenced two decades ago to life in prison after a jury found that he was a governor of the Gangster Disciples in charge of distributing drugs for the street gang in Chicagos south suburbs. "he was responsible for violence drug trafficking and murders, including orchestrating the murder of a . James Yates (right) talks with Robbins Park District president Andrea Roberson about logistics for his food drive. A group of seven men allegedly connected to the gang were indicted in January, among them was Warren Griffin originally from Lancaster, Kentucky. The indictment. The lawlessness these gangs bring to our cities is terribly destructive and oftentimes difficult to prosecute. Gang members had suspected the second man might do the same, prosecutors said. Several Black Disciple Gangster Nation members were sentenced to prison in 2014, for shooting up an apartment complex in Memphis in retaliation for intimidating a member. Criminal Investigation is proud to work alongside our law enforcement partners in this case to bring these criminals to justice.. Craig was a Board Member, the highest-ranking position in the Gangster Disciples. Basically, they got de facto life sentences for drugs, Khalalah Jackson says of her husband and his co-defendants. Hoover got arrested and went to prison and continued to run the gang from behind bars. Their children got toys. The letters were in every box. 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. 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. 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. Official websites use .gov At the top of the national group is the "Chairman," a man known as L.H. The charges and allegations in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The newspaper, however, acknowledged the power of Hoovers political activism to combat systemic racism, which then included a political action committee dubbed V.O.T.E. Here are the key players and concepts, according to the indictment. On May 18, 2018, Griffin and Dobbins are accused of killing Ernest Wilson, a rivalmember in Chicago. 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. Larry Hoover was given another life sentence in 1993 after federal officials wiretapped him in prison and charged him with drugs, extortion and running a 30,000-member criminal enterprise from behind bars.