This office is proud to work with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to disrupt the Gangster Disciples gang and punish their leaders and members for the violence and lawlessness that they perpetrate across West Tennessee. Yet, as the group was growing, so was it splintering. Rico Harris, 46, a/k/a "Big Brim," and Denton Suggs, 43, a/k/a "Denton Morman," a/k/a "Denny Mo," a/k/a "Diddy Mo," both entered guilty pleas on June 7, 2019 to the RICO charge. According to an FBI report, the Black Gangster Disciples were active in Memphis in the 1980s. A high-ranking member of the Gangster Disciples, a street gang prevalent throughout Memphis and Tennessee, was sentenced to 25 years in prison Monday, according to the U.S. Attorney for the . Alfredo Arambul, 37, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, U.S. District Court Judge Samuel H. Mays sentenced Arambul to 120 months followed by 3 years supervised release. The Department of Justice joined local law enforcement in Memphis on Wednesday to announce a major break in an investigation known as Operation 38 Special. Formed in 1974 as a 60-man operation, the GD has matured into a centralized criminal organization with nearly 30,000 members in . This sentencing is the latest reckoning in a large RICO conspiracy case, "Operation .38 Special", which was originally indicted in May, 2016, charging a total of 16 members of the Gangster Disciples criminal enterprise with racketeering. According to the Shelby County Sheriff's Department in 2010, there were approximately 182 gangs with 8,400 gang members in the county. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, money laundering, and violent organizations. . Making sure that victims of federal crimes are treated with compassion, fairness and respect. He found himself selling drugs to make money for his family. A pair of black tights are a necessity, rather than just an accessory, to stay stylish and comfortable when temperatures drop. ", 19 Gangster Disciples members were arrested. They started when 20-year-old Brandon Webber was shot by U.S. Copyright 2016 WMC Action News 5. Map that breaks down the Memphis hoods, as well some of the Memphis gangs areas, but none that are specific. Jessie Dotson's defense contended the massacre was done by gang members who were angry at Cecil Dotson and were seeking to punish him for telling police that one of his fellow "Gangster Disciples" had drugs in the apartment where he was staying. They then recruited heavily in Chicago, within jails and prisons, and across the United States. During this time, an over two-year undercover operation by a multi-unit task force was taking place under the name of Operation 38 Special. These guilty pleas are the latest convictions in a large RICO conspiracy case, "Operation .38 Special", which was originally indicted in May, 2016, charging a total . . It began with the Memphis Drug Enforcement Administration looking into just three suspected drug offenders back in 2016, but ended up having a far larger impact. Memphis Gangs Key: Red = Blood/Vice Lords | Blue = Crips/Gangster Disciples | Black = Unknown | Dark Purple = Mixed | Green = former housing projects . Investigators plan to use the RICO Act to lock up the arrested Gangster Disciples leaders. They both had been members of a security team. He was also familiar with the accusations set out in the indictment, which alleges Gangster Disciple leaders instruct them to, "assault an innocent, unsuspecting citizen in order to prove their toughness, dedication, and willingness to follow orders.". Will local change happen after Tyre Nichols death? In January 2021, seven alleged members of Gangster Disciples including national and state leaders of the gang were indicted on charges of racketeering , murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of . Gangster Disciples in particular, is from the testimo ny of State witness Robert Walker, a f ormer chief of s ecurity f or the Memphis Gangster Disciples. Os Gangster Disciples surgiram em nmero significativo em Memphis, Tennessee, na dcada de 1980, sendo a primeira gangue de rua moderna a conseguir o feito. [7], In 2013, the FBI arrested Gangster Disciples Folk Nation members[8] on charges of sex trafficking and forced child prostitution. Green's murder was sparked by a fight between members of rival Memphis gangs - the Gangster Disciples and the Vice Lords. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. Memphis, TN - Demarcus Deon Crawford, 36, a/k/a/ "Trip," has been sentenced to 300 months in federal prison for conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise. The Gangster Disciples promotes its enterprise through member-only activities and provides support to members charged with or incarcerated for gang-related offenses. The Black Gangster Disciples split into a number of factions, including the Black Disciples (BD) and the Gangster Disciples (GD). Crawford, during the time period covered in the superseding indictment, held the rank of Enforcer for the entire State of Tennessee for the Gangster Disciples. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration; Tennessee Bureau of Investigation; JPD Gang Enforcement Team; Memphis Police Department; Shelby County Sheriffs Office; 28th District West Tennessee Drug Task Force; 26th, 25th, and 30th Judicial District Attorneys Generals Offices; Sheriffs Offices for Tipton, DeSoto, Madison, and Fayette Counties; and the Police Departments of Bartlett, Germantown and Columbia. There is no parole in the federal system. However, prosecutors did identify some of the men they expect to face the harshest punishments: As DOJ and local law enforcement made the indictments in WestTennessee known, investigators in northern Georgia made a similar announcement. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the guilty pleas today. The major symbol The FOLKS Nation make use of is the six-pointed star. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. March 12, 2020. Gangs in the Memphis area are concentrated in high crime black neighborhoods like College Park, Hollywood, Hickory Hill, Parkway Village, Westwood, Raleigh, Frayser, Orange Mound . "I was at lunch and he asked me, 'You want to get put down?' 'Its members have for too long indiscriminately preyed upon and infected the good people of our communities like a cancer.'. MEMPHIS, TN (WMC) - Sixteen people suspected of leading a gang that originated out of Chicago in the 1970s are now in a West Tennessee jail. 2018. 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Sign up for our morning and evening editions, plus breaking news. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. The national leader of the gang, known as the chairman, is in prison and is identified in the indictment as L.H [Larry Hoover]. Memphis teenagers are familiar with the Gangster Disciples, even admitting they had been sought after by gang members. "It's really just about trying to build up a rep.", The teen said gang members are still an everyday encounter for him. to McLemore to South Parkway, which were the citys first all-black neighborhoods, but also the former home of projects like LeMoyne Gardens, Fowler Homes, Foote Homes, and Cleaborne Homes. The Gangster Disciples promotes its enterprise through member-only activities and provides support to members . Home to legendary communities like Orange Mound and the heart of South Memphis, an area from Crump Blvd. He then stabbed three more boys, who hung on for some 40 hours until help arrived, prosecutors said. Attacking this from a structural standpoint of a gang is usually what were focused on, dealing with that organized crime, Dunavant said. Also killed were 4-year-old Cemario Dotson and 2-year-old Cecil Dotson Jr. II; Cecil Dotson's girlfriend, Marissa Williams; and friends Hollis Seals and Shindri Roberson. and I was like, 'No,'" a teenager said. Operation Gangster's Paradise finally . Assistant U.S. The boy, his brother 8-year-old Cedric Dotson, and Jessie Dotson's mother were key prosecution witnesses. This page was last edited on 25 November 2022, at 07:31. Antonio Goss, 43, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, on February 4, 2019, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Goss to 120 months; 3 years supervised release. "I don't see how they could have looked at everything in that time," McAfee said. PUBLICFILE@WMCTV.COM - (901) 726-0501. Held at the . "CJ solved it," said prosecutor Ray Lepone. "[5] In May 2013, high school students warned Memphis City Schools against a proposed school merger of Booker T. Washington High School and Carver High school. The Gangster Disciples first emerged in significant numbers in Memphis, Tennessee in the 1980s, the first modern street gang to do so. Crawford will now take a long trip to the federal penitentiary for his violent gang leadership and activity.". Regional leaders, who oversee several states, are called governors of governors. Each "count" also has a Chief Enforcer. However, prosecutors put Dotson Jr. who was 9 at the time of the attack on the stand last week. He is not charged in the indictment. 1 There is a "board" in Chicago, led by the "king," Larry Hoover, who acts as the national supervisor, which appoints an "overseer" in other cities. All rights reserved. (WMC) - The Gangster Disciples is a dangerous gang founded in the 1970's in Chicago, Illinois. Abstract. Demario Sprouse, 38, a/k/a "Taco," pled guilty on June 19, 2019 to the RICO conspiracy. They wore shirts and ties and spent the time coloring. One recruit was allegedly killed when he failed to show up for a neighborhood clean-up event organized by the gang. In 2021, there were approximately 102 gangs with 13,400 gang members in the city. "He had the courage to come in here and point out his uncle.". Then he went after everyone else in the house with two guns, boards and several knives, leaving no DNA evidence behind in the house, which the defense pointed out. [13] Em janeiro de 2021, sete supostos membros do Gangster Disciples, incluindo lderes nacionais e estaduais da gangue, foram indiciados sob acusaes de extorso, assassinato em . or redistributed. The Gangster Disciples were organized into different positions, including board members, and governor-of-governors who each controlled geographic regions; governors, assistant governors, chief enforcers and chief of security for each state or regions within the state where the Gangster Disciples were active; and coordinators and leaders within each local group. DOJ said he served as a sort of "state governor" in the gang. The Gangster Disciples literature states that they "would overturn this system without hesitation because they have absolutely nothing to lose. Robert Jones, whoissued kill orders, killed people himself, kidnapped people, and sold drugs. Leaders said the group is highly organized and sophisticated, often using front organizations like community outreach programs and "stop the violence" rallies to integrate themselves in the community and mask the crimes. 2 Gang Sets. The prosecutor praised the police work and both boys for testifying. In the 1970's, the leaders of two different Chicago-based gangs, Play it now! Making sure that victims of federal crimes are treated with compassion, fairness and respect. Instead it was a fist fight.". Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Operation .38 Special demonstrates our ability and resolve to aggressively prosecute and hold accountable those who engage in organized criminal enterprises and gang conspiracies in furtherance of racketeering. This blog does not store any files on its server. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, money laundering, and violent organizations. why was waylon jennings buried in mesa az; chop pediatric residency Other leaders and members of the Gangster Disciples have previously been sentenced for their roles in the RICO conspiracy, including: Byron Montrail Purdy, a/k/a "Lil B" or "Ghetto," 38, of Jackson, Tennessee, the GD Governor of Tennessee who received a sentence of 360 months; Derrick Kennedy Crumpton, a/k/a "38," 35, of Memphis, Tennessee, the GD Assistant Governor of Tennessee who was sentenced to 324 months; Henry Cooper, a/k/a Big Hen, 37, of Memphis, Tennessee, the GD Chief Regional Enforcer who received a sentence of 360 months; Tommy Earl Champion, Jr., a/k/a "Duct Tape," 29, of Jackson Tennessee, a GD Black Out Squad member who was sentenced to 360 months; and Daniel Lee Cole, a/k/a "D-Money," 38, a GD Assistant Governor in Jackson, Tennessee who received a sentence of 292 months. Carlos Lopez, 41, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, U.S. District Court Judge Samuel H. Mays sentenced Lopez to 46 months and 2 years supervised release. Two years later, two of the survivors pointed to their "Uncle Junior" as the man who shot their dad and slashed at them knives, enough to convince the jury that Dotson was guilty of six murders and not the gang members he said committed the crimes. United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "This case demonstrates our ability and resolve to aggressively prosecute and hold accountable those who engage in organized criminal enterprises and gang conspiracies in furtherance of racketeering. Investigators said the Gangster Disciples were pumping huge amounts of heroin, cocaine, and marijuana into Mid-South neighborhoods. Over time, the new gang spread across the US. Then in October 2015, aGangster Disciples member went before a judgeto answer for killing an18-year-old. You need to be a member of Gangsters Inc. - www.gangstersinc.org to add comments! Barrett Young, sentenced for possession with intent to distribute, was the last to be sentenced. Gangster Disciples described as a 'highly organized and ruthless gang' An indictment filed in federal court in Atlanta named 32 people and a second indictment in Memphis, Tennessee, charged 16 more MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) A leader of the Gangster Disciples street gang in Tennessee has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison, federal prosecutors said. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Cherri.Green@usdoj.gov, Federal Agencies and Law Enforcement Partners, https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtn/pr/16-alleged-gangster-disciples-members-indicted-federal-racketeering-charges. During the time period covered by the superseding indictment, he held various positions of authority for the Gangster Disciples criminal enterprise, including Governor of Memphis, First Coordinator of Memphis, and Event/Entertainment Coordinator. "This is a very serious threat. Were very pleased to deliver justice and to accomplish that, U.S. Attorney Michael Dunavant said. Copyright 2016 WMC Action News 5. It comes after the Memphis riots on Wednesday night. The 48 alleged gang members are accused of participating . Shamar James, 40, a/k/a "Lionheart," entered his guilty plea to the racketeering charge on June 6, 2019. We're not going to give up. The gang's hierarchy is based on the premise that 'the enterprise will be ready to step in and run the United States should its government fail,' the indictment claimed. Lakata Johnson, 47, conspiracy to commit money laundering, sentenced on June 12, 2016, U.S. District Court Judge Sheryl H. 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