Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Each "count" also has a Chief Enforcer. The Black Disciple Gangster Nation re-created themselves as a business organization opening community centers and offering jobs to local people. The violence perpetrated by the Gangster Disciples in this district and nationwide has long been a particular focus of our top law enforcement agencies. To introduce the criminal nature of the Gangster Disciples to a new member, older members and leaders in the various local groups ordered newer members to commit crimes, including murder, robbery and drug trafficking. Life on a third straight one-year contract with the mega-talented Astros isnt bad at all. A group of seven men allegedly connected to the gang were indicted in January, among them was Warren Griffin originally from Lancaster, Kentucky. The long list of violent crimes alleged in this indictmentincluding two murders and multiple violent assaultsmake 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. The other shows a gang-related shooting captured by police cameras in the middle of the day. Each state additionally has a "Chief Enforcer," responsible for enforcing the gang's codes and regulations. Robinson was revered for breaking the color barrier, but dont forget about those who followed. 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. 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. According to the Chicago police, the Gangster Disciples and other big Chicago gangs have, over the past two decades, fragmented into factions that arent controlled at the top the way they used to be. Have a news tip? Violators may be subject to civil and criminal litigation and penalties. We hope this indictment warns the leaders of these gangs that Atlanta is not a good place to do business., As the indictment alleges, the Gangster Disciples flooded communities throughout the southeast and beyond with large amounts of drugs, and ruthlessly used fear, intimidation, and even murder to promote and protect their nationwide criminal enterprise, said U.S. Attorney Stanton. The letter explained that the food was coming from USDAs Farmers to Families Food Box program. They use front organizations to integrate themselves in the communities they live in. "He's checking the money to make sure it's real," Sanders detailed. The Memphis case is being prosecuted by David N. Karpel of the Criminal Divisions Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Jackson, 48, recently wrote a letter to U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber, thanking him for his freedom and saying he and his wife had started several ventures, including a clothing line and The Visionaries Initiative, an anti-violence group. 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 Governor-of-Governors and Governors set member recruitment goals, enforce gang rules, collect and disperse dues and funds, and approve criminal activity to be carried out by gang members. Rev. Frank Smith, 47, of Naperville, Illinois, an alleged national Board Member, is charged with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms crimes. 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. 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. Ashlee Rezin Garcia / Sun-Times "They were one of the biggest gangs in Chicago dealing drugs.". 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. "They know when we make the arrest of a 12-year-old, it's going to not really go very far.". 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. InfoTracer is not a "consumer reporting agency" under the Fair Credit Reporting Act ("FCRA"), and does not provide "consumer reports" under the FCRA. Yates volunteered at some of them. Polling Place: Is Patrick Kane the greatest Blackhawk ever? 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, Special Agent in Charge of the FBIs Springfield Field Office. 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. Sanders shared a presentation with WHAS11 News that he created in the early 2000s. John Harrell, pastor of Proviso Missionary Baptist Church in Maywood, says his Black Men United group has organized many large food drives in the Chicago area and in other parts of the country this year. Several of its members are known to be active and retired military. Craig was a Board Member, the highest-ranking position in the Gangster Disciples. After a somewhat-quiet offseason, the Fire are widely picked to finish near the bottom of the Eastern Conference and miss the playoffs again. 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. According to court documents, the Gangster Disciples are a violent gang with a decades-long history of lawlessness and a presence throughout the United States, including in state and federal prisons. Khalalah Jackson, whose husband was freed from prison under the First Step Act in November, was among those at the Robbins food giveaway. Two leaders of the Gangster Disciples, a national street gang with roots in Chicago, were sentenced on Friday for a racketeering conspiracy involving murder. They also teach new members about gang codes, rules, regulations, and technology. Frank Smith, 47, of Naperville, Illinois, an alleged national Board Member, is charged withRacketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO)conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms crimes. Black blocks can strengthen Black communities, cities and states.. These are the people who keep gangs like the Gangster Disciples alive, year in and year out, generation after generation. released a report in 2011 that revealed that at least 53 gangs are represented in the military, particularly the branches of the Army. "Right in front of the camera. Sanders said hes happy to be back policing in his hometown of Louisville, but shakes his head at the uptick of killings as of late. The Robbins Park District let Yates stage his food giveaway in a parking lot down the street from the suburbs police station. The "Treasurer" assists the governor in collecting dues for each state for the national Treasurer. of Community Supervision, GA Dept. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Jeremy Franker and Conor Mulroe 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 th U.S.Attorneys Offices for the Eastern District of Missouri and the Northern District of 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. 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, Missouri; and multiple unsuccessful murder plots. A lock (LockA locked padlock) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. 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. He asks, Can we do this in Robbins? Harrell says. "For a long time, Louisville denied we had gangs, and I said it then, and I say it now, we have to recognize and be transparent that we have gangs, and they're committing a lot of this violence," Sanders said. Lancaster is in Garrard County, about 100 miles east of Louisville. He pointed out that they came from Trumps U.S. Department of Agriculture. Count: The geographic divisions of the Gangster Disciples are called "counts" or "decks.". This case results from investigations by ATF, FBI, BOP, IRS CI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Missouri Department of Corrections, Illinois State Police, the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis, Bridgeton Police Department, Cape Girardeau Police Department, Mississippi County Sheriffs Office, and Chicago Police Department. Lock Gangster Disciples co-founder Larry Hoover (center) with top gang lieutenant Gregory Shell (left) and gang associate Keith McCain. Assistant governors collect dues from individual groups, called "counts" or "decks.". 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. The gang is well known for the distribution of narcotics and white collar crimes. Why does it take Donald Trump to do something like this? They then recruited heavily in Chicago, within jails and prisons, and across the United States. Identification: Symbolism plays a large part in the Gangster Disciples' culture. Five Gangster Disciple members were convicted after an April . Murder in aid of racketeering is a death- eligible offense. Among those arrested were Anthony Dobbins, 53, of Troy, and Warren Griffin, 51, of Lancaster, Kentucky, both alleged members of the Gangster Disciples' board who have been operating out of East . (WMC) - The Gangster Disciples is a dangerous gang founded in the 1970's in Chicago, Illinois. Through his work at the agency they arrested 13 of the 21. 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. Sometimes they wear Chicago Bulls, Chicago White Sox and other teams clothing from their original city, though they do not always match colors. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. NASHVILLE, Tenn., - June 30, 2017 - A federal grand jury in Nashville, Tenn., returned a 40-count indictment yesterday, charging 11 members of the Gangster Disciples with conspiring to participate in a racketeering enterprise that included multiple murders, including the murder of a witness; a drug distribution conspiracy; and multiple other crimes of violence in aid of Thirty individuals were taken into custody today and two remain at large. Sanders has been in law enforcement for 40 years and previously served as the Kentucky State Police Commissioner. The Gangster Disciples have a clear organizational structure which reportedly includes a chairman, board members, governor of governors, governor, chief enforcer and count. Within Georgia, the leadership of the Gangster Disciples resided mostly in metro Atlanta, yet the reach of the crimes committed extended into far south and west Georgia. Dominque Maxwell, 28, of Cape Girardeau, the alleged Assistant 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. The two rival gangsters united together to form the Black Gangster Disciple Nation ( BGDN ).