Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Count 1 in the indictment charges the defendants with RICO (Racketeer Influence and Corrupt Organizations Act) conspiracy and outlines the gangs commission of crimes including murder, stabbings, shootings, firearm offenses, drug trafficking and witness intimidation, Mohsin said. They gathered firearms, including an AK-47 assault rifle, to assist in their plans. The feds also say the gang had a long reach into the Michigan prison system with leaders and enforcers who would attack rival gang members. Boss Hogg; Kenneth Johnson, a.k.a. Mohsin says their plan is simple -- they are going to identify the most violent individuals and groups and dedicate federal and state resources to investigate and arrest them. On Thursday, January 25, 2016, Kojuan Lee, aka Juan, 20, of Detroit, and Jonathan Kinchen, aka Deago, 22, of Detroit, each pleaded guilty to one count of RICO conspiracy. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. On Jan. 25, 2016, Wilson pleaded guilty to two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering and one count of using and carrying of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. RELATED: Feds make a dent in Vice Lords gang arrests but 4 still being sought. A leader of the Vice Lords street gang was sentenced today to 162 months in prison for his role in the May 7, 2015, shooting of four members of a family with an AK-47 in Detroit. Charges against the accused include murder, extortion, stabbings, drug dealing and murder plots, including alleged hits -- known as Key 21 orders within the gang -- on inmates within the Michigan Department of Corrections. DETROIT (WWJ) -- Federal agents arrested more than three dozen members and associates of the Almighty Vice Lord Nation street gang Thursday as law enforcement works to curtail rising gun violence in Detroit. . In one recorded phone call in May 2019, high-ranking leader Terry Douglas was overheard taking credit for arranging the assault of a fellow prisoner, prosecutors said. In May 2015, state and federal law enforcement carried out a roundup of six Detroit-area Vice Lord gang members accused of attacking the family of a . Drama; Eddie Reid, a.k.a. On May 25, an alleged senior leader of the Traveling Vice Lords, Burney Everett, aka "Tank," 27, of Detroit, was charged with various. The Almighty Vice Lord Nation gang was founded in Chicago in the 1960s. DJ and Sincere; Spoonie Johnson, a.k.a. A leader of the Vice Lords street gang was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for attempted murder in aid of racketeering in connection with the May 7 . The investigation, which involved personnel from Detroit Police andthe Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives targeted leaders from five branches of the Vice Lords. A 39-count federal indictment was unsealed Thursday alleging Michigan gang leader Kevin Spaghetti Fordham of Detroit and 39 other alleged gang members, associates, enforcers and high-ranking deputies of orchestrating a racketeering conspiracy that dates back to 2012. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Asher said investigators had intercepted phone calls in which Fordham authorized, sanctioned or discussed three murder plots. Feds conducted 12 raids in Detroit and one in Chicago on Thursday. The indictment further alleges that members who seek to leave or withdraw from the gang oftentimes endure a physical beating, known as a beat out, by multiple Vice Lord members, or are targeted for killing, known as a green light.. Other local branches include the Insane Vice Lords, Imperial Insane Vice Lords, Conservative Vice Lords, Mafia Insane Vice Lords, and Insane Goon Gang. Investigators say this three-year investigation saved lives. "The Detroit One partnership is focusing our efforts on combating gang violence," McQuade said. These Vice Lord members first met at Kenneth Smiths house to discuss their plans. A lock () or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. Trial Attorney Joseph Wheatley of the Criminal Divisions Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. The 172-page indictment spells out a conspiracy that started in 2012 and included recorded phone calls and social media traffic. Spoonie; Terry Douglas, a.k.a. The indictment, which also includes drug and firearms charges, is amongthe largest racketeering conspiracy cases in federal court history in Detroit. The firearm charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade of the Eastern District of Michigan, Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, Special Agent in Charge Robin Shoemaker of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Detroit Field Division, Special Agent in Charge David P. Gelios of the FBIs Detroit Division and Chief James Craig of the Detroit Police Department. The defendants further admitted that on May 7, 2015, they and others met at Smiths house to discuss their plan and collect firearms, including an AK-47 assault rifle, then traveled in multiple cars to the intended victims house. In response, Turner-Bankhead sent the member 11 photos of female body parts. The defendants admitted that the Vice Lords leaders are located in Chicago and Detroit and that the gang is broken down into various sets, decks or branches. Members who seek to leave the gang oftentimes endure a physical beating by multiple Vice Lord members or are targeted for killing. The 172-page indictment lists 40 members and associates of the Almighty Vice Lord Nation, a national gang out of Chicago with a prominent branch in Detroit. (WXYZ) Four men are still being sought in connection with the Vice Lords gang that has ties to Detroit and Chicago. Convicted of conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering. Feds say there are 700 known members in Michigan. "The drug activity, the drug trafficking, the gang activity your leadership role in the Vice Lords, possessing weapons all of that is without question a serious danger to the community, she said. Attorneys Christopher Graveline and Mark Bilkovic of the Eastern Districtof Michigan, and Trial Attorney Joseph Wheatley of the Criminal Divisions, Archive of Fata Facilitator Website www.FataClaims.com. Seven members of the Vice Lords were charged in an indictment unsealed today with various offenses based on their roles in a gang-related shooting. The gang has consolidated other groups and spread to nearby states, now claiming more than 30,000 members. Serve Detroit connects meaningful service opportunities with willing and dedicated volunteers. "His revenge. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Six Detroit Vice Lords Gang Members Plead Guilty to Racketeering Conspiracy and Gang-Related Shootings WASHINGTON - Six members of the Vice Lords gang in Detroit pleaded guilty this week to various racketeering and firearms offenses based on their roles in the gang-related shooting of four individuals. "We can advance, they can lock us up or we can end up dead," the gang's alleged chiefenforcer Davun Baskerville said in a recorded 2019 phone call, according to the indictment. "The vice lords are a violent, armed national street gang operating in Detroit, Chicago, and elsewhere. Here is the full list of those charged:(hometowns were not immediately available): 2023 The Detroit News, a Digital First Media Newspaper. A court-appointed defense lawyer listed in the court filing did not respond to a message seeking comment Thursday. But also crimes including murder, prison hits, drug trafficking, robberies, extortion, and weapons. Given just the sheer volume and the numbers, we have a lot of work ahead of us, said Acting U. S. Attorney in Detroit Saima Mohsin during a news conference Thursday. They are charged with using the gang for drug trafficking, violent crimes including robbery, murder and extortion, firearm crimes, as well as tampering and retaliating against witnesses. Gang members should take note that these recent cases demonstrate that the Detroit One strategy is permitting us to address gang violence with swift action and strong penalties. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Kenneth Smith is currently a fugitive and anyone with any information about his whereabouts is encouraged to call the U.S. Twellve and Lahabb; Gregory Johnson, a.k.a. Mike Kohan, head of Great Neck, N.Y.-based Kohan Retail Investment Group, confirmed the . Antonio Clark, aka Cheeto, 26; Aramis Wilson, aka Ace, 25; Tyrone Price, aka Price, 27; Jonathan Kinchen, aka Deago, 22; Kojuan Lee, aka Juan, 20; Kirshean Nelson, 19; Dion Robinson, 37; and Kenneth Smith, 34, all of Detroit, were indicted for racketeering and firearms charges relating to the gang-related shooting of four members of a family on May 7, 2015. The four men are Aaron Knight, Anthony Reynolds, John Johnson and Lasail Hamilton. The ATFs Comprehensive Violence Reduction Program, which includes representatives of the Detroit Police, Michigan State Police and Michigan Department of Corrections, is investigating the case in coordination with the FBI and DEA. A 171-page indictment carries a total of 39 counts against 40 alleged members that include RICO, conspiracy gun, and drug charges. WWJ is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. All rights reserved. Florida, Wyoming explain, New to volunteering? Fordham was picked up at a home off Hubbell near McNichols. The government is throwing all this dirt up against the wall, saying lets hold him, Sabbota said. On January 25, 2016, Aramis Wilson, aka Ace, 25, of Detroit, pleaded guilty to two counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering, and one count of Use and Carry of a Firearm During, and in Relation to, a Crime of Violence. Montana; Jaylin McNeal, a.k.a. Leader Artise Johnson said he controlled anentire "squad," according to the indictment. The 39-count indictment was announced by Acting United States Attorney Saima Mohsin on Thursday. S-Dot; Artise Johnson, a.k.a. The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. A 39-count federal indictment was unsealed . The charges related to the shooting are a component of the federal governments prosecution of the Vice Lords street gang, which has led to the arrests and convictions of Vice Lords leaders and members over several years. This is a developing story. DETROIT, MI Burney "Tank" Everett, 27, the leader of the Vice Lords street gang who ordered the May 2015 shooting of a Detroit mother and three of her children with an AK-47 because her. Federal prosecutors unsealed a 172-page indictment that lists 40 members of the gang based out of Chicago but with a large presence in Detroit. According to the indictment, the Vice Lords is a national gang engaged in a variety of crimes, including murder, robbery, narcotics trafficking and witness intimidation. The 40 people named in the indictment include: Kevin Fordham, a.k.a. The charges are related to four shootings . Baskerville, for example, was overheard on a recorded phone call in April 2018 talking about retaliating against one person who led to an indictment being filed against members, according to the indictment. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. According to court documents, leading up to the May 7, 2015 shooting, members of the Vice Lords, acting at the direction of Kenneth Smith and others, searched for two brothers that had left, or had attempted to leave, the Vice Lords, as part of a plan to harm those individuals. Reef; Ondrome Lewis, a.k.a. "Spaghetti"; Martin Murff, a.k.a. According to the plea agreements, the Vice Lords is a national gang engaged in a variety of crimes, including murder, robbery, narcotics trafficking and witness intimidation. The case is being investigated by the ATFs Comprehensive Violence Reduction Program, which includes representatives of the Detroit Police, Michigan State Police, and Michigan Department of Corrections, in coordination with the FBI and DEA. If any individual wants to leave gang life, we are here to help them do that safely. To those of you who are helping cause this violence by buying guns for the shooters, were coming for you. Sabbota downplayedBureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents finding firearms, ammo and drugs at Fordham's house during a raid Thursday. The Fairlane Town Center shopping mall in Dearborn has sold for the second time in less than a year. Turn; Angelo Hopson, a.k.a. 2023 Audacy, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Authorities say the raids in Detroit helped disrupt three alleged conspiracies to commit murder, while seizing 15 guns, cash and drugs. Fordham faces charges punishable by up to life in prison, including racketeering and drug conspiracy. Contact our office at 313-226-9634 or email us at USAMIE.EJ@usdoj.gov or visit our web page HERE for more information. Among those eight convicted defendants was Antonio Johnson, aka MT and Mister Tony, the national president of the Phantoms and the three-star general of the Vice Lords in Michigan, who was sentenced to 35 years in prison on Sept. 8, 2015. A message for those who are causing this epidemic of gun violence -- listen up. WASHINGTONThe National President of the Phantom Outlaw Motorcycle Club and "Three-Star General" of the Vice Lords street gang in Michigan was sentenced today to serve 35 years in prison for. . This case is being investigated by the ATF, FBI and the Detroit Police Department. Drug and firearms charges, is amongthe largest racketeering conspiracy cases in federal court history Detroit... Announced by Acting United states Attorney Saima Mohsin on Thursday which Fordham authorized, sanctioned or discussed murder... 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