They then recruited heavily in Chicago, within jails and prisons, and across the United States. An official website of the United States government. The lawlessness these gangs bring to our cities is terribly destructive and oftentimes difficult to prosecute. (FBI/Contributed, YHN) Two leaders of the Gangster Disciples, a notorious national gang, were sentenced on Friday in federal court for a racketeering conspiracy involving murder . On May 18, 2018, Griffin and Dobbins are accused of killing Ernest Wilson, a rival Board Member, in Chicago, Illinois. Each state additionally has a "Chief Enforcer," responsible for enforcing the gang's codes and regulations. The violence perpetrated by the Gangster Disciples in this district and nationwide has long been a particular focus of our top law enforcement agencies. May 4, 2016 1:29 PM PT. Law enforcement officials said GDis a highly organized and sophisticated gang. "Right in front of the camera. The DEA labeled Hoovers conviction as the beginning of the end for the Black Disciples Gangster Nation. 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. 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. 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. Robinson was revered for breaking the color barrier, but dont forget about those who followed. The Black Disciple Gangster Nation re-created themselves as a business organization opening community centers and offering jobs to local people. The gang is well known for the distribution of narcotics and white collar crimes. 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. Some of these teams have names, such as "Hate Committee" or "Blacc Team. Sanders has been in law enforcement for 40 years and previously served as the Kentucky State Police Commissioner. 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. Official websites use .govA .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. 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. Download the WHAS11 News app now. 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. Many were skeptical, including the Chicago Tribune. That is why it is so significant that todays indictments charge top leaders within the Gangster Disciples. 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. "By arresting these particular king pins we were actually taking off a lot of drugs, but more importantly we were stopping a lot of the violence," Sanders said. Attorneys Jerry Kitchen, Samuel Stringfellow, Beth Boswell, and Michelle Parks of the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Tennessee. Domestic Cannabis Suppression / Eradication Program, Red Ribbon Toolkit - Resources For Your Community, DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, Intelligence Research Specialist Job Announcements, Schedule A Hiring Authority: Intelligence Research Specialist, Privacy Impact Assessment and Management Information Systems, Victim Witness Assistance Program Resources. It also says Dobbins, 53, whos from downstate Troy, a suburb of St. Louis, and Griffin, 51, from Lancaster, Kentucky, threatened to kill anyone who resisted their authority, though it doesnt say how authorities got that information. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. 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. Their children got toys. Fifteen individuals were taken into custody today and one remains at large. Murder in aid of racketeering is a death- eligible offense. 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. 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 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. These guys have evolved to help the community they harmed.. Polling Place: Is Patrick Kane the greatest Blackhawk ever? The Black Disciples Gangster Nation colors are blue and black, and they use a Star of David-like tattoo with tridents protruding from the upper angles as their symbol. The indictment describes the Gangster Disciples as a violent gang with a long history of lawlessness in the United States. An estimated 2,000 people have been identified by police as members of gangs. Craig . 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. 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 gang also provided financial and other support to members charged with or incarcerated for gang-related offenses and members who were fugitives from law enforcement were provided safe houses in which to hide from police. LOUISVILLE, Ky. A group of seven men were indicted on federal racketeering charges in connection to the violent Gangster Disciples gang including an alleged high-ranking member originally from Kentucky, according to a release from the United States Department of Justice. Rapper Kanye West appealed to President Donald Trump in 2018 for Hoovers release. He and seven other high-ranking members of the Gangster Disciples have been released from prison under the 2018 law, signed by President Donald Trump with bipartisan support, intended to promote rehabilitation and cut the costs of incarceration. Yates, 51, was freed in April under the federal First Step Act, which allows imprisoned drug criminals like him to seek a reduction in their sentences because of changes imposed after they were sent to prison in the penalties for distributing crack cocaine. Members of the gang identify themselves with the six-point Star of David, and pitchforks coming out the top. Chairman: the national leader, who is currently in prison but still communicates with gang leadership, the indictment claims. The letter explained that the food was coming from USDAs Farmers to Families Food Box program. Prosecutors claim Griffin had discussions with Dobbins intending to kill members of their own gang that were resisting the new leadership for a chapter in East St. Louis. 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. After a somewhat-quiet offseason, the Fire are widely picked to finish near the bottom of the Eastern Conference and miss the playoffs again. The Gangster Disciples are known to be active in 35 states. For more information on the indictment on the Gangster Disciples members, click here. The Black Disciple Gangster Nation changed from a community organization back into a gang with an influx of drugs into the area. Chief Enforcer: The gang member in each state who is responsible for enforcing codes, rules and regulations of the gang. Griffin is in a federal prison in Kentucky. Polling Place: Is Patrick Kane the greatest Blackhawk ever? The charges and allegations in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The results of that poll, in a word: Oof. how interested you are in the Fire, whose season begins Saturday against New York City FC at Soldier Field. The federal racketeering indictment unsealed Wednesday depicts an almost corporate organization spread out over several states. Nothing seemed to have changed in his hometown since he was arrested in the 1990s. If you can restore, reshape, revitalize Black men, they can strengthen Black families, and Black families can strengthen Black blocks, he says. As part of this investigation, we took those concerns to Louisville Metro Police Chief Erika Shields, who sent this statement: Working to curb violent crime is one of my top priorities at LMPD. The case was unsealed today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois. The charges and allegations in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. "We can't ignore that.". Forty-eight alleged members of the violent Gangster Disciples Gang including the top leaders in Tennessee and Georgia have been charged in two indictments and accused of conspiring to participate in a racketeering enterprise that included multiple murders, attempted murder and drug crimes. The Robbins Park District let Yates stage his food giveaway in a parking lot down the street from the suburbs police station. He pointed out that they came from Trumps U.S. Department of Agriculture. According to the indictment, the Gangster Disciples is a violent street and prison gang founded in the 1960's that has engaged in large-scale drug trafficking and violence throughout the United States. He said, I want to give back to Robbins, Roberson says. (WMC) - The Gangster Disciples is a dangerous gang founded in the 1970's in Chicago, Illinois. 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 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. 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. [citation . For Yates, 20 years in prison was enough, according to Safer. Sometimes they wear Chicago Bulls, Chicago White Sox and other teams clothing from their original city, though they do not always match colors. If a member violates a gang rule, the ChiefEnforcer must authorize a "Kill on Sight" order or a "green light," which authorizes physical punishment against that member. The Black Gangster Disciples was a gang from chicago that ended up splitting into two separate gangs in the 90s (black disciples (BGDs) and gangster disciples (GDs)).Some gangs still hold the black gangster disciple name out of chicago and never split up. Download WDTN Gangster Disciples Indictment, Download NDGA Gangster Disciples Indictment. Its like 1960 or 1950, Yates says. There are a lot of people out there willing to join gangs, and eager to get easy money from criminal activity. 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. Black blocks can strengthen Black communities, cities and states.. Glass was also sentenced for firearms crimes. The indictment says the two men threatened to kill anyone who challenged their authority and, on May 18, 2018, shot and killed a rival Gangster Disciples board member on the South Side of Chicago. Information obtained through InfoTracer is not to be used for any unlawful purposes such as stalking or harassing others, or investigating public officials or celebrities. 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. With the charges unsealed today, we are taking an important, powerful step in the fight to disrupt and dismantle gangs operating in this region. You always have naysayers, he says. The indictment. On May 18, 2018, Griffin and Dobbins allegedly killed Ernest Wilson, a rival Board Member, in Chicago, Illinois. 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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 . ATLANTA -- Alleged members of the Gangster Disciples, including high-ranking leaders and a former Atlanta-area police officer who prosecutors say claimed to be a . According to the indictment, the Gangster Disciples is a violent street and prison gang founded in the 1960s that has engaged in large-scale drug trafficking and violence throughout the United States. 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 GD are involved in criminal activity in more than 30 states. A different world.. Im not saying that, you know, Im going to vote for the guy, Harrell says of Trump. He's currently being held at a federal prison in Ashland, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Attorneys Kim S. Dammers, Ryan K. Buchanan and Stephanie Gabay-Smith of the Northern District of Georgia. The results of that poll, in a word: Oof. 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. Criminal Investigation is proud to work alongside our law enforcement partners in this case to bring these criminals to justice.. of Community Supervision, GA Dept. The January indictment says while he was locked up in 2019, Griffin used a contraband phone to make calls from prison. 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. Yates volunteered at some of them. This is just one of the more than three dozen gangs found all over Tipton County. Contact reporter Heather Fountaine athfountaine@whas11.comand follow her onTwitter (@WHAS11Heather)andFacebook. The federal indictment was unsealed today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois. The charges and allegations in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. "A Governor is aware of and coordinates much of the (gang's) criminal activity within that state," the indictment says. "The violence that we're seeing now concerns me," Sanders said. They're controlled by a chairman of the board, and then they have a board of directors, one in prison, one outside below those people are the governors and they control the territories," Sanders said. ", 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. The median income of Robbins, a town of 5,400 a few miles south of Chicago, is only $13,000, according to the last census. By using InfoTracer you agree to comply with the conditions set forth in the InfoTracer terms of service. Life on a third straight one-year contract with the mega-talented Astros isnt bad at all. 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. 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. Official websites use .gov As a street gang, the Gangster Disciples had a board of directors, governors, regents, coordinators and, of course, soldiers to do the dirty work. ", Ninjas: Oftentimes members of the enforcement teams are known as "ninjas" or "UFOs.". Police search for suspects in string of armed robberies in Radcliff, Louisville man killed days before signing record deal, mother seeking justice, 'We got multiple calls': Suspect in car break-in turns himself in after WHAS11's Crime Stoppers report. 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 gang employs a structured hierarchy, with leadership positions such as national "Board Members" and state "Governors." Lancaster is in Garrard County, about 100 miles east of Louisville. Murder in aid of racketeering is a death-eligible offense. 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). Gangster Disciples history and positions of authority, Judge sets bond for 76-year-old woman accused of killing terminally ill husband, Memphis and Atlanta announced a major bust. Ashlee Rezin Garcia / Sun-Times Yates says he thinks more Americans than ever support moves to rehabilitate ex-offenders, which led to the passage of the First Step Act. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, and Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, were vocal advocates for the law, and Kanye West lobbied for it during a White House visit. Warren Griffin, 51, an alleged Board Member in the Gangster Disciples is originally from Lancaster, Kentucky, according to a federal indictment unsealed in January. Secure .gov websites use HTTPSA lock ( Hoover was born on November 30, 1950 in Jackson, Mississippi. 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. Certain defendants were also charged with murder, attempted murder, and various firearms crimes. Have a news tip? 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. 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. A group of seven men allegedly connected to the gang were indicted in January, among them was Warren Griffin originally from Lancaster, Kentucky. The organization is ruled by a national leadership of a corporate board-style group, prosecutors said during a three-week trial. We also wanted to know or did we? To have his name continuously thrown into the affairs of others and to be used as a scapegoat for criminal activity he has no connection to needs to cease.. 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. "he was responsible for violence drug trafficking and murders, including orchestrating the murder of a . They organize community clean-up events, "Stop the Violence" rallies, and events to feed the homeless as a way to mask their criminal activities. At the top of the national group is the "Chairman," a man known as L.H. 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. Volunteers unload hundreds of boxes containing food during an Oct. 15 giveaway in Robbins. of Corrections, Gwinnett County PD, and Marietta PD), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, United States Marshal's Service and United States Postal Inspection Services. Harrell walked up to one of the food boxes that were being given away in Robbins. Gangster Disciples co-founder Larry Hoover (center) with top gang lieutenant Gregory Shell (left) and gang associate Keith McCain. Identification: Symbolism plays a large part in the Gangster Disciples' culture. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS 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; While in state prison for ordering the killing of a gang member in Chicago in 1973, he was sentenced in 1998 to life in federal prison for running a criminal enterprise the Gangster Disciples . Count: The geographic divisions of the Gangster Disciples are 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.