Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade of the Eastern District of Michigan, 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 made the announcement. PART OF AUDACY NEWS. On Tuesday, January 26, 2016, Kirshean Nelson, 19, of Detroit, pleaded guilty to one count of RICO conspiracy. Serve Detroit engages residents, community leaders, and nonprofit and corporate entities to come together for the common goal of Serving Detroit. Shaq; Harith Hunter, a.k.a. 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. On May 7, 2015, Vice Lords members Antonio Clark, Aramis Wilson, Tyrone Price, Jonathan Kinchen, Kojuan Lee, Kirshean Nelson, and Dion Robinson, traveled together to the intended victims house in multiple cars. The four men are Aaron Knight, Anthony Reynolds, John Johnson and Lasail Hamilton. Hundreds of gangs have been working the streets of Detroit for decades and continue today. The charges are related to four shootings . The Vice Lords originated in Chicago in the 1960s and have different branches known as decks that assist and collaborate with each other on criminal activities and answer to the gangs leaders in Detroit and Chicago, according to the indictment. Members also engaged in pimping women, prosecutors said. DETROIT -- A Detroit-based leader of the Vice Lords is headed to prison for more than 13 years after admitting he ordered attacks on two brothers who dared to leave the street gang. Boss Hogg; Kenneth Johnson, a.k.a. The Friday, Sept. 8 show is part of Greta Van Fleet's 2023 world . The racketeering activity included, from 2011 through 2015, trafficking in controlled substances, including marijuana, Xanax and ecstasy, at locations in and around the Detroit metropolitan area, including at Northland Mall in Southfield, Michigan. Anyone who has information is urged to contact the police. The gang's drug division offered a wide range of narcotics, everything from cocaine to heroin, fentanyl and prescription pills. Detroit A judge Tuesday ordered the reputed leader of the Almighty Vice Lord Nation in Michigan held without bond pending trial in one of the largest racketeering conspiracy cases in federal court history. The 172-page indictment spells out a conspiracy that started in 2012 and included recorded phone calls and social media traffic. Montana; Jaylin McNeal, a.k.a. the member wrote. The firearm charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison. The indictment unsealed Thursday focuses on Vice Lord leaders and their associates within Michigan and Chicago, according to Mohsin. The gang is centered out of Chicago and is a large, well-organized and sophisticated gang with thousands of members nationwide. Prosecutors said they fear gang violence following last week's unsealing of a 172-page indictment against 40 Vice Lords members and associates who are accused of committing murder, drug deals, extortion, stabbings and plotting hits oninmates in the Michigan Department of Corrections since 2012. Smoov; Anthony Najera, a.k.a. Dro Davun Baskerville, a.k.a. In recent years, more than 100 people have been charged with racketeering conspiracy punishable by up to life in prison as Detroit police and federal investigators tried to curtail violent crime in Detroit. Chosen. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. P and Marty; Tamar Watkins, a.k.a. "Spaghetti"; Martin Murff, a.k.a. The gang is centered out of Chicago and it is a large, well-organized, and sophisticated gang with thousands of members," Mohsin said. "These convictions represent the significant impact law enforcement can have on violent criminal enterprises when local, state, and Federal partners combine forces to address the violent gangs responsible for terrorizing our communities," said David P. Gelios, Special Agent in Charge, FBI - Detroit Division. You have as many as 600 others who answer to you and can carry out ordersat your direction.. 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. Jamerio Clark, aka Merio, 28, of Detroit, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge David M. Lawson of the Eastern District of Michigan. U.S. Attorney Saima Mohsin laid out one of the largest racketeering conspiracy busts in Detroit history as 40 members and associates of the Almighty Vice Lord Nation were charged, including the two highest-ranking members: Kevin "Spaghetti" Fordham and Martin Murff. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Do you have an environmental justice concern? Prosecutors on Tuesday characterized Fordham as a drug-dealing gangster who lorded over a sprawling empire from a fortress on the west side of Detroit outfitted with armed guards, rifles and armor-piercing ammunition. According to the indictment, on May 7, 2015, to maintain and improve their positions in the Traveling Vice Lords, the defendants shot four individuals from the same family. The Vice Lords are social media savvy and used Facebook to communicate among members, prosecutors said. Feds conducted 12 raids in Detroit and one in Chicago on Thursday. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. ATF agents go undercover to work the case and put their own lives on the line. "We will maintain our focus and remain stead-fast in our pledge to bringing swift justice to all those who commit violent acts against our city." This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. What are China's alleged 'secret overseas police stations'? As admitted in the plea agreements, members of the Traveling Vice Lords set, acting at the direction of Smith and others, searched for two brothers who had left, or attempted to leave, the Vice Lords as part of a plan to harm those individuals. And for gang members who believe that you are protected from the law, were coming for you, too.. >>> LISTEN LIVE! 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. Also on Thursday, Tyrone Price, aka "Price," 27, 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. Christopher Odum "Murder" - A member of the Phantom Detroit chapter as well as a member of the Vice Lords. Get FBI email alerts The indictment indicates prosecutors monitored phone calls and other communications involving accused gang members. "The significant arrests and prosecutions made by Detroit One make certain that the citizens of Detroit and the region can once again start to feel safe in their communities" said Chief James Craig. Investigators say this three-year investigation saved lives. Feds make arrests targeting Vice Lords gang in Detroit, Chicago; 40 named in indictment, Featured Image Photo Credit: Getty Images. Thirty-eight of the people charged are currently in custody. 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. The Almighty Vice Lord Nation ( Vice Lords for short, abbreviated AVLN) is the second-largest and one of the oldest street and prison gangs in Chicago, Illinois. Kenneth Smith is currently a fugitive. Also on Thursday, Tyrone Price, aka Price, 27, 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. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. The federal investigation includes additional charges. Teiz; Javon Wilhite, a.k.a. Authorities are still searching for four men linked to the gang: Aaron Knight, Anthony Reynolds, John Johnson, and Lasail Hamilton. Of those facing federal charges, the suspects ahd 365 separate felony arrests between them prior to the new ones this week. FBI.gov is an official site of the U.S. Department of Justice. 2023 FOX Television Stations, Michigan boxing champ Claressa Shields defends middleweight belt at LCA in June, Sex offender charged in murder of Ann Arbor activist, Colder temps stick around until later in the week, Jackson House where Martin Luther King Jr planned historic marches to be moved to The Henry Ford, Infectious disease doctor explains UP paper mill fungus outbreak. The indictment charged these Vice Lords members with aiding and abetting one another in the shooting of the four family members after firing more than two dozen times at the family. The feds say the gang has several layers and names including The Almighty Vice Lord Nation, based in Chicago, and branches with the names The Insane Vice Lords, The raveling Vice Lords and others. Forty people have been charged in a 172-page federal racketeering indictment that was unsealed in federal court in Detroit today. emailStay Connected 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. "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. 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. Two remain on the loose. This is a developing story. Here is the full list of those charged:(hometowns were not immediately available): 2023 The Detroit News, a Digital First Media Newspaper. Other local branches include the Insane Vice Lords, Imperial Insane Vice Lords, Conservative Vice Lords, Mafia Insane Vice Lords, and Insane Goon Gang. A How-To-Guide to find the right fit. HFournier@detroitnews.com (313) 223-4616 Midget; Lawon Carter, a.k.a. 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. Email Email. "The quality of life in our community will remain closely aligned to our successful ongoing collective efforts to remove violent offenders from Detroit's streets." Zane; Antione Coleman, a.k.a. "The Detroit One partnership is focusing our efforts on combating gang violence," McQuade said. The 172-page indictment spells out a conspiracy that started in 2012 and recorded! Indictment unsealed Thursday focuses on Vice Lord leaders and their associates within and! 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