Feds make arrests targeting Vice Lords gang in Detroit, Chicago; 40 named in indictment. 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. The indictment also details one murder, several attempted murders, as well as drug crimes involving cocaine, fentanyl, heroin and marijuana. All four victims suffered gunshot wounds, but are recovering. Among those eight convicted defendants was Antonio Johnson, aka MT or MisterTony, the National President of the Phantoms and the Three-Star General over the Vice Lords in Michigan. Vice President of the Phantom Pontiac chapter. The Almighty Vice Lord Nation gang was founded in Chicago in the 1960s. In two trials in March and May 2015, juries convicted eight leaders and members of the PhantomOutlaw Motorcycle Club, many of whom also were leaders and members of the Vice Lords, for various crimes, including a September October 2013 mass murder plot against a rival organization of the Phantoms, and the September 2013 shooting ofa member of another rival organization. The indictment unsealed Thursday focuses on Vice Lord leaders and their associates within Michigan and Chicago, according to Mohsin. These Vice Lord members first met at Kenneth Smiths house to discuss their plans. That included arranging for one felon to bestabbed in the face in early 2019, according to the indictment. (WXYZ) Four men are still being sought in connection with the Vice Lords gang that has ties to Detroit and Chicago. "The vice lords are a violent, armed national street gang operating in Detroit, Chicago, and elsewhere. The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. What are Vice Lord signs? Members also targeted "snitches" who were perceived to be cooperating with law enforcement a cardinal sin within the rules of the gang, according to the indictment. Trial Attorney Joseph Wheatley of the Criminal Divisions Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. They gathered firearms, including an AK-47 assault rifle, to assist in their plans. The indictment alleges that the shooting was prompted by two of the family members attempts to leave the gang. In another recorded call in September 2017, Fordham is accused of discussing gang operations and discipline with an inmate. A How-To-Guide to find the right fit. The 172-page indictment spells out a conspiracy that started in 2012 and included recorded phone calls and social media traffic. Vice Lord street gangs use a variety symbols to identify themselves, including a rabbit wearing a bow tie (the Playboy logo), often stylized with top hat and cane. The firearm charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison. (WXYZ) Four men are still being sought in connection with the Vice Lords gang that has ties to Detroit and Chicago. A lock () or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Red; Rasean Walker; and Darryl Taylor, a.k.a. 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On Tuesday, January 26, 2016, Kirshean Nelson, 19, of Detroit, pleaded guilty to one count of RICO conspiracy. E Lee; Delaino Eppenger, a.k.a. A court-appointed defense lawyer listed in the court filing did not respond to a message seeking comment Thursday. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, Feds make a dent in Vice Lords gang arrests but 4 still being sought, 3 members of Almighty Vice Lords Nation gang from metro Detroit charged with drug, weapons crimes. 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. In 2015, Antonio Clark, Aramis Wilson, Tyrone Price, Jonathan Kinchen, Kojuan Lee, Kirshean Nelson, Dion Robinson and Kenneth Smith, were indicted on charges of RICO conspiracy and other racketeering and firearms charges relating to the May 7, 2015, gang-related shooting of four members of a family. Here is the full list of those charged:(hometowns were not immediately available): 2023 The Detroit News, a Digital First Media Newspaper. DETROIT (WWJ) - Six members of the Vice Lords street gang pleaded guilty this week to racketeering and firearms charges for their roles in the shootings of four family members. Chief Fatah, the leader of the Michigan branch of the Mafia Insane Vice Lords, was sentenced to almost 29 years in prison for his role in helping plan an armed robbery of a Little Caesars restaurant in Redford, Michigan, in September 2013. Thirty-eight of the people charged are currently in custody. 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. The charges relating to the May 7, 2015, shooting of the four family members are one 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. 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. "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." To those of you who are helping cause this violence by buying guns for the shooters, were coming for you. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. the member wrote. Ace; Devan Turner-Bankhead, a.k.a. Officials say Thursdays indictment comes after a three-year investigation that led to the arrests. A 39-count federal indictment was unsealed . Counts 2 and 3 charge assault with a dangerous in aid of racketeering, while counts 4 and 5 charge drug conspiracies. Von"; Gary Porter, a.k.a. 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 investigation, which involved personnel from Detroit Police andthe Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives targeted leaders from five branches of the Vice Lords. The indictment alleges that the Vice Lords leaders are located in Chicago and Detroit, and that the gang is broken down into various sets, decks, or branches, including the Detroit-based Traveling Vice Lords, Insane Vice Lords, Imperial Insane Vice Lords, Conservative Vice Lords, and Mafia Insane Vice Lords. Those convicted of federal racketeering-related crimes include members of the Seven Mile Bloods gang, the Devils Diciples Motorcycle Club,Highwaymen Motorcycle Cluband former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. Prosecutors also lay out how gang members used Facebook to post pictures of their activity, as well as communicate about gang business. "I'm the m------------ king," Fordham boasted, according to the prosecutor. Teiz; Javon Wilhite, a.k.a. Saying Detroit's violent crime is out of control again, the federal government on Thursday announced the indictment of 40 alleged gang members wanted for everything from robbery and ordering hits. emailStay Connected Feds conducted 12 raids in Detroit and one in Chicago on Thursday. Prosecutors also say in March 2019, Baskerville discussed a 2015 triple shooting that targetedwitnesses in a separate criminal investigation. "This is just the beginning," said interim Detroit Police Chief James White. DETROIT - A few dozen alleged members and associates of the Almighty Vice Lord Nation gang will now be facing a slew of charges in an investigation that's been underway for years. Turn; Angelo Hopson, a.k.a. On Wednesday, January 27, 2016, Antonio Clark, aka Cheeto, 26, of Detroit, pleaded guilty to two counts of Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering, and one count of Use and Carry of a Firearm During, and in Relation to, a Crime of Violence. Members also engaged in pimping women, prosecutors said. 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. In the latest case, the ATF says they prevented three planned murders. Kenneth Smith is currently a fugitive. Jamerio Clark, aka Merio, 28, of Detroit, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge David M. Lawson of the Eastern District of Michigan. Man charged in front-door shooting of Black teen Ralph Yarl, Stock market today: Most stocks on Wall Street tick higher, Why are volunteerism rates uneven? C4; Anthony Simmons, a.k.a. 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. MICHIGAN-(ENEWSPF)-August 4, 2016. Email Email. In two trials in March and May 2015, juries convicted eight leaders and members of the Phantom Outlaw Motorcycle Club, many of whom also were leaders and members of the Vice Lords, for various crimes, including a September October 2013 mass murder plot against a rival organization of the Phantoms, and the September 2013 shooting of a member of another rival organization. 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. According to admissions made by codefendants who have pleaded guilty in this case, the Vice Lords is a national gang engaged in a variety of crimes, and Vice Lords' leaders are located in both Chicago and Detroit. The ATF has identified more than 700 Vice Lords members in Michigan alone.. Attorneys Christopher Graveline and Mark Bilkovic of the Eastern District of Michigan, and Trial Attorney Joseph Wheatley of the Criminal Divisions Organized Crime and Gang Section. The 172-page indictment lists 40. For example, in July 2017, Fordham posted on Facebook that he was the chief enforcer of the gang, accordingto the indictment. 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. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Asher said investigators had intercepted phone calls in which Fordham authorized, sanctioned or discussed three murder plots. DETROIT (WWJ) - A leader of the violent Vice Lords Detroit street gang has been sentenced to just over 12 years in prison. The seven Vice Lord members charged with crimes stemming from this incident are: Robinson, Clark, Price and Kinchen are in custody; arrest warrants have been issued for the other three defendants. 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