Wicked town traveling vice lords trial#
Wicked town traveling vice lords crack#

Many of their associates who cut deals still face 20 to 30 years under the terms of their plea agreements.

Lee, 40, faces mandatory life in prison while Benson, 30, could receive up to life behind bars. The results, at least in the length of prison sentences, have so far spoken for themselves. 4, 2020.ĭuane DeVries, the Chicago police’s deputy chief of counterterrorism, said after the Wicked Town verdict that partnerships between the police and feds allow them to target specific individuals responsible for so much of the violence and get a “long term effect, instead of just a quick hit.”

Wicked town traveling vice lords trial#

In May, four reputed members of the Goonie Boss faction of the Gangster Disciples are scheduled to face a jury on charges of racketeering conspiracy alleging they committed 10 killings and six attempted murders during three-year reign of terror in the Englewood community.Īnd in October, five reputed members of the South Side’s O-Block gang are set for trial on similar RICO-related murder charges, alleging they opened fire on rapper FBG Duck, whose real name was Carlton Weekly, as he stood in line outside a Gold Coast clothing store on Aug. Meanwhile, two other major gang racketeering cases are set to go to trial next year. Last year, a similar case against the Four Corner Hustlers, one of the key rivals of the Traveling Vice Lords and affiliates like Wicked Town, went to trial at the same courthouse and had a similar outcome.Īfter eight weeks of testimony, a federal jury convicted Labar “Bro Man” Spann, the longtime leader of the Four Corner Hustlers, of racketeering and VICAR charges alleging he directed the violent street gang in a string of robberies, extortion and four murders over the course of two decades, including the infamous contract killing of Latin Kings boss Rudy “Kato” Rangel. attorney’s office ultimately took the death penalty off the table in the Wicked Town case, the prospect of that punishment came up repeatedly in testimony of cooperators who decided to flip against their colleagues, despite the gang’s strict “no-snitch” policy.

“The resulting indictment underscores the importance of collaboration among law enforcement in keeping the community safe from gun violence.Maximum penalties for those cases vary depending on the alleged violent crime, but defendants convicted of a murder that occurred after 1994 can be subject to the death penalty under the VICAR statute. “ATF remains committed to investigating those responsible for gun violence in Chicago,” said Kristen de Tineo, special agent in charge of the Chicago Field Division of the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. They also managed the “procurement, transfer, use, and concealment of firearms” within the gang to protect the operations of the enterprise and retaliate against rivals, it says. Wicked Town members and associates held regular meetings where they planned criminal activity, including the illegal trafficking of controlled substances and acts of violence against people who posed a threat to its operations, the indictment states. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the 13 defendants charged in the indictment have attorneys who could speak on their behalf. They also used social media to promote their enterprise and boast about their illegal acts, the indictment says, and employed intimidation tactics to prevent witness cooperation with law enforcement.

Wicked town traveling vice lords crack#

The charges are the result of a multiyear investigation, during which law enforcement officers seized 46 firearms, roughly 1,000 rounds of ammunition and approximately 17 kilograms of cocaine, 7 kilograms of heroin and 100 grams of crack cocaine, according to the indictment.Īuthorities allege that members and leaders of the gang kept victims, rival gang members and witnesses in fear of through acts of violence and threats of violence. “These RICO charges are the result of many federal, state, and local law enforcement partners working together to fulfill a common mission – reducing gun violence and keeping the people of Chicago safe.” “In bringing this racketeering indictment, we are seeking to hold accountable those who played a central role in significant gang violence on the West Side of Chicago,” Lausch said. The influx of guns is 'ground zero for violence' at the end of a bloody summer in Chicago