12 Alleged Crips Gang Members Indicted For Violent Crimes In Detroit
DETROIT (WWJ) - A dozen alleged members of a violent Detroit Street gang have been indicted on a slew of felony charges.
U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade said Wednesday that a collaboration between local, state and federal law enforcement led to the arrest of 12 members of the Crips gang in northwest Detroit.
According to the indictment, the 150-member Detroit chapter of the "Rollin 60s Crips" is a branch of the national street gang founded in Los Angeles in the mid-1970s.
The indictment alleges the Detroit gang is a violent organization responsible for assaults, robberies, carjackings and the illegal trafficking of firearms and narcotics in metro Detroit over the last nine years.
The following suspects are charged:
• Jerome Hamilton 23, of Detroit, charged with Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act ("RICO") conspiracy, assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering and using a firearm during a crime of violence;
• Darriyon Mills, 24, of Detroit, charged with RICO conspiracy, assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, carjacking and using a firearm during a crime of violence;
• Jonathan Barber, 24, of Detroit, charged with RICO conspiracy, assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, and carrying and using an explosive device to commit a felony;
• Deaires Foster, 22, of Irondale, Alabama, charged with RICO conspiracy;
• Martel Strong, 26, of Detroit, charged with RICO conspiracy;
• Timothy Price, 26, of Detroit, charged with RICO conspiracy;
• Sadeisha Johns, 30, of West Bloomfield, charged with RICO conspiracy;
• Soumo Kennedy, 22, of Detroit, charged with RICO conspiracy, carjacking and
using a firearm during a crime of violence;
• Brandon Kennedy, 22, of Detroit, charged with RICO conspiracy;
• Charles Anthony Smith, 31, of Windsor, Ontario, Canada, charged with RICO conspiracy;
• Jermell Julius Coleman, 35, of Detroit, charged with RICO conspiracy; assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, and using a firearm during a crime of violence;
• William Steele, 34, of Charlotte, North Carolina, charged with RICO conspiracy.
In a statement, McQuade praised the efforts of "Detroit One" task force responsible for the arrests — including officers with the Detroit police, FBI. ATF, Michigan State Police and Department of Correction.
"The Detroit One partners are systematically dismantling the most violent street gangs in Detroit," McQuade said. "Our effort is relentless. We believe that by removing the gang members who are committing violent crime, we can provide our neighborhoods with the public safety we should all expect and deserve."
"As promised the Detroit One partners continue to disrupt and bring to an end the atrocities committed against our citizens by such a violent gang," added Chief James Craig. "The efficacy of this program is rooted in the belief that our citizens and
neighborhoods deserve to be free of such heinous acts."
Seven of the twelve defendants indicted in this case, who were arrested Wednesday and were scheduled to appear in federal court in Detroit.
Some suspects remained at large at large, Wednesday afternoon, including Strong, who was believed to be in the Detroit area. Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward of up to $1,000 for the tip that leads to his arrest.
