Last defendant sentenced in Gangster Disciples case

Lewis Mobley has been sentenced to federal prison for his role as an enforcer for the Gangster Disciples gang, including shooting a minor in the chest twice for interrupting the filming of a gang rap video.

“For decades, the Gangster Disciples have destroyed communities all across the United States. The gang’s criminal activity in Atlanta included the killing of innocent people, brazen shootings, and prolific drug-trafficking,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine.  “These horrific acts and the victims lost and injured will not soon be forgotten. Our community remains united and our law enforcement partners are committed to making sure this type of crippling criminal activity is met with our best investigative and prosecutorial effort. We understand that the sentences issued in this case will not mend the hearts of those who lost loved ones to the crimes of the Gangster Disciples, but we do believe they will make our community safer.”

“These sentences are a major achievement in our fight against gang violence,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. for the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Gangster Disciples have ravaged communities across the nation, but now dozens of their leaders and enforcers are off the streets thanks to the extraordinary devotion of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners.”

“The Gangster Disciples have wreaked havoc in our neighborhoods for far too long with the drug trafficking, thefts, violent assaults and murders they have committed,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Mobley is the last of many members of the ruthless gang to be sentenced as a part of this investigation by the FBI’s Safe Streets Gang Task Force and its state and local partners. We are all committed to dismantling these organized and violent criminal enterprises in order to make Atlanta and all of our communities safer for our citizens.”

“This investigation into the Gangster Disciples demonstrated the commitment on the part of the DeKalb County Police Department to ensure that our communities within DeKalb County remain a safe place to live, work and raise their families. Utilizing firearms to injure or intimidate others cannot be tolerated and there is no question that the public is safer today because of the hard work, dedication, and collaboration of all agencies involved in this investigation,” said DeKalb County Police Chief Mirtha V. Ramos.

“The convictions of Lewis Mobley and other defendants sends a resounding message to gang members around the country that gang activity will not be tolerated in Atlanta,” said Atlanta Police Chief Rodney Bryant. “The Atlanta Police Department is proud of the effort put forth by our investigators to bring these criminals to justice. The sentencing of these gang members proves the effectiveness of our law enforcement partnerships work.”

The Gangster Disciples are a national gang with roots in Chicago, Illinois, dating back to the 1970s, and are now active in at least 25 states. 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. The gang protected its power and operation through threats, intimidation, and violence, including murder, attempted murder, assault, and obstruction of justice. It also promoted the Gangster Disciples enterprise through member-only activities, including conference calls, celebrations of the birthday of the Gangster Disciples founder, the annual Gangster Ball, award ceremonies, and other events.

The gang was highly structured, with a hierarchy of leadership posts known as “Positions of Authority” or “POAs.” Members were organized into different positions, including board members and governor-of-governors who each controlled geographic regions; governors, assistant governors, chief enforcers, and chief of security for each state where Gangster Disciples were active; and coordinators and leaders within each local group.

The gang strictly enforces rules for its members, the most important of which was “Silence and Secrecy” – a prohibition on cooperating with law enforcement. To enforce discipline among Gangster Disciples and adherence to the strict rules and structure, members and associates were routinely fined, beaten, and even murdered, for failing to follow rules.

At trial, the government presented evidence that the Gangster Disciples were responsible for 25 shootings from 2011 through 2015, including eight murders, multiple robberies, the extortion of rap artists to force the artists to become affiliated with the Gangster Disciples, fraud losses of over $450,000, and the trafficking of in large amounts of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, illegal prescription drugs, and marijuana. Additionally, through trial and pleas, a total of 33 different firearms were forfeited.

In total, 38 defendants have been sentenced in the case, which a federal grand jury indicted on April 27, 2016, and then superseded to add defendants on Oct. 24, 2018. Convicted defendants include the highest ranks of Gangster Disciples leaders from Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and California. Those sentenced by the Court include:

• Donald Glass, 31, of Decatur, Georgia, the leader of HATE Committee, a Gangster Disciples “enforcement team,” was sentenced to life plus ten years in prison after a trial jury found him guilty of RICO conspiracy and using a firearm to cause death.
• Lewis Mobley, 45, of Atlanta, Georgia, a Gangster Disciple enforcer, was sentenced to 40 years in prison after a trail jury found him guilty of RICO conspiracy, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and using a firearm during that attempted murder.
• Shauntay Craig, 43, of Birmingham, Alabama, who held the rank of Gangster Disciples “Board Member,” was sentenced to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy.
• Kevin Clayton, 48, of Decatur, Georgia, the chief enforcer of the Gangster Disciples in Georgia, was sentenced to 33 years in prison after a trial jury convicted him of RICO conspiracy.
• Alonzo Walton, 52, of Atlanta, Georgia, who held different position including overseeing the gang in Georgia, Florida, Texas, Indiana, and South Carolina, was sentenced to 32 years in prison after a trial jury found him guilty of RICO conspiracy, carjacking, and using a firearm in connection of that carjacking.
• Vertuies Wall, 45, of Marietta, Georgia, the leader of the Macon branch of the Gangster Disciples, was sentenced to 30 years in prison after a trial jury found him guilty of RICO conspiracy.
• Antarious Caldwell, 28, of Atlanta, Georgia, a Gangster Disciples HATE Committee member, was sentenced to 30 years in prison after a trial jury found him guilty of RICO conspiracy, robbery, and using a firearm in connection with that robbery.
• Mario Jackson, 39, of Jacksonville, Florida, the gang “governor” of Florida, was sentenced to 22 years in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy.
• Lawrence Grice, 32, of Bay City, Texas, the gang “overseer” for Texas, was sentenced to 21 years, 10 months in custody, after a trial jury found him guilty of RICO conspiracy and illegal drug distribution.
• Mangwiro Sadiki-Yisrael, 48, of Marietta, Georgia, who held different positions including gang “governor” of Georgia, was sentenced to 20 years in prison and ordered to pay $396,942.46 in restitution to victims based on his fraud conduct, after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy. 
• Damien Madison, 34, of Denver, Colorado, the gang “governor” of Colorado, was sentenced to 19 years, seven months, after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy.
• Vancito Gumbs, 29, of Stone Mountain, Georgia, a member of the Gangster Disciples while at the same time serving as a police officer with the DeKalb County, Georgia Police Department, who provided sensitive information to the Gangster Disciples and claimed to be a hitman for them, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after a trial jury found him guilty of RICO conspiracy. 
• Frederick Johnson, 44, of Marietta, Georgia, a Gangster Disciples member who sold drugs with other gang members, was sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy.
• Antonio Ahmad, 39, of Atlanta, Georgia, the “chief of security” for senior gang leaders in Georgia, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy.
• Roy Farrell, deceased, of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, a former Gangster Disciples “board member,” was sentenced to 12 years, six months in prison after pleading guilty RICO conspiracy.
• Jeremiah Covington, 38, of Valdosta, Georgia, a local leader for the Valdosta region Gangster Disciples, was sentenced to 11 years, three months in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy.
• Dereck Taylor, 35, who provided security to Macon, Georgia gang leadership, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy.
• James Travis Riley, 40, of Coffeyville, Kansas, the gang “governor” of Kansas, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to distribute illegal drugs.
• Nicholas Evans, 32, of Newport Beach, California, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to distribute illegal drugs.
• Ronald McMorris, 39, of Atlanta, Georgia, a local leader of the Atlanta Gangster Disciples, was sentenced to nine years in prison and ordered to pay $10,345.00 in restitution to victims after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy.
• Markell White, 48, of Atlanta, Georgia, a regional leader in Macon, Georgia, was sentenced to eight years, nine months in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy.
• Eric Manney, 38, of Atlanta, Georgia, a Gangster Disciples’ member who stored narcotics and multiple guns at his house, was sentenced to eight years, one month in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy.
• Terrance Summers, 48, of Birmingham, Alabama, the gang governor for Alabama, was sentenced to eight years in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy.
• Alvis O’Neal, 43, of Denver, Colorado, a drug trafficker for the Gangster Disciples, was sentenced to seven years, six months in custody after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy.
• Condelay Abbitt, 37, of Hoover, Alabama, a Gangster Disciples member who transported illegal drugs for the gang, was sentenced to seven years, three months in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy.
• Adrian Jackson, 42, of San Jose, California, the national treasurer for the Gangster Disciples, was sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy.
• Charles Wingate, 31, of Conyers, Georgia, a local leader for the Gangster Disciples in Covington, Georgia who sold drugs with the gang, was sentenced to six years, nine months in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy.
• Quiana Franklin, 38, of Birmingham, Alabama, a Gangster Disciples’ member who stored drugs for gang leader Shauntay Craig, was sentenced to four years, nine months in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy.
• Anthony Blaine, 39, of Dallas, Georgia, a Gangster Disciples member who engaged in fraud for the gang, was sentenced to three years, five months in prison and ordered to pay $64,234.29 in restitution to victims, after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy.
• Myrick Stevens, 32, of Madison, Wisconsin, a Gangster Disciples member who engaged in fraud for the gang, was sentenced to three years, five months in prison and ordered to pay $8,700.00 in restitution to victims, after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy.
• Thomas Pasby, 47, of Cochran, Georgia, a Gangster Disciples member who engaged in fraud for the gang, was sentenced to two years, six months in prison and ordered to pay $83,918.56 in restitution to victims after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy.
• Laderris Dickerson, 51, of Hartselle, Alabama, who orchestrated a carjacking with senior Gangster Disciples members, was sentenced to two years, six months in prison after pleading guilty to federal carjacking.
• Carlton King, Jr., 31, of Cochran, Georgia, a Gangster Disciples member who engaged in fraud for the gang, was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay $5,897.88 in restitution to victims, after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy.
• Michael Drummond, 54, of Marietta, Georgia, a Gangster Disciples member who engaged in fraud for the gang, was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay $3,677.00 in restitution to victims, after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy.
• Curtis Thomas, 44, of Cochran, Georgia, a Gangster Disciples member who engaged in fraud for the gang, was sentenced to one year, nine months in prison and ordered to pay $59,521.90 in restitution to victims, after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy.
• Kelvin Sneed, 33, of Cochran, Georgia, a Gangster Disciples member who engaged in fraud for the gang, was sentenced to one year, six months in prison and ordered to pay $24,417.89 in restitution to victims, after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy.
• Arrie Freeney, 37, of Detroit, Michigan, a Gangster Disciples member who engaged in fraud for the gang, was sentenced to one year, one day in prison and ordered to pay $25,641.36 in restitution to victims, after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy.
• Denise Carter, 47, of Detroit, Michigan, a Gangster Disciples member who engaged in fraud for the gang, was sentenced to eight months of home confinement and three years of probation and ordered to pay $7,938.45 in restitution to victims, after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy.

These cases were investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Marshals Service, The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), U.S. Postal Inspection Services, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Atlanta Police Department, Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, Clayton County Police Department, DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office, DeKalb Police Department, Georgia Dept. of Community Supervision, Georgia Dept. of Corrections, Gwinnett County Police Department, and the Marietta Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Buchanan, Erin Spritzer, and Stephanie Gabay-Smith of the Northern District of Georgia, Principal Deputy Chief Kim S. Dammers, Trial Attorneys Conor Mulroe, and Hans Miller of the Justice Department’s Organized Crime and Gang Section prosecuted the case.