Jury Finds Minneapolis Gang Members Guilty of Racketeering, Murders
via Sherburne County Jail
A federal jury has found three Minneapolis ‘Bloods’ gang members guilty of racketeering and firearms offenses, following a years-long investigation into the gang’s violent activities, including two murders.
Prosecutors say 34-year-old Desean James Solomon, also known as “Black,” 44-year-old Michael Allen Burrell, known as “Skitz,” and 26-year-old Leontawan Lentez Holt, known by aliases including “Leon” and “Shotta,” were convicted on all charges.
Solomon was found guilty of a RICO conspiracy charge and two counts of using and carrying a firearm in furtherance of murder, while Burrell and Holt were each convicted of a firearm charge tied to the murders.
Authorities presented evidence that the three men were members of the Minneapolis Bloods gang, which operates primarily on the city’s south side, near Chicago Avenue South and 38th Street East. The gang, structured with a hierarchy that includes leaders, enforcers, and new recruits, is known for retaliatory violence against rival gangs.
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According to testimony during the trial, Solomon, Burrell, and other Bloods members assaulted a rival gang member in the restroom of the 200 Club in north Minneapolis on June 14, 2020. The altercation escalated into a shooting outside the club, where both Solomon and Burrell fired their weapons, resulting in the murder of the rival gang member.
Another incident detailed in court occurred on April 23, 2022, when Solomon, Holt, and other Bloods members gathered at Williams Pub in south Minneapolis. Inside the bar, Holt initiated a fight by punching a rival gang member. The confrontation spilled onto a nearby street, where Holt and a juvenile Bloods member shot and killed another rival.
“These defendants carried out violence and murder on behalf of a violent criminal enterprise,” said U.S. Attorney Luger. “As Bloods members, the rules these defendants lived by superseded all criminal laws and social tenets, such as respect for human life or concern for public safety.”
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara praised the verdict, stating, “Today, a jury reached a verdict that sends a clear message to those who seek to terrorize our streets: we will find you, we will remove you from our streets, and we will bring you to justice.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the collaborative effort between federal and local law enforcement to target gang violence. “We are proud to work alongside our law enforcement partners to bring these individuals to justice,” Winston said.
Sentencing hearings for Solomon, Burrell, and Holt will be scheduled at a later date. The convictions bring the total to 17 Bloods members and associates who have either pleaded guilty or been convicted in connection with the investigation.
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