Federal indictments unsealed today detail a wide-ranging investigation and charges against 45 alleged members of two Minneapolis-based street gangs.
The two indictments target members of the “Highs” and the “Bloods” gangs and allege racketeering conspiracy involving murder, attempted murder, robbery, obstruction of justice and drug trafficking.
Twenty members and associates of the “Highs Enterprise” are charged in a 12-count indictment with RICO (racketeering) conspiracy involving five separate murders, over 10 attempted murders, robbery and drug trafficking, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Five additional Highs defendants are charged in the indictment with separate drug and gun charges.
The Highs have been operating primarily in the north side of Minneapolis since around 2008. The Highs congregated at specific businesses and residences located at or near the W. Broadway Avenue and Lyndale Ave. N. intersection, the indictment said.
In addition to the 42 named defendants, there were three other defendants listed in the court documents whose names were redacted, also alleged to be Bloods members.
If convicted of the crimes, the suspects face a range of penalties, possibly up to life in prison for charges of racketeering conspiracy involving acts of murder, using a firearm to commit murder and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
“Today’s announcement marks a fundamental change for federal law enforcement. We are now addressing gang violence for what it is: organized criminal activity,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger. “As alleged, these defendants engaged in an unrelenting trail of violence, resulting in today’s federal RICO charges and related charges. The aggregate nature of a RICO prosecution has a deeper impact and carries a stronger deterrence message, with the ultimate goal of reducing violence and returning peace to our communities.”
Numerous law enforcement agencies contributed to the investigation, Luger said.
“For too long, criminal gangs have wreaked havoc on our streets, leaving in their wake tragedy and trauma that threatens to destroy families, neighborhoods, and communities. When we refrain from utilizing the full force of laws available to hold these bad actors accountable, we allow for this horrific behavior, and its impact on residents, to continue to be normalized. The behavior of these bad actors is outrageous and entirely unacceptable,” Minneapolis Police Department Chief Brian O’Hara said in the written statement.
“We have a long way to go. We have a lot more charges to bring,” Luger said.
According to searches of booking records and jail rosters, all but two of the named defendants are currently incarcerated as of Wednesday night. We could not verify the location of Latoya Bea Smith or John Eric Solomon, and booking photos for all suspects were not available.
