Four United Blood Nation Gang Members Convicted of Racketeering Charges Following a Six-Day Trial

CHARLOTTE, NC—A Charlotte jury convicted four gang members of the United Blood Nation (UBN) of racketeering conspiracy and related charges following a six-day trial that ended on Wednesday, May 8, 2013, announced Anne M. Tompkins, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

John A. Strong, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Monroe of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department join U.S. Attorney Tompkins in making today’s announcement.

Jaimel Kenzie Davidson, a/k/a “I-Shine,” 29; Nathaniel Graham, a/k/a “Nasty,” 24; Kentrell Tyrone McIntyre, a/k/a “Mustafa,” 33; and Perry Gorontent Williams, a/k/a “P-Flame” or “Flame,” 27, were found guilty of engaging in racketeering conspiracy. Graham, McIntyre, and Williams were also found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering activity.

According to court documents, evidence presented at trial and witness testimony:

From in or about June 2011 to in or about July 2011, the defendants carried out the conspiracy while they were incarcerated within the North Carolina Department of Corrections (NC DOC). The defendants used smuggled cellular telephones to communicate with UBN gang members who were incarcerated in various NC DOC facilities as well as gang members who were not incarcerated. The smuggled cellular telephones were used to facilitate gang activity both in the prisons as well as in communities throughout the state of North Carolina. Jurors heard cell phone conversations in which the defendants and others discussed criminal activities, including the conspiracy to commit murder of another inmate who was not a gang member, because the inmate refused to give into the demands of UBN gang members. Jurors also heard cell phone conversation in which the defendants and others discussed the distribution of controlled substances as well as violent assaults of family members of other incarcerated inmates who disrespected the UBN. In addition, the smuggled cellular telephones were used to conduct high level gang “management meetings,” during which high-ranking gang members coordinated gang business activities and discussed the assignment of gang activities outside prison to low-level gang members, known as “scraps.”

“Gang-related violent crimes plague our communities and spread fear and violence in our neighborhoods. This case is particularly troubling because these four gang members continued to carry out violent criminal gang activities and even planned a murder from behind bars. I commend our law enforcement partners for their hard work on this case and for their continued efforts to pursue dangerous gangs and dismantle their illegal activities in our state and elsewhere,” said U.S. Attorney Tompkins.

“The FBI is committed to dismantling the violent gangs that threaten the safety and stability of our neighborhoods. This three-year investigation is an outstanding example of what federal, state, and local law enforcement can accomplish together when we attack the gangs that terrorize our communities,” said FBI’s Special Agent in Charge John Strong.

“The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and our partner agencies will continue to be diligent in letting criminals know that these neighborhoods are not a safe haven for their illegal activities,” said Chief Monroe of CMPD.

The defendants are currently in local federal custody. The racketeering conspiracy charge carries a maximum prison term of 20 years and a $250,000 fine. The conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering conspiracy charge carries a maximum prison term of 10 years and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing dates for the defendants have not been set yet.

The case was investigated by the FBI and CMPD. The prosecution is handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill Westmoreland Rose and Daniel Ryan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte.