September 19, 2016

Alleged Gangster Disciple Leader Arrested at New Orleans, Louisiana

The Federal Bureau of Investigation today announces the arrest of Shauntay Lamarr Craig, an alleged leader of the violent Gangster Disciples criminal enterprise, at New Orleans, Louisiana.

Craig, age 38, with a last known address of Birmingham, Alabama, and with ties to Missouri; Denver/Aurora, Colorado; and Conyers, Georgia, was arrested without incident on September 18, 2016 at a residence located in the 1200 block of Michael Street in Marrero, Louisiana by FBI New Orleans SWAT and the New Orleans Violent Crime Task Force, in close coordination with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. He will have an appearance today in front of a U.S. Magistrate Judge and will await extradition back to Atlanta, Georgia.

Craig was wanted for his alleged involvement in criminal activities related to his alleged role as a “board member,” a position of national leadership, within the Gangster Disciples. Since 2009, Craig is reported to have held a high rank in the organization controlling gang activity nationwide. The Gangster Disciples, as a whole, are believed to be responsible for numerous murders and robberies and are alleged to have engaged in extortion plots and drug/narcotics trafficking throughout the United States.

“The FBI and its many law enforcement partners have undertaken the arduous task of dismantling this dangerous and violent national street gang known as the Gangster Disciples,” said George Couch, acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s Atlanta Division. “With an extensive series of federal indictments and ensuing arrests, we feel that we have made significant progress toward this goal. Taking down the leadership of such an organization is, however, imperative and the arrest of Shauntay Craig brings us even closer to our objectives.”

Craig, along with 49 other alleged gang members, was indicted on April 28, 2016 by a federal grand jury in the United States District Court, Northern District of Georgia, located in Atlanta, Georgia, and in the Western District of Tennessee, located in Memphis, Tennessee, on federal Racketeer Influenced and Corruption Organizations (RICO) Act charges. Craig was the only indicted gang member from this group that eluded apprehension.

The public should be reminded that the above are merely allegations and that all persons are to be presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.