LRGP Member Pleads Guilty To Rico Conspiracy Involving Murder And Drug Conspiracy

CONTACT:      Barbara Burns
PHONE:         (716) 843-5817
FAX:            (716) 551-3051 

BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. announced today that Philip Brown, 24 of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to RICO conspiracy. Keys faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
 
“Today’s conviction brings to an end a violent chapter on Buffalo's East Side, perpetrated by the gang formerly called LRGP,” said U.S. Attorney Hochul. “Thanks to this prosecution, numerous murderers- including a woman who lured a victim to his death - have been brought to justice, and multiple acts of violence solved. Most importantly, justice for the victims and residents alike have been served. And as is the case with federal RICO prosecutions brought by this Office, the gang no longer exists.”  
 
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas S. Duszkiewicz and Joel L. Violanti, who are handling the case, stated that between 2009 and January 23, 2012, Brown was an associate of the LRGP gang which operates primarily in the area of Lombard, Rother, Gibson and Playter Streets in the City of Buffalo. It is alleged to be an organization engaged in violent criminal activity, including the distribution of cocaine and crack cocaine and the use of firearms.
 
In April 2011, the defendant and others, while at 318 Sobieski Street in Buffalo, agreed that a member of the Cold Springs Gang, a rival criminal organization, should be murdered in retaliation for the killing Alonzo Scott, in March 2011. Scott was the brother of LRGP leader Dewayne Gray. The individuals settled upon killing Amir Chambers, whom they believed to be associated with the Cold Springs Gang, and who had an ongoing social relationship with Alexis Mills.
 
After a failed attempt by Mills to poison Amir Chambers, it was agreed that co-defendant Fred Keys would kill Chambers by shooting him. Mills was to use her relationship with Chambers to get the victim to open his residence door. On April 20, 2011, Keys, Mills, Timothy Finch and the defendant went to a residence at 111 Mills Street in Buffalo where they dropped off Fred Keys and Alexis Mills. Chambers opened the residence door upon seeing Alexis Mills at which time Keys killed Chambers by shooting him in the head. Mills, for her part, kicked the victim in the head following the shooting to ensure that Chambers was in fact deceased. Keys later called 911 to report that there was a “body” at 111 Mills Street.
 
Philip Brown is the final defendant out of 17 individuals to be convicted in this case.
 
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Adam S. Cohen, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Delano A. Reid, New York Field Office and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Daniel Derenda.
 
Brown will be sentenced on September 22, 2016 at 12:30 p.m. before Judge Arcara.