Four More Defendants Plead Guilty in Local Crips Gang Case

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A total of five of 19 Columbus men charged federally as being associated with a local Crips gang has pleaded guilty. The men were indicted in September 2018 and charged in a racketeering conspiracy that includes five murders, multiple attempted murders and other violent and drug-trafficking crimes.

Terrance Pyfrom, 21, Derrick Thornton, 29, and Donovan Reed, 26, all pleaded guilty today. Reed pleaded to one count of conspiring to distribute crack cocaine. Andrew Harris, 30, pleaded guilty on February 7. He and Thornton pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin. Dominique Bryant, 26, pleaded guilty on January 15. He and Pyfrom pleaded guilty to one count of participating in the racketeering conspiracy.

Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Roland Herndon, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Todd Wickerham, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, Interim Columbus Police Chief Tom Quinlan, United States Marshal Pete Tobin and Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien announced the pleas entered into before U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson.

According to court documents, the defendants are members and associates of the Trevitt and Atcheson Crips gang known as T&A.

The gang derived its name from Trevitt and Atcheson streets in the King-Lincoln District of Columbus, where its members predominantly reside.

The boundaries of the gang’s territory are marked by Mt. Vernon Avenue to the south, Leonard Avenue to the north, Taylor Avenue to the east and St. Clair Avenue to the west.

Beginning in June 2010, T&A members and associates conspired in a racketeering enterprise and engaged in murders, attempted murders, drug trafficking, firearms trafficking, witness tampering, robbery, assault and other crimes.

The gang controlled the neighborhood through intimidation, fear and violence. Gang members were expected to retaliate with acts of violence when their members and associates were disrespected, threatened, intimidated or subjected to acts of violence.

Specifically, co-conspirators are charged with five murders:

the murder of Franky Tention on July 1, 2012, in the area of 431 Ellison Street;

the murder of William Moore on March 15, 2013;

the murder of Marvin Ector on December 23, 2013, on East 5^th Avenue;

the murder of Quincy Story on January 24, 2015; and

the murder of Deaonte Fisher on March 4, 2016.

T&A engaged in a long-term operation of consistent transportation of heroin and crack from Columbus to Portsmouth, Ohio, for sale in various “trap houses.” In the summer of 2015, T&A, under the leadership of Eric Henderson, Sr., began to deliver large amounts of heroin, crack, and oxycodone from Columbus to Portsmouth on a weekly basis.  Female associates and drug-addicted “mules” transported the drugs at the direction of T&A members and associates. The drugs were then sold on a daily basis out of a number of “trap houses” controlled by T&A members, including Thornton and Harris. According to their pleas, between the summer of 2015 and September 2018, Thornton and Harris were personally responsible for distributing and possessing with intent to distribute between 100 grams and 400 grams of heroin as part of T&A’s Portsmouth Drug Operations. The proceeds from the drug sales in Portsmouth were then used to purchase firearms that were used in ongoing gang wars with rival gangs in Columbus.

Likewise, in the summer of 2015, T&A members began to deliver large amounts of crack and oxycodone from Columbus to Huntington, W.Va. on a weekly basis.  The drugs were then sold on a daily basis out of a number of “trap houses” controlled by T&A members, including Reed. Reed was personally responsible for distributing and possessing with intent to distribute between 28 grams and 112 grams of crack as part of T&A’s West Virginia Drug Operation. 

Pyfrom admitted to shooting at members of the Easthaven Bloods gang on August 8, 2014, after a drive-by shooting. He also admitted to selling crack cocaine and sharing firearms and “trap” houses in order to facilitate the sale of the drug.

Others charged in this case include:

U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by ATF, FBI and Columbus Police, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys David M. DeVillers, Kevin W. Kelley and Noah R. Litton, who are prosecuting the case.

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