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Press Release

19 Local Crips Gang Members Charged in Racketeering Conspiracy that Includes Five Murders

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Ohio
Some Defendants Could Face Death Penalty

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal grand jury has charged 19 Columbus men associated with a local Crips gang in a racketeering conspiracy that includes five murders, multiple attempted murders and other violent and drug-trafficking crimes. The indictment was returned in Columbus on September 27 and 15 of the defendants are in custody today.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Trevor Velinor, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division Columbus Police Chief Kim Jacobs, United States Marshal Pete Tobin  and Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien announced the charges.

According to the indictment, the men are members and associates of the Trevitt and Atcheson Crips gang known as T&A.

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.

The criminal organization included various subgroups, including, Atcheson Crip Gangsters (ACG), Catch A Body (CAB), Kwamie Gang (KMG), Waun Gang, Family Over Everything (FOE), Go Gang, On The Family (OTF) Toe Tag, and Go Crazy.

T&A identifies with the national Crip gang, adopting the traditional colors, symbols, culture, codes and enemies of the Crip gang. Its local rival Blood gangs include, but are not limited to, the Easthaven Bloods, Poindexter Thug Life (PTL) and the Milo Bloods.

T&A members marked the gang’s territory with graffiti and themselves with common tattoos. Members also produced songs to boast of the gang’s existence, communicate their violent methods and threaten non-members and rival gang members. These songs were posted on various social networking sites used by the T&A members.

Those charged include:

Name

Also Known As

Age

Dominique Bryant

Doggy

26

Charles Carson

 

23

Jonathan Dantzler

Jesus

26

Terrell Hansard

T Body

21

Andrew Harris

Drip

30

Eric Henderson, Jr.

Lil Go, Little E

19

Eric Henderson, Sr.

Easy

39

Michael Henderson

Bang

20

Steve Henderson, Jr.

Big Go, Tana

25

Brandon Martin

Gunner

26

Lee Devine McCrae

Capone

22

Shawn Nelms

Mook

25

Terrance Pyfrom

Tee

21

Donovan Reed

Don Don

26

Deswan Robinson

Dezzy

25

Thomas Seals

Bhomo

24

Derrick Thornton

Fresh

29

Marcus Walton

Ox, Wax

35

Michael Watson

Sossa

25

 The Indictment

The seven-count indictment alleges:

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 within the Southern District of Ohio and elsewhere.

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.

On July 1, 2012 in the area of 431 Ellison Street, Dantzler and Nelms shot and killed Franky Tention.

On March 15, 2013, Martin, Nelms and Robinson shot and murdered William Moore, a rival gang member.

Michael Henderson and Watson shot and killed Marvin Ector on December 23, 2013, on East 5th Avenue.

On January 24, 2015, Carson shot and murdered Quincy Story.

Hansard was involved in the murder of Deaonte Fisher on March 4, 2016.

Additionally, from June 14, 2010 until March 15, 2017, the indictment details at least 26 separate incidences in which T&A gang members attempted to murder more individuals by shooting at them.

Co-conspirators also threatened and/or intimidated witnesses, using violence or the threat of violence to deter them from providing information to law enforcement and to enforce a “no snitching” code.

Defendants distributed cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, oxycodone and marijuana. They also used “trap houses” in other individuals’ names to store and sell narcotics.

T&A members used the drug proceeds to purchase firearms to use in gang wars in Columbus. They often traveled to Huntington, W.Va, Portsmouth, Ohio and Chillicothe, Ohio (among other locations) to sell and purchase drugs and guns.

Each of the defendants faces life in prison. Carson, Dantzler, Hansard, Martin, Nelms, Robinson and Watson are charged with murder in aid of racketeering, a crime that could make them eligible for the death penalty. 

“Violent gangs seek to dominate and control neighborhoods in Columbus and in cities across America—but we're fighting back,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. “Under the Department of Justice's crime reduction strategy, Project Safe Neighborhoods, we work with state and local law enforcement to target the most violent criminals in the most violent areas. In 2017 we prosecuted more violent criminals than in any year on record—and this past fiscal year we broke our own record. Today we take our next step of indicting 19 alleged gang members from the King-Lincoln neighborhood who are facing potential life sentences. The indictment alleges multiple murders and attempted murders. I want to thank the ATF, FBI, the Marshals Service, Columbus Police, and Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien for their hard work and I especially want to thank AUSAs Kevin Kelley, Noah Litton, and David DeVillers. This case is a perfect example of what PSN is all about.”

An indictment merely contains allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

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Updated October 2, 2018

Topic
Violent Crime