Leader Of Seven Mile Bloods Street Gang Sentenced To Life In Prison After Being Convicted Of Racketeering, Murder, And Other Related Offenses

DETROIT –The leader of the Seven Mile Bloods Street Gang was sentenced to life in prison today after having been convicted in December, 2023 of 22 counts, including racketeering conspiracy, murder, attempted murder, and related firearms offenses, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.

Ison was joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Division.

Billy Arnold, age 37, was convicted of RICO Conspiracy, two counts of Murder in Aid of Racketeering, 10 counts of Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering, and multiple firearm counts following a six-week trial, a federal jury before Chief Judge Sean Cox in the Eastern District of Michigan.

“The harshest sentences are reserved for the most serious crimes and criminals. They are reserved for people like Billy Arnold, who killed multiple people, tried to kill many others, and terrorized an entire community,” said U.S. Attorney Ison.  “With this sentence, Arnold’s victims received some small measure of justice. This sentence should also send a message to others. To those who commit acts of violence: We will not stand for it any longer. And, to the vast majority of the residents of the “Red Zone” and all over Detroit and the Eastern District of Michigan, who want nothing more than to live in peace: We have your back. We will be by your side, working every day to prevent violence from occurring. But when it does, we will stand with you then too. And we will use all of our resources to bring to justice those who don’t stop shooting.”

“Local gangs such as the Seven Mile Bloods utilize violence and firearm threats to spread fear within the community,” stated Cheyvoryea Gibson, the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “This sentencing sends a message that the Violent Gang Task Force of the FBI will continue to take a stand against those who engage in street violence and retaliation to safeguard the citizens of Detroit. I would like to recognize and thank the men and women of our task force for their dedication and tireless work during this investigation.”

According to evidence presented during the trial, the Seven Mile Bloods operated on the east side of Detroit, between Gratiot Avenue and Kelly Road and between Seven and Eight Mile Roads.  Seven Mile Bloods or “SMB” members claimed this area as their territory and referred to it as the “Red Zone.”  The area is in zip code 48205, which SMB members referred to as “4-8-2-0-Die.” 

Evidence presented at trial showed an ongoing gang war between the Seven Mile Bloods and an alliance of other gangs operating on Detroit’s east side stemming from a murder that Arnold committed in July 2014.  Arnold, who was on parole at the time, encountered two rival gang members during a meeting at a parole office in Detroit. After the meeting, Arnold waited outside the parole office until the rival gang member left. Arnold followed the rival gang members and their two companions a short distance before opening fire, killing one of the victims and seriously injuring another.  Following the murder, the Seven Mile Bloods and rival gangs began violently attacking one another and posted respective “hit lists” on social media.  The violence reached a boiling point in 2015 when during a one-month span, Arnold murdered one rival gang member, and shot numerous others. One of Arnold’s victims, who was shot while taking his two young daughters for a walk, was paralyzed as a result of the shooting. Arnold shot another victim, who was only 15 years old at the time of the shooting, while the victim was at his first day of work at a banquet hall in Roseville. Arnold shot the victim while attempting to murder a rival gang member who was standing near the victim in a parking lot. The 15-year-old victim and the rival gang member survived the shooting. On September 26, 2015, Arnold and another Seven Mile Blood member were arrested following a high-speed chase in Detroit. Following the chase, law enforcement recovered an assault rifle from the vehicle that was used in one murder and several other shootings.

The investigation further resulted in the seizure of more than 20 firearms, including several high-powered assault rifles.

Arnold is the 20th member or associate of the Seven Mile Bloods to have been convicted as a result of the investigation.

This case was the result of a collaborative effort by multiple law enforcement agencies.  Investigators were able to bring together separate probes into various members of this organization and its criminal activities into one encompassing investigation. Partners include the Detroit Police Department Gang Intelligence Unit, the FBI Violent Gang Task Force, which consists of representatives of Detroit Police Department, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Michigan Department of Corrections and Michigan State Police, with the cooperation of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Also assisting in the investigation were the Charleston and South Charleston Police Departments in West Virginia.