U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that yesterday, an Indictment was unsealed charging members of a violent New Orleans street gang known as “the 39ers” with violating federal racketeering statutes and committing twelve homicides as well as multiple violations of federal drug and firearm laws. The defendants include: LEROY PRICE, a/k/a “Lee,” age 29; ASHTON PRICE, a/k/a “Pound,” age 24;ALONZO PETERS, a/k/a “Woo-dee,” age 25; JASMINE PERRY, a/k/a “J-Real,” a/k/a “Rell,” age 24;McCOY WALKER, a/k/a “Rat,” age 25; TERRIOUES OWNEY, a/k/a “T-Red,” age 28; EVANS LEWIS, a/k/a “Easy,” age 23; CURTIS NEVILLE, a/k/a “Pooney,” a/k/a “Poonie,” age 22; RICO JACKSON, a/k/a “Freaky,” age 33; TYRONE KNOCKUM, a/k/a “T-Bone,” age 24; SOLOMON DOYLE, a/k/a “Black,” a/k/a “Sol,” age 29; WASHINGTON McCASKILL, a/k/a “Big Wash,” age 36, and DAMIAN BARNES, a/k/a “AD,” age 27.

The 45-count indictment charges that the “39ers” gang was formed through an alliance between the “G-Strip gang,” which operated in the Ninth Ward on Gallier Street, and the “3NG” gang, which operated on or near the corner of Third Street and Galvez Street in the City of New Orleans, with the purpose of increasing their drug trafficking and ability to commit crimes of violence. Each defendant is alleged to have participated in at least one homicide.

All defendants are facing a mandatory life sentence if convicted of committing a murder in furtherance of racketeering activity, in violation of Title 18, United States Code Section 1959.

The Indictment is a product of an ongoing investigation into the drug trafficking and violent crime by this and other New Orleans gangs. It represents the continued coordinated effort of the federal and state law enforcement authorities, including the United States Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigations’ New Orleans Gang Task Force, the New Orleans Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office.

U.S. Attorney Polite reiterated that the Indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendants must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

Assistant United States Attorneys Maurice Landrieu, Myles Ranier, and Sharan Lieberman are in charge of the prosecution.