MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Federal indictments were handed down to 16 alleged members of the Gangster Disciples in Tennessee and another 32 in Atlanta, including an Atlanta area police officer.
Murder, torture, assaults, kidnappings, drug and firearms trafficking were all on the list of crimes committed by gang members said the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“We’re not going to stop. We’re not going to stop. We’re going to go after these bad guys,” said Interim Police Director Mike Rallings.
The indictment named 16 alleged Tennessee members in the RICO conspiracy, which stands for Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization.
That charge carries a max sentence of life in prison.
“This indictment is the result of “Operation 38 Special,” an extensive investigation into the Gangster Disciples in the Memphis and Jackson, TN areas,” said U.S. Attorney Edward Stanton.
Authorities said 16 allegedly high ranking Gangster Disciples were arrested early Wednesday morning.
“The gang is organized into different positions including board members, governors,” said Stanton.
Nine were from Memphis and seven from Jackson.
Four of those from Jackson were charged with seven counts of attempted murder in the aid of racketeering.
The investigation took two years and included multiple agencies.
District Attorney General Amy Weirich said she hopes the indictments will send a message to lower level gang members who may be looking to move up in rank now that so many leaders have been taken out of the mix.
“What I hope they heard loud and clear in there there today is that, ‘we’re coming after you.'”
The Atlanta indictment said the 32 alleged gang members named were involved in criminal activity in states including Georgia, Florida, Texas, Indiana, South Carolina, California, and Alabama.
According to The Associated Press, a former police officer named Vancito Gumbs was a hit man for the gang.
Gumbs resigned in October while under investigation for criminal activity after someone reported that he was using drugs, DeKalb County police Chief James Conroy said.
Conroy described Gumbs as “a bad apple” and said he has no reason to believe any other DeKalb officers were involved.
The following people have been indicted on RICO conspiracy charges and drug charges:
- Byron Montrail Purdy, 37
- Derrick Kennedy Crumpton, 38
- Demarcus Deon Crawford, 32
- Henry Curtis Cooper, 36
- Rico Terrell Hassis, 43
- Shamar Anthony James, 37
- Demario Demont Sprouse, 35
- Robert Elliott Jones, 36
- Denton Suggs, 40
- Santiago Megale Shaw, 23
- Tommy Earl Champion, 27
- Cory DeWayne Bowers, 32
- Gerald Eugene Hampton, 30
- Daniel Lee Cole, 37
- Tommy Lee Wilkins (Holloway), 28
- Tarius Montez Taylor, 26
Crawford, Shaw, Champion, Bowers and Taylor are also charged with attempted murder in aid of racketeering and using a firearm during the commission of those offenses.
