Dozens of members of Gangster Disciples face federal murder, drug charges

Four dozen members of the violent Gangster Disciples gang, including a leader in California and a police officer in Georgia who acted as a hit man, have been charged with running a ruthless nationwide enterprise responsible for at least 10 homicides, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.

The Justice Department unsealed two indictments, one in Memphis, Tenn., and the other in Atlanta, that allege that the gang members reaped large profits from crimes including drug dealing and credit card fraud. The gang protected its turf and operations through intimidation and violence, prosecutors said.

The indictments were significant because at least half of those arrested were considered gang leaders, top Justice Department officials said.

“There are a lot of people out there willing to join gangs, and eager to get easy money from criminal activity,” said Assistant Atty. Gen. Leslie Caldwell, who leads the department’s criminal division. “But there are far fewer people with the wherewithal to lead organizations like the Gangster Disciples. These are the people who keep gangs like the Gangster Disciples alive, year in and year out, generation after generation.”

The Gangster Disciples, which started in Chicago in the 1970s and is now active in 24 states, is known for its discipline and rigid leadership structure.

The gang’s top member, known as the “chairman” and identified in court papers as L.H., is incarcerated but still communicates with his leadership team, prosecutors allege. His description in the indictments matches that of Larry Hoover, 65, who was convicted in 1997 of running the Gangster Disciples and is serving a life sentence in a federal prison in Colorado.

The gang is ruled by “board members” who oversee state and regional leaders known as “governors” and “governor-of-governors,” federal prosecutors said.

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One board member was indicted — Shauntay Craig, 37, of Birmingham, Ala. — and several other top members were charged in the indictments unsealed Wednesday. Alonzo Walton, 47, was accused of overseeing operations in Georgia, Florida, Texas, Indiana and South Carolina. Adrian Jackson, 37 of San Jose, ran the gang’s network in western states and served as national treasurer, federal prosecutors said.

Among the most shocking allegations involved a police officer in Georgia. Vancito Gumbs, 25, of Stone Mountain, who “admitted that he had killed people as a ‘hit man’” for the gang while serving as a DeKalb County police officer, the indictment says.

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