Fourteen more Minneapolis gang members have been federally indicted on charges related to racketeering, narcotics trafficking, and weapons, U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger announced on Wednesday.
The 14 are members or associates of the “Highs” gangs, which are comprised of gang subsets that go by different names and operate generally north of West Broadway Avenue in north Minneapolis. Their chief rivals are members of the “Lows,” another subset of gangs that operate generally south of West Broadway Avenue.
This is the third round of federal indictments of Minneapolis gang members since May, bringing the total number of gang members federally charged since spring to over six dozen.
Among the newly indicted suspects is Leneal Lamont Frazier, Jr., 22, who was federally charged in August after authorities said he livestreamed the armed kidnapping and carjacking of one of his Lows rivals.
A perp we've previously posted, Leneal Lamont Frazier, Jr, 22, has now been federally charged with armed carjacking and illegal possession of a firearm after livestreaming a carjacking on social media.
Charges say Frazier is a "Highs" gang member and the person he held at… pic.twitter.com/qgn6mg3TEj
— CrimeWatchMpls (@CrimeWatchMpls) August 18, 2023
Most of the other 14 suspects in Wednesday’s unsealed superseding indictment are charged with conspiracy under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act and with fentanyl trafficking. The RICO charges are a continuation of Luger’s strategy to investigate and charge the gang activity through a lens of organized crime.
“Today’s charges against the Highs gang are focused on the criminal organization’s extensive fentanyl trafficking operations,” said Luger. “Selling fentanyl in our communities is as dangerous and lethal as the brazen gun violence we’ve seen in our cities. Addressing the nexus between narcotics trafficking and violent crime is a critical piece of our Violent Crime Strategy, and I am grateful to my law enforcement partners who are equally focused on protecting the lives of Minnesotans, regardless of the threat.”
During the Wednesday press conference, Luger said since the targeted operation began, approximately 11.6 kilos of fentanyl have been seized along with 38 firearms and over $218,000 in cash. Some of the guns seized included weapons modified to fire automatically.
Among the newly indicted suspects are two people from Arizona. The indictment states that members of the Highs would travel by air to Arizona with tens of thousands in cash to purchase pills and return to Minnesota or would purchase the drugs from Arizona through the U.S. mail.
The indictment explains how the hub of gangs’ drug and gun sales was centered at Merwin Liquors and Winner Gas at the intersection of West Broadway and Lyndale avenues north, as well as other locations along West Broadway Avenue.
Luger attributed the drop in violent crime at the intersection directly to the arrest and federal charges against the dozens of gang members since the operation began this spring.
The following defendants are charged in the Highs superseding indictment, with all defendants being from Minneapolis, unless otherwise noted below.
- Gregory Brown, aka Lil’ G, aka Knowledge, 33, is charged with RICO Conspiracy and Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances.
- Marques Walker, aka Q, aka Quez, 41, is charged with RICO Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances, Distribution of a Controlled Substance, and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
- Deandre Poe, aka Squizzy, aka Fat Squad, 34, is charged with RICO Conspiracy and Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances.
- Clinton Brown, aka CJ, 29, is charged with RICO Conspiracy and Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances.
- Amarjah Lester, aka M-Thang, 21, is charged with RICO Conspiracy and Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances, and Possession of a Firearm During and In Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime.
- Christopher Lee Washington, aka Flock, aka David Hendricks, 29, is charged with RICO Conspiracy and Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances.
- Ernest Ketter, aka Shakedown, 27, is charged with RICO conspiracy and Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances.
- Robert Lesure, aka Bibby Folks, 21, is charged with RICO Conspiracy and Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances.
- Avante Nix, aka Fat Folks, 21, is charged with RICO Conspiracy and Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances.
- Arron Davis, aka A-Boogie, 31, is charged with RICO Conspiracy and Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances.
- Dashawn Jackson, aka D-Nice, 31, is charged with RICO Conspiracy and Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances.
- Jadarius Wright, 29, of Phoenix, Arizona, is charged with is charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances, Distribution of a Controlled Substance, and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
- Carlos Serrano, 31, of Phoenix, Arizona, is charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances.
- Leneal Frazier, aka Baby Chop, aka Lil’ Chop, 22, who was previously indicted on September 6, 2023, is charged with Kidnapping in Aid of Racketeering, Assault in Aid of Racketeering, Carjacking, and Brandishing a Firearm During and In Relation to a Crime of Violence.
If convicted on the RICO conspiracy charges, defendants could face up to life in prison.
Several law enforcement agencies have been involved in the ongoing investigations including the ATF, FBI, Minneapolis Police Department, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and Minnesota Department of Corrections along with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, Dakota County Sheriff’s Office, St. Paul Police Department, and numerous other law enforcement agencies contributed to this investigation, the U.S. attorney’s press release said.
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Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
Crime Watch MN
Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
