A member of the Minneapolis “Highs” gang was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison followed by four years of supervised release for his role in a racketeering (RICO) conspiracy, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa Kirkpatrick.
Deandre Poe, a.k.a. “Squizzy” or “Fat Squad,” 35, was a member of the Highs, a clique of street gangs operating on the north side of Minneapolis since approximately 2004.
Poe was among one of several groups indicted in the last two years by the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Minnesota in an effort to crack down on spiraling gang crime, which surged starting in 2020 following Gov. Tim Walz’s pandemic lockdowns and the George Floyd riots.
According to court documents, the Highs congregated at specific businesses and residences located at or near the West Broadway Avenue and Lyndale Avenue North intersection. Highs members proved their loyalty to the gang by “putting in work,” i.e., committing acts of violence for the benefit of the gang or offering other benefits such as introducing a source for drugs or firearms. Highs members were expected to “hunt” rival gang members: an express directive to locate and kill rivals. If they did not, Highs members were expelled from the gang and physically assaulted for failing to “put in work.”
Court documents further detail that Poe was part of the Highs’ extensive fentanyl trafficking operation involving Arizona-based suppliers. Between November 2022 and March 2023, Poe made several round-trip flights from Minneapolis to Phoenix, where he mailed at least four bulk parcels of fentanyl back to Minnesota using the U.S. Postal Service.
On Oct. 3, 2024, Poe pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in a RICO conspiracy with the Highs criminal enterprise. He was sentenced in U.S. District Court by Judge Nancy E. Brasel on March 4, 2025.
Federal inmates must serve a minimum of 85% of their sentence incarcerated prior to becoming eligible for release.
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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.
