Nine members of a violent Minneapolis drug dealing organization have been federally indicted in connection to years of havoc at a north Minneapolis intersection, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson on Thursday.
The nine defendants face drug and weapons charges for their involvement in the “Big Sip Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO),” which was operating out of at least five apartment buildings near the problem intersection of 36th and Penn Avenue North in Minneapolis.
The site of this morning's shooting at 3534 Penn Ave N in Vetaw's @MplsWard4 where ZERO violence interrupters have been deployed despite multiple shootings, homicides, shots fired, drug activity and more.
A block conveniently ignored by @AGEllison.Pics from Phillip Murphy. pic.twitter.com/utVETcFG6G
— CrimeWatchMpls (@CrimeWatchMpls) June 24, 2024
Named by the U.S. attorney were Larry McGee, 42, Danielle Robberstad, 35, Maurice Montgomery, 31, Dameon Collins, 24, Marcus Lucious, 53, Romell Vann, 22, Bobby Nolan, 43, and Jeremy Lucious, 35. The name of the ninth defendant remains under seal, and booking photos were not available at the time of this report.
“Today marks the federal takedown of yet another dangerous criminal organization. And we will not stop,” said Thompson. “The Big Sip drug trafficking organization wreaked havoc at 36th and Penn, bringing guns, violence, and deadly fentanyl to neighborhood apartment buildings. The law-abiding people of Minneapolis deserve better. I am proud of the federal, state, and local team that came together to protect the neighborhood from this fentanyl trafficking organization.”
The U.S. Attorney’s press release explained:
All are members of a drug trafficking organization (‘DTO’) known as the ‘Big Sip DTO,’ a high-volume fentanyl sales operation that sold out of at least five apartment buildings near the intersection of 36th Avenue North and North Penn Avenue in Minneapolis. The Big Sip DTO’s operation contributed to crime in the area, including shootings, homicides, and drug use, from August 2023 through June 2025. The defendants were indicted for a Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl in violation of Title 21 United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 846. Three defendants, Montgomery, Collins, and Vann, were also indicted for Possessing Firearms in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c). Seven defendants made their initial appearances today and are all detained pending further proceedings. An eighth defendant will make his initial appearance tomorrow. A ninth defendant remains under seal. The defendants all face up to life in prison.
According to court documents, the Big Sip DTO originated in the summer of 2023, led and operated by defendants McGee and Robberstad, who are husband and wife. The Big Sip DTO was an efficient sales operation with defined roles. At the top, McGee led the organization. He obtained and stored the fentanyl product, collected proceeds, and managed other members of the organization. Robberstad was a co-leader of the organization. Robberstad maintained the apartments used for fentanyl storage and sales, interacted with customers, provided vehicles for use by the organization members, and managed other members’ sales.
Defendants Montgomery, Collins, M. Lucious, Vann, Nolan, and J. Lucious were also members of the Big Sip DTO. These defendants all sold fentanyl on behalf of the organization to users at the apartments controlled by the Big Sip DTO. Montgomery was responsible for collecting and transporting the profits of the fentanyl sales to McGee. Montgomery, as well as Collins and Vann, all possessed firearms to protect their product and sale activities.
“For too long, 36th and Penn has been a hotspot for violent crime,” said Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara. “In 2024, there were four times as many shooting victims within a one block radius of 36th and Penn than the previous three-year average. Overall violent crime more than doubled within a one-block radius of 36th and Penn. We’ve seen the spike in violent crime and heard the concerns loud and clear from the community. Inspector Charlie Adams and the officers of the Fourth Precinct have been working closely with residents to address those concerns, while our investigators have pursued long-term strategies to bring relief. I’m incredibly grateful to the dedicated MPD personnel and to our local and federal partners who supported this investigation. I’m hopeful these arrests and charges will deliver an immediate impact and help restore a sense of safety for everyone who lives and works near 36th and Penn.”
In addition to the drug activity at the intersection, in March of this year, two of Rev. Jerry McAfee’s so-called “violence interrupters” were arrested and charged after shooting multiple rounds into the neighborhood following a barbecue. Earlier this month, the pair were federally indicted on weapons charges in what Acting U.S. Attorney Thompson called an “outrageous” act of violence they were being paid tax dollars to prevent.
The location of 36th and Penn is also the site of the murder of 6-year-old Aniya Allen in 2021, who was the unintended target in a drive-by shooting. No one has been prosecuted in connection to Allen’s murder.
The new DTO case is the result of an investigation conducted by the ATF, FBI, Minneapolis Police Department, and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office.
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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.
