Category: Illinois

CHICAGO– On June 4, at Chicago O’Hare’s International Mail Facility, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers inspected a shipment manifested as ‘Fashion Sunglasses’ and found a lot more than pairs of glasses. The shipment instead contained sunglasses as well as designer socks and luxury brand watches, all deemed to be inauthentic and bearing counterfeit marks, by CBP’s Centers of Excellence and Expertise, the agency’s trade experts.

CBP officers examined the shipment to determine the admissibility of the goods and found 36 pairs of designer sunglasses bearing counterfeit trademarks of designers like Louis Vuitton, Versace, Chanel, and others. Officers also found 25 pairs of socks bearing counterfeit Gucci, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, and Dior trademarks.

Sunglasses and socks were not the only thing officers seized. Officers intercepted 22 watches bearing the counterfeit trademarks of Franck Muller, Patek Phillipe, Adidas, and Rolex. The shipment was arriving from Thailand and was heading to a residence in Bedford, Indiana. The merchandise would have been worth a total of almost $638,000, Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price, had the goods been genuine.

“CBP protects honest trade and hardworking businesses,” said LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, Director, Field Operations, Chicago Field Office. “Counterfeit goods defraud consumers and businesses. Our officers are dedicated to the CBP mission and work diligently for American consumers by stopping the flow of illegitimate and pirated merchandise.”

The rapid growth of e-commerce enables consumers to search for and easily purchase millions of products through online vendors, but this easy access gives counterfeit and pirated goods more ways to enter the U.S. economy. U.S. consumers spend more than $100 billion every year on intellectual property rights infringing goods, falling victim to approximately 20% of the counterfeits illegally sold worldwide. Counterfeit costume jewelry bearing famous brands such as Chanel, have been found to contain lead and other toxic materials which are dangerous to human health.

“Counterfeiters easily hide in plain sight on online marketplaces. They dupe shoppers into buying low quality and dangerous counterfeits online,” said Michael Pfeiffer, Chicago’s Acting Area Port Director. “CBP employees work tirelessly to protect our economy and consumers every day.”

CBP has established an educational initiative to raise consumer awareness about the consequences and dangers associated with purchasing counterfeit and pirated goods online or in stores. More information about this initiative is available at www.cbp.gov/fakegoodsrealdangers. To report suspected counterfeits, visit CBP’s online e-Allegations portal or call 1-800-BE-ALERT.

Brand owners wishing to partner with CBP to prevent the importation of counterfeit and substandard goods should visit https://iprr.cbp.gov/s/ for information about the e-Recordation program.

For more ways to protect yourself from counterfeit and pirated goods, visit https://www.stopfakes.gov/.

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed a pervasive issue here in Michigan that operates in the shadows at great cost to residents illegal trade. Whether it involves drugs, people, weapons, cigarettes or a knock-off pair of Adidas shoes, illegal trade is a growing problem exacerbated by COVID-19.

When the pandemic hit, criminals quickly maneuvered to flood the market with fake and inferior personal protective equipment and other COVID-related products. Since the beginning of the pandemic, online counterfeited goods have jumped nearly 40%. The roughly $1 trillion industry of transnational crime facilitated by illegal trade harms everyone and requires a united and collaborative effort to reduce the damage it inflicts on our society.

Here in Michigan, we know that our common border with Canada offers traffickers numerous opportunities. Border access points are frequently misused by drug smugglers. Prime locations like this become major conduits for illegal trade, and more hands need to be working toward stopping the influx of contraband.

Illegal trade and black market goods cause a lot of harm to our state, stealing millions of dollars from tax revenues that could be spent on improving Michigan services like infrastructure and education. For example, data from the Mackinac Center for Public Policy last year showed that Michigan loses more than $207 million in tax revenues each year due to illegal smuggling of tobacco products alone.

This is why we joined United to Safeguard America from Illegal Trade (USA-IT), a partnership of national and state brand enforcement experts, law enforcement agencies and leading business organizations dedicated to educating the public about the dangers of illegal trade.

The coalition is raising awareness in Michigan and other states across the country while leveraging our collective, vast expertise to share resources and provide training programs with local officials, law enforcement and other thought leaders to help combat these insidious acts and the criminals who commit them.

To many, buying smuggled cigarettes or knock-off sneakers may seem like victimless crimes, but they are far from it. The funds these organizations earn by selling black market goods are used to bolster their other nefarious activities. These criminals are the same criminals who traffic in weapons, drugs and even people. We cannot let this criminal activity continue to harm our communities.

As criminal enterprises continue to devise new strategies and practices to evade law enforcement, we must bring more tools to the table to keep pace with black market ingenuity.

This involves sharing knowledge of illegal trade with the public so they are aware of what happens in the shadows, while also working with law enforcement and local governments to target these operations, and empowering lawmakers, organizations and our communities with the tools needed to act.

It is clear there will not be an immediate or easy fix, and no one government or single industry can address this complex problem on its own. When facing such dynamic adversaries, it is important that we always stay prepared for the next challenge.

Through the work of partnerships like USA-IT, we can work toward holding the perpetrators of illegal trade accountable and ensure a more secure and prosperous Michigan.

Dan Papineau is the director of tax policy and regulatory affairs for the Michigan Chamber Of Commerce.

A federal grand jury in the Central District of Illinois returned a nine-count indictment charging Domingo Francisco-Juan, Lorenza Domingo-Castaneda, and Catarina Domingo-Juan, siblings and Guatemalan nationals, with conspiracy to commit forced labor, forced labor, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, and kidnapping.

According to the allegations set forth in the indictment, between December 2015 and March 2021 the defendants conspired to bring two minor victims from Guatemala to the United States to work in Domingo-Castaneda’s and Domingo-Juan’s homes. The defendants compelled the victims to provide childcare, cooking, and cleaning within the homes and to work outside the homes in local hotels, factories, and a restaurant. As alleged, the defendants used false promises of a better life and an education to gain the permission of the victims’ mothers for their minor daughters to be brought to the United States to live with the defendants. Defendants Domingo-Castaneda and Domingo-Juan also allegedly forced a third victim to work in their homes and outside their homes at local businesses. The indictment further alleges that the defendants isolated the victims in their homes, restricted their communications with their family in Guatemala, and subjected them to physical, verbal and psychological abuse, among other coercive means.

If convicted on all charges, the defendants face sentences of up to life in prison as well as mandatory restitution. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris of the Central District of Illinois and Acting Special Agent in Charge R. Sean Fitzgerald of Homeland Security Investigations made the announcement.

Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case with the assistance of the Champaign Police Department, the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Champaign County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Freres for the Central District of Illinois and Trial Attorney Kate Alexander for the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case.

Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Former acting Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Matt Albence, and Director of Illicit Trade Prevention for Philip Morris International, Kristin Reif, join USA-IT partner Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police Policy Patrol podcast.

Listen here.

CHICAGO – As U.S. overdose deaths reach a devastating new height, claiming a new victim every five minutes, the Drug Enforcement Administration has revealed a direct link between fentanyl-related overdose deaths and criminal drug networks in Mexico. These groups are harnessing social media platforms to bring drugs laced with fentanyl and fake prescription pills into American homes with one click on a smartphone. In a Washington, D.C. press conference, DEA Administrator Anne Milgram announced the results of a public safety surge that lasted from September 29, 2021 through December 14, 2021. The surge targeted criminal drug networks that are harnessing the anonymity and accessibility of social media apps to push deadly drugs into American communities.

DEA officials warn that criminal drug networks in Mexico are mass-producing deadly fentanyl and fentanyl-laced, fake prescription pills, using chemicals sourced largely from China. These fake prescription pills are designed to appear nearly identical to legitimate prescriptions—such as Oxycontin®, Percocet®, Vicodin®, Adderall®, Xanax® and other medicines—and have been found in every state in the country.

In September, the DEA issued its first Public Safety Alert in six years to warn the public about the alarming increase in the availability and lethality of fake prescription pills in the United States. These fake prescription pills often contain deadly doses of fentanyl. DEA has determined that four out of ten DEA-tested fentanyl-laced, fake prescription pills contain at least two milligrams of fentanyl—an amount that is considered to be a lethal dose.

Today’s announced public safety surge demonstrates that the United States is facing unprecedented levels of fentanyl in our communities. This year alone, DEA has seized enough fentanyl to provide a lethal dose to every American. Much of this fentanyl is in the form of fake prescription pills. In 2021, DEA has seized a staggering 20.4 million fake prescription pills.

During the recent public safety surge, DEA and law enforcement partners seized more than 1,500 pounds of fentanyl and over eight million fake prescription pills. The seizures were directly linked to at least 46 overdoses and 39 overdose deaths. At least 76 of the cases involved drug traffickers using social media applications, including Snapchat, Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. 32 cases have direct ties to the major Mexican drug networks that are mass-producing and distributing fentanyl.

“Mexican criminal drug networks are harnessing the perfect drug trafficking tool: social media applications that are available on every smartphone,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “They are using these platforms to flood our country with fentanyl. The ease with which drug dealers can operate on social media and other popular smartphone apps is fueling our Nation’s unprecedented overdose epidemic.”

From Sept. 29-Dec. 14, 2021, DEA agents throughout Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin seized 183 pounds of fentanyl and approximately 68,250 fake prescription pills, in addition to 16 guns seized and 40 arrests conducted during the course of their investigations.

Since Aug. 3, 2021, DEA agents throughout Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin have arrested 62 individuals and seized 236 pounds of fentanyl (including 145,000 counterfeit pills), 29 guns, and over $647,000 in U.S. currency as part of the efforts targeting the trafficking of fentanyl and counterfeit prescription pills laced with fentanyl.

“Seizing large amounts of fentanyl throughout the DEA’s Chicago Division reflects our commitment to keeping families safe, and bringing to justice drug traffickers who inflict harm on our communities,” said Robert Bell, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Chicago Division. “The proliferation and trafficking of deadly counterfeit pills, purposely laced with fentanyl, is continuing to threaten the vulnerable throughout Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.  DEA will continue to relentlessly work with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, including federal prosecutors, to save lives.”

DEA launched the One Pill Can Kill campaign to inform the American public of the dangers of fake prescription pills. The only safe prescription medications are ones prescribed by a trusted medical professional that you get from a licensed pharmacist. All other pills are unsafe and potentially deadly. For more information, visit dea.gov/onepill.

“This holiday season,” Milgram said, “every parent, family member and friend should take a few minutes to share a simple message: One Pill Can Kill. Know that DEA remains relentless in our commitment to take down the criminal drug networks that threaten the safety and health of American communities.”

Rob Karr, president and CEO of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association and USA-IT partner, speaks to Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force’s first bust:

“This seizure is about more than recovering lost goods, it’s about protecting our communities and sending a strong message that these crimes will not be tolerated. By working together, we can better understand how these perpetrators operate and work to dismantle these criminal rings that steal tens of billions of dollars a year, using profits from thefts to fund other illicit activities such as illegal firearms purchases, while also depriving local governments of sales taxes needed to fund important services we all rely upon.”

Read more here.

CHICAGO— Sports memorabilia is a lucrative business. Fans and collectors pay top dollar for memorabilia to add to their collection or pass down to future fans. However, this business does have its phony dealers that peddle their counterfeit merchandise cashing in at the expense of collectors and fans.

On September 13, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Chicago port of entry seized a shipment from China that contained 86 championship rings. Chicago’s Trade Enforcement Team and CBP’s trade experts at the Centers of Excellence and Expertise determined the rings were counterfeit due to the fact that all of the goods were constructed of poor quality and lacked security features. The shipment was destined for a residence in Florissant, Missouri.

“Shipments like these prey on the many sports fans across the nation who may be scammed into paying high prices for fake memorabilia,” said LaFonda Sutton-Burke, Director, Field Operations, Chicago. “I’m extremely proud of these officers’ determination in stopping illicit shipments, and our commitment to protecting the American economy.”

The parcel contained fake championship rings from the Chicago Bulls (24), New York Yankees (34), St. Louis Cardinals (22), and the Philadelphia Eagles (6). Had the rings been authentic, the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price would have been $2.38 million.

Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) enforcement is a Priority Trade Issue. Importation of counterfeit merchandise can cause significant revenue loss, damage the U.S. economy, and threaten the health and safety of the American people. In partnership with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, CBP seized 27,599 shipments with IPR violations in fiscal year 2019. If the seized products were genuine, the total manufacturer’s suggested retail price of the items would have been valued at over $1.5 billion.

Over the past five years, e-commerce has grown exponentially as consumers are increasingly completing purchases online. These purchases are typically shipped through international mail and express courier services.

Sold in underground outlets and on third party e-commerce websites, counterfeit commodities fund smugglers and members of organized crime. Consumers often believe they are buying a genuine product but soon realize the item is substandard and potentially dangerous.

“Counterfeiters easily hide in plain sight on online marketplaces. They dupe shoppers into buying low quality and dangerous counterfeits online,” said Shane Campbell, Area Port Director – Chicago. “CBP employees work tirelessly to protect our economy and consumers every day.”

CBP Trade protects the intellectual property rights of American businesses through an aggressive Intellectual Property Rights enforcement program, safeguarding them from unfair competition and use for malicious intent while upholding American innovation and ingenuity. Suspected violations can be reported to CBP here.

If you are aware of, or suspect, a company or individual of infringing upon a trademark or copyright, please report the suspected violation to e-Allegations Online Trade Violation Reporting System or by calling 1-800-BE-ALERT.

PEORIA, Ill. –John M. Henigan, 36, of Peoria, Illinois, was sentenced on August 26, 2021, to just over thirteen years (158 months) in federal prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for distribution of heroin.

Henigan, who pleaded guilty to three counts of distribution of heroin last year, sold the drugs to a police informant in the fall of 2017. According to testimony at sentencing, investigators had learned Henigan was a significant heroin dealer in the Peoria area earlier that year. Through testimony and other evidence provided at sentencing, the district court also determined that Henigan caused the overdose death of a Washington, Illinois, man in April 2016.

According to court documents, after Henigan’s arrest in 2019, he admitted he was a heroin dealer and provided a list of various crack cocaine and heroin customers he sold drugs to throughout the years, some of whom have since overdosed and died.  Evidence collected from Henigan’s phone showed that he also brokered sales of stolen firearms, in addition to his drug trafficking.  Numerous images of guns and drugs were found on his phone.  Evidence established that Henigan was not a drug user and earned hundreds of dollars a day dealing.

Henigan’s heroin trafficking dated back to 2015 and involved over 880 grams of heroin, as well as crack cocaine. During sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Joe Billy McDade emphasized Henigan’s “conscious and deliberate” decision to traffic drugs “that kill people.” Judge McDade also described Henigan’s involvement with trafficking stolen firearms as unjustifiable.

“This case starkly demonstrates what drug dealers can expect when they choose to sell poisonous drugs into our communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Douglas J. Quivey.  “Our office commends the Pekin Police Department’s dedication and perseverance in working up the chain to target high-level drug dealers in our community.  Their collaboration with DEA is a successful example of leveraging the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against drug dealers who profit off other people’s serious and tragic additions.”

“The Pekin Police Department appreciates the working relationship that we have with the DOJ,” said Pekin Police Chief John Dossey. “This case is a clear example of ‘team work’ between local and federal agencies in an effort to make a difference not only in our community, but in society as a whole.  I would like to recognize the Pekin detectives who worked tirelessly on this matter solely to better our community.  I would also like to thank the DOJ prosecution team who worked with our detectives to successfully prosecute this case to remove a dangerous individual from our streets.”

Henigan has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals since his arrest.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and Pekin Police Department investigated the case with the assistance of the Tazewell County Sheriff’s Office and Morton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Legge represented the government in the prosecution.

CINCINNATI–-On Sunday, Cincinnati U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized five shipments of counterfeit Apple AirPods, which, had they been real, would have had a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of over $1.3 million.

On July 7, officers inspected five shipments of headsets from China and found what appeared to be 5,000 fake Apple AirPods and 1,372 fake Apple AirPods Pro. Officers referred all shipment information, including photographs, to CBP import specialists at the Centers of Excellence and Expertise (CEE) to verify authenticity of the merchandise and to confirm possible trademark violations. The CEE determined all the AirPods were in violation of CBP trademark and copyright codes, and the shipment was declared seized on July 11.

“Our CBP officers continue to work at a high level and identifying counterfeit items like these helps prevent transnational criminal organizations from making a profit off unknowing consumers,” said LaFonda Sutton-Burke, Director Field Operations-Chicago “These seizures illustrate our commitment to stopping counterfeit products and protecting our nation’s economy and consumers from those intent on defrauding businesses and consumers alike.”

Although each shipment had been manifested as being worth only $312—totaling $1,872 for all five packages—the real product would have had a cumulative MSRP of $1,336,628.

All five shipments were headed to one address in Brownsville, Texas.

“Counterfeiters are only concerned about padding their bank accounts,” said Cincinnati Port Director Richard Gillespie, “and do not consider the impact their fake goods have on the economy or the people who buy their inferior products. Our officers understand how important intellectual property rights enforcement is to our country’s economic integrity, and they work hard to remove fake merchandise from the supply chain so legitimate trade can flourish.”

Consumers can take simple steps to protect themselves and their families from counterfeit goods:

• Purchase goods directly froXHinam the trademark holder or from authorized retailers.
• When shopping online, read seller reviews and check for a working U.S. phone number and an address that can be used to contact the seller.
• Review CBP’s E-Commerce Counterfeit Awareness Guide for Consumers.
• Remember that if the price of a product seems too good to be true, it probably is.

To report suspected counterfeits, visit CBP’s online e-Allegations portal or call 1-800-BE-ALERT. More information about counterfeit goods is available on CBP’s Fake Goods, Real Dangers website and StopFakes.gov.

In Fiscal Year 2020, CBP and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations seized 26,503 shipments containing goods that violated intellectual property rights. Had the seized goods been genuine, their total estimated MSRP would have been over $1.3 billion. The People’s Republic of China remained the primary source for counterfeit and pirated goods.

Follow Cincinnati CBP on Twitter @CBPChicago and @DFOChicago.

USA-IT partner Philip Morris International’s Kristin Reif discusses how illegal trade is fueling drug cartels and other organized crime syndicates operating in America.

Rob Karr, president and CEO of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association and USA-IT partner, writes on why Illinois can’t turn a blind eye on illegal trade:

“But with crime on the rise, attention must be given to ensure the safety of our residents and visitors, and this includes addressing an age-old problem that has gained new prominence: illegal trade.”

“It’s especially a challenge here in Chicago, where illegal sales of products like tobacco continue to rise as criminal organizations take advantage of the high taxes and regulations that have been levied against these products. Furthermore, criminal organizations know that crimes like cigarette smuggling better their chances to fly below the radar. This only gives rise to additional nefarious activity, in which smugglers use the profits from low-risk and seemingly ‘victimless crimes’ to fund more vile activities such as drug smuggling and human trafficking.”

“This may contradict the visual one usually has when imagining illegal trade. The truth is it is much more than the sale of knockoff designer purses. These criminals will smuggle anything that will earn them a profit—like counterfeit apparel, prescription medication, and even service parts for household appliances. But they do not stop there.”

“As the third largest city in the nation, Chicago serves as a hub for traffickers looking to reach the rest of the Midwest, from which the profits support crimes like human trafficking, smuggled currency and controlled substances. Given these criminals’ immense reach, especially in the last several years, more attention and training must be implemented across the state to help find new, creative ways to stop illegal trade. Only then will we have taken real steps to protect Illinoisans.”

Read more here.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Quincy, Ill., man made his initial appearance in federal court today after he was charged by criminal complaint for alleged possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Robert L. Tallent, 39, of the 500 block of S. 19^th St., Quincy, Ill., was arrested shortly after midnight on Saturday, April 10, 2021, in Quincy.

During today’s audio/videoconference hearing, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tom Schanzle-Haskins, Tallent waived a detention hearing and was ordered to remain detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled on April 15.

The complaint and supporting affidavit allege that on March 13, 2021, Tallent possessed approximately 19 grams of a crystal substance in six baggies, when Quincy police conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Tallent. At the time, Tallent had an outstanding Adams County warrant for a charge of possession of methamphetamine. According to the affidavit, the substance tested positive for methamphetamine in a field test.

If convicted, the statutory penalty for the offense is five to 40 years in prison.

The charge is the result of an investigation by the Illinois State Police West Central Illinois Task Force; the FBI – Springfield Division; the Quincy Police Department; and the Adams County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Seberger represents the government in the federal case prosecution with the cooperation of the Adams County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Members of the public are reminded that a complaint is merely an accusation; each defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Seven alleged members of the violent Gangster Disciples gang, including top national and state leaders, are in custody after multiple arrests this morning for their alleged participation in a years-long interstate racketeering conspiracy involving multiple murders, drug trafficking, and other crimes.

The case was unsealed today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois.

“The long list of violent crimes alleged in this indictment – including two murders and multiple violent assaults – make plain the threat to our communities posed by criminal organizations like the Gangster Disciples,” said Nicholas L. McQuaid, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This prosecution underscores that coordinated criminal activity will be met with a coordinated and focused law enforcement response by the Criminal Division and our law enforcement partners at the federal, state, and local level. We are committed to dismantling violent gangs like the Gangster Disciples and holding their members accountable for criminal conduct.”

“These charges target national and state leaders of one of the most notorious street gangs in America,” said Steven D. Weinhoeft, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. “The lawlessness these gangs bring to our cities is terribly destructive and oftentimes difficult to prosecute. The violence perpetrated by the Gangster Disciples in this district and nationwide has long been a particular focus of our top law enforcement agencies. With the charges unsealed today, we are taking an important, powerful step in the fight to disrupt and dismantle gangs operating in this region. I am especially grateful for the support of the ATF and the many dedicated law enforcement officers at all levels of government who contributed to this investigation.”

“ATF has no higher priority than investigating violent crime and ensuring that those who use firearms in furtherance of their criminal activities are held accountable,” said Fred Winston, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Kansas City Field Division. “This investigation demonstrates ATF’s commitment and the commitment of our law enforcement partners to ensure that Missouri and Illinois communities remain a safe place to live, work and raise families. Utilizing firearms to injure or intimidate others cannot be tolerated and there is no question that the public is safer today because of the hard work, dedication, and collaboration of all of the agencies that played a part in this investigation.”

“Today’s indictment is a result of investigative efforts in our Fairview Heights Resident Agency and strong partnerships with federal, state and local law enforcement partners,” said Sean Cox, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Springfield Field Office. “This illustrates, when we work together, how effective our law enforcement alliances are in pursuing and eradicating violent street gangs to make our communities safer.”

“The BOP takes seriously our mission to protect the safety and security of our correctional institutions and the public,” said Miranda Faust, Administrator of the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ (BOP) Intelligence and Counter Terrorism Branch.  “The BOP’s intelligence component appreciates the opportunity to assist our federal partners in detecting and disrupting criminal activity related to inmates in the BOP’s custody.”

“Investigating organized crime and related financial schemes are a top priority for CI,” said Tamera Cantu, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation (CI), Chicago Field Office. “Racketeering, such as the alleged charges today, brazenly facilitates all kinds of illegal dealings that negatively affect the community. Criminal Investigation is proud to work alongside our law enforcement partners in this case to bring these criminals to justice.”

According to court documents, the Gangster Disciples are a violent gang with a decades-long history of lawlessness and a presence throughout the United States, including in state and federal prisons.  The gang employs a structured hierarchy, with leadership positions such as national “Board Members” and state “Governors.” Each of the defendants is alleged to be a member or leader of the Gangster Disciples and to have conspired to conduct the gang’s affairs through a pattern of racketeering.

• Frank Smith, 47, of Naperville, Illinois, an alleged “Board Member,” is charged with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms crimes;
• Warren Griffin, 51, of Lancaster, Kentucky, an alleged “Board Member,” is charged with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms crimes;
• Anthony Dobbins, 53, of Troy, Illinois, an alleged “Board Member,” is charged with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms crimes;
• Sean Clemon, 50, of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, an alleged “Governor,” is charged with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms crimes;
• Dominque Maxwell, 28, of Cape Girardeau, an alleged “Assistant Governor,” is charged with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms crimes;
• Perry Harris, 29, of Cape Girardeau, an alleged “Treasurer” and “Chief of Security,” is charged with RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms crimes; and
• Barry Boyce, 44, of Charleston, Missouri, an alleged member of the gang, is charged with RICO conspiracy.

Among the crimes alleged in the indictment are two gang-related murders. On April 28, 2018, Clemon, Maxwell, and Harris, on orders from Smith, allegedly killed Leroy Allen as part of a leadership dispute at a Gangster Disciples meeting in Bridgeton, Missouri. On May 18, 2018, Griffin and Dobbins allegedly killed Ernest Wilson, a rival Board Member, in Chicago, Illinois. Other acts of violence alleged as part of the conspiracy include a nightclub stabbing in East St. Louis, Illinois; a nonfatal shooting in Cape Girardeau, Missouri; and multiple unsuccessful murder plots.

The indictment also alleges various acts of drug trafficking by Gangster Disciples members, including an ongoing scheme to smuggle the synthetic drug “K2” into Missouri state prisons.

The charges and allegations in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

This case results from investigations by ATF, FBI, BOP, IRS CI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Missouri Department of Corrections, Illinois State Police, the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis, Bridgeton Police Department, Cape Girardeau Police Department, Mississippi County Sheriff’s Office, and Chicago Police Department.

The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Conor Mulroe and Jeremy Franker of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ali M. Summers of the Southern District of Illinois, with substantial investigative support from the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern District of Missouri and the Northern District of Illinois.