Eighteen Charged in Federal RICO Indictments, Charged with Gang-related Murder, Attempted Murder, Drug Distribution, Witness Intimidation

Danville, VIRGINIA –  Federal, state and local authorities announced this afternoon the largest and most significant federal prosecution of organized gang activity in the Western District of Virginia in at least a decade. The indictment charges 18 suspected gang members and associates in Danville, Virginia with crimes ranging from murder to drug distribution to obstruction of justice.  United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen, Adam S. Lee, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division, Danville Police Chief Scott C. Booth, Michael J. Newman, Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Danville and Pittsylvania County Sheriff Michael W. Taylor made the announcement.

 “Today’s indictments are the beginning of a sustained assault on the gang-related violence that has plagued the City of Danville for far too long,” U.S. Attorney Cullen stated.  “We are grateful for the FBI’s leadership in this critical violent-crime initiative, and appreciate the tireless support of the Danville Police Department, the Danville Commonwealth’s Attorney, and the Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s Office.  We are fully committed to identifying the drivers of violent crime in Danville and sending them to federal prison.”

“The Commonwealth of Virginia is hostile territory for gangs and criminal enterprises.  I want to make this clear; we are not going away.  We are not finished.  Agencies across the spectrum of law enforcement - at the federal, state, and local levels - are united to keep our communities from being held hostage by the drugs, the violence, and the destruction of young, promising lives which gangs bring into them,” said Adam S. Lee, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division. “U.S. Attorney Cullen and the great men and women on his team in the Western District won't stand for it, our outstanding enforcement partners won't stand for it, and my team at the FBI won't stand for it.”

On June 11, 2018, a federal grand jury seated in U.S. District Court in Charlottesville returned two separate indictments under seal. Both indictments were unsealed today following the arrests of the 18 defendants.  

The first indictment charges eight members of the MILLAs, a set of the Bloods street gang that has operated in Danville since at least sometime around 2015. The indictment charges MILLA members with federal racketeering conspiracy, violent crimes in aid of racketeering that includes murder and attempted murder and numerous counts of using firearms during the commission of violent crimes.

The second indictment charges seven members of the Rollin 60s, a set of the Crips street gang that has operated in Danville since at least around 2015. The indictment charges Rollin 60s’ members with federal racketeering conspiracy, violent crimes in aid of racketeering that includes murder and attempted murder and numerous counts of using firearms during the commission of violent crimes.

In addition, the second indictment charges three female associates of the Rollins 60s gang with being accessories after the fact, obstruction of justice, and perjury.  

The investigation of the case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Danville Police Department, the Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s Office and the Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Danville. Assistant United States Attorneys Heather L. Carlton and Ronald M. Huber will prosecute the case for the United States.

A Grand Jury Indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt.  The defendants are entitled to a fair trial with the burden on the government to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a federal program designed to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.   Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting each community’s most violent criminals.  Attorney General Sessions directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, and local law enforcement, as well as the local civilian community, to develop effective, targeted strategies to reduce violent crime.  This case is a product of that collaborative effort.