Detroit One Collaboration Leads to Indictment of Nine Additional Gang Members on Racketeering and Murder Charges

The collaboration of local, state and federal law enforcement under the Detroit One initiative has resulted in the indictment of nine more members of the 6 Mile Chedda Grove street gang from Detroit’s east side, U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade announced today.

Joining McQuade in the announcement was Special Agent in Charge David P. Gelios, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division, and Chief James Craig, Detroit Police Department.

The initial indictment in June charged Edwin Mills and Carlo Wilson with murder in aid of racketeering for the mid-afternoon shootings that occurred at the Troester Market on December 1, 2015, that resulted in two deaths and serious injuries to children.  The superseding indictment unsealed today adds nine more defendants and charges racketeering conspiracy, additional murders in aid of racketeering and related offenses.  Two additional murders charged in the superseding indictment also occurred in broad daylight on February 7, 2015, and August 20, 2015.

According to the superseding indictment, “6 Mile Chedda Grove” is a street gang that operates primarily within an area bordered roughly by East McNichols Road to the north, Kelly Road to the east, Houston-Whittier Street to the south, and Chalmers Street to the west.  The superseding indictment alleges that 6 Mile Chedda Grove is a violent organization responsible for murders, assaults, robberies, and firearms and narcotics trafficking in the Detroit metropolitan area and in other states.  The gang allegedly uses violence to retaliate against rivals, to intimidate witnesses and to advance members’ positions within the gang. 

Under the Detroit One initiative, and through the lead efforts of the FBI’s Violent Gang Task Force and the Detroit Police Gang Intelligence Unit, law enforcement identified several members of this gang who have been charged in the superseding indictment in federal court.  The Task Force includes representatives of the Detroit Police Department, Michigan Department of Corrections and the U.S. Border Patrol. 

Four defendants were taken into custody over the last two days on this indictment:

• Mario Leico Jackson, a/k/a “Ugg,” 23, of Detroit, charged with racketeering conspiracy;

• Phillip Glen-Earl Peaks, a/k/a “Peezy,” 28, of Detroit, charged with racketeering conspiracy;

• Michael Richardson, a/k/a “Mikey Made,” 28, of Detroit, charged with racketeering conspiracy, felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute heroin and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime;

• Devontae Aaron Russell, a/k/a “Tae,” 23, of Knoxville, Tennessee, charged with racketeering conspiracy.

Seven other defendants are already in federal or state custody based upon other charges, including:

• Edwin Lamont Mills, a/k/a “Ed Boy,” 26, of Detroit, charged with racketeering conspiracy, and two counts each of murder in aid of racketeering, assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, and using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence causing death;

• Carlo Dajuan Wilson, a/k/a “Los,” 23, of Warren, charged with racketeering conspiracy, and two counts each of murder in aid of racketeering, assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering and using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence causing death;

• Donell Christopher Thompson, a/k/a “Dnell,” 26, of Detroit, charged with racketeering conspiracy, and one count each of murder in aid of racketeering and using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence causing death;

• Lomnil Bookies Jackson, a/k/a “Lomo,” 23, of Detroit, charged with racketeering conspiracy, and one count each of murder in aid of racketeering, assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering and using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence causing death;

• Patrick Jeffrey Johnson, a/k/a “Cane,” 22, of Detroit, charged with racketeering conspiracy;

• Corey Alexander Mills, 22, of Detroit, charged with racketeering conspiracy;

• Robert Wayne Baytops, a/k/a “R.B.,” 41, of Detroit, charged with racketeering conspiracy and felon in possession of firearms.

"The Detroit One strategy to dismantle violent gangs has two key components -- enforcement operations like this one and intervention through the Ceasefire call-in program, stated U.S. Attorney McQuade.  “The Detroit One enforcement efforts target street gangs that are responsible for violence in our neighborhoods.  We have seen encouraging results, including a 35 percent reduction in shootings in Detroit’s 9^th Precinct, where this gang operates."

“We are extremely proud of the outstanding work done today by our agents and law enforcement partners, which is the result of long-term efforts to counter violent crime, illegal drugs, and organized criminal activity,” said David P. Gelios, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office.  "The continued success and impact of the Detroit One Initiative is persuasive evidence of how interagency collaboration results in tangible public safety benefits to the citizens we serve in the Detroit metropolitan area."

"The people of Detroit deserve a safe city in which they may thrive," said Chief James E. Craig. "The Detroit One partnership is rooted in the belief that all citizens and neighborhoods deserve to be free of crime and our joint efforts to make that a reality will continue."

Detroit One is a collaborative effort between law enforcement and the community to reduce homicide and other violent crime in Detroit.  By working collaboratively, local, state, and federal law enforcement is striving to maximize its ability to identify and arrest the individuals and groups initiating the violence in Detroit.  This indictment is the latest in a string of charges from the U.S.  Attorney’s Office and Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office during the last four years involving violent street gangs in the city of Detroit, including:

• 17 members of the Seven Mile Blood street gang for federal racketeering conspiracy and other violent acts in furtherance of racketeering;

• Nine members of the Bounty Hunter Bloods street gang for federal racketeering conspiracy and other violent acts in furtherance of racketeering;

• 13 members of the Latin Counts street gang for federal racketeering conspiracy and other violent acts in furtherance of racketeering;

• 14 members of the Phantom Outlaw Motorcycle Club / Vice Lords street gang for federal racketeering conspiracy and other violent acts in furtherance of racketeering;

• Four Vice Lord members in state court for armed robbery and a Vice Lord leader charged under the federal street gang statute for his role in that armed robbery;

• Nine Vice Lords members for racketeering charges stemming from the shooting of four individuals at their family residence on Detroit’s northwest side;

• Three members of the Band Crew street gang charged under the state of Michigan gang felony statute for violent acts in furtherance of their gang activities and eight members of the Band crew for federal racketeering conspiracy and other violent acts in furtherance of racketeering; and
• 10 members of the RTM street gang for federal racketeering conspiracy and other violent acts in furtherance of racketeering;
• 24 individuals on drug conspiracy charges for their use of sixteen different houses in the east side Ravendale neighborhood of Detroit, many of them abandoned homes, for distributing heroin, cocaine, and crack cocaine between 2013 – 2015
• 14 individuals on criminal enterprise, drug distribution or weapons offense for drug distribution in the west side Warrendale neighborhood of Detroit

Most significantly, Detroit has seen a reduction in the overall violent crime rate every year since the Detroit One collaboration began in 2013. 

Mario Jackson and Michael Richardson will appear in federal court in Detroit this afternoon.  The other defendants will appear in federal court on later dates.

A superseding indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.