Press Release

Racketeering Indictment Charges 3 More Tied To Unsolved Homicides, Drug Trafficking, Gun Crimes

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

For Immediate Release

U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Ohio

20 Indicted In Total, New Charges Include Unsolved Murder

COLUMBUS – A federal grand jury has indicted three more people in connection with a series of violent crimes including 13 unsolved murders as well as other attempted murders, drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, extortion and robbery. The addition to the indictment includes an additional 23 felonies, including one murder and nine attempted murders.

Seventeen individuals were indicted in the racketeering case in July. All of the defendants are accused of being an organized criminal enterprise known as the Short North Posse. Eleven defendants could face the death penalty if convicted of the crimes in the indictment.

Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Kevin R. Cornelius, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Joseph P. Reagan, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Michael Boxler, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien, and Columbus Police Chief Kim Jacobs announced the superseding indictment, which was unsealed today following early morning efforts to arrest and locate the defendants.

The superseding indictment alleges that beginning in 2005, members of the enterprise originally referred to themselves solely as the Short North Posse. Later some members began subsets of the Short North Posse referring to themselves as the Cut Throat Committee and later the Homicide Squad. Still within the Short North Posse, Cut Throat Committee and Homicide Squad specialized in murders and robberies of rival gang members, other drug dealers, and targets thought to have large sums of cash or firearms. The Short North Posse also identified themselves nationally with the Crips street gang.

Andre M. Brown, aka ‘Paco’, 33, of Columbus; Jonathan Holt, aka ‘Dough Boy’, 22, of Columbus and Christopher V. Wharton, 25, of Columbus were added to the indictment. Previous defendant Lance Reynolds, 31, of Columbus, was also charged with one count of racketeering conspiracy in the superseding indictment.

A complete list of those charged is attached.

The superseding indictment charges one or more of the defendants with 13 unsolved homicides, 33 attempted homicides, 56 violent felonies and 73 weapons offenses. The crimes occurred in Canal Winchester, Chillicothe, Columbus, Pataskala, Pickerington, and Zanesville, between 2005 and 2012.

The superseding indictment is a result of a two-year long investigation by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, DEA, ATF, Columbus Police, Franklin County Sheriff Zach Scott’s Office, and Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien’s Office. Fairfield County Prosecutor Gregg Marx, Licking County Prosecutor Kenneth Oswalt, Muskingum County Prosecutor D. Michael Haddox, Ross County Prosecutor Matthew S. Schmidt, law enforcement leaders from those counties, and officials of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction joined U.S. Attorney Stewart in announcing the original charges.

“Thanks to the dedication of law enforcement officials in this cooperative investigation, we’re announcing charges against individuals who are allegedly responsible for 13 unsolved murders,” U.S. Attorney Stewart said. “Efforts remain ongoing, and we’re committed to solving additional homicides.”

The defendants will appear before a U.S. Magistrate Judge who will determine whether or not to hold them without bond until trial.

Stewart commended Assistant U.S. Attorneys David DeVillers and Kevin Kelley, as well as Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jimmy Lowe with Franklin County Prosecutor O’Brien’s Office, who are prosecuting the case.

Charges contained in an indictment are allegations. All defendants should be presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

SNP
Cut Throat/Homicide Squad

No.	Name	Age	City of Residence	Counts
1	*Robert B. Ledbetter	35	Columbus, Ohio	1, 4, 9, 10, 29, 30, and 31
2	*Lance A. Green	34	Columbus, Ohio	1, 2, and 3
3	*Allen L. Wright	28	Columbus, Ohio	1, 2, and 3
4	Tysin L. Gordon	29	Columbus, Ohio	1
5	*Christopher A. Harris	27	Columbus, Ohio	1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10
6	*Robert L. Wilson III	26	Columbus, Ohio	1, 5, 6, 9, 10, 15, and16
7	*Rashad A. Liston	25	Columbus, Ohio	1, 9, 10, 15, and 16
8	*Deounte Ussury	29	Columbus, Ohio	1, 7, 8, and 11
9	Thomas E. Coates	28	Columbus, Ohio	1
10	Ishmael Bowers	32	Columbus, Ohio	13 and 14
11	*Joseph Hill	30	Columbus, Ohio	1, 12, 13, 14, 34, and 35
12	Freddie K. Johnson	28	Columbus, Ohio	1, 32 and 33
13	*Deshawn Smith	27	Columbus, Ohio	1, 13, 14, 36 and 37
14	Lance Reynolds	31	Columbus, Ohio	1, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, and 38
15	*Rastaman A. Wilson	38	Columbus, Ohio	5 and 6
16	*Clifford L. Robinson	37	Columbus, Ohio	5 and 6
17	Troy A. Patterson	23	Columbus, Ohio	15 and 16
18	Andre M. Brown	33	Columbus, Ohio	1, 17, 18, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26
19	Johnathan Holt	22	Columbus, Ohio	17, 18, 19, and 20
20	Christopher V. Wharton	25	Columbus, Ohio	17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 25, 27, 27, and 28

* indicates that they could face the death penalty

Count 1 Racketeering Conspiracy 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d)	0-life imprisonment $250,000 fine $100 spec assmt 5 yrs supv rel
Counts 2, 3 4,5,7, 9, 11,12, 13, 15, 19, and 29 Murder in aid of racketeering 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(1)	0-life imprisonment/death $250,000 fine $100 spec assmt 5 yrs supv rel
Counts 6,8,10, 14, 16, and 20 Murder through the use of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime 18 U.S.C. § 924(C) and 924(j)	0-life imprisonment/death $250,000 fine $100 spec assmt 5 yrs supv rel
Count 17 Attempted possession with intent to distribute cocaine 21 U.S.C. § 846 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C)		0-20 years $1,000,000 fine $100 spec assmt 3 yrs supv rel
Counts 18, 23, 26, and 31 Use and discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(iii)		10 years - life imprisonment consecutive $250,000 fine $100 spec assmt 5 yrs supv rel
Counts 21, 24, 25, and 27 Possession with intent to distribute a detectable amount of marijuana 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(D)		0-5 yrs $250,000 fine $100 spec assmt 3 yrs supv rel
Count 22 Attempted possession with intent to distribute a detectable amount of marijuana 21 U.S.C. § 846 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(D)		0-5 yrs $250,000 fine $100 spec assmt 3 yrs supv rel
Count 28 Brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)		7 years – life consecutive $250,000 fine $100 spec assmt 5 yrs supv rel
Count 30 Conspiracy to murder a witness 18 U.S.C. § 1512(k)		Life or death $250,000 fine $100 spec assmt 5 yrs supv rel
Counts 32, 33, 34, and 36 Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)		0-10 years $250,000 fine $100 spec assmt 3 yrs supv rel
Count 35 Possession with intent to distribute cocaine 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(C)		0-20 years $1,000,000 fine $100 spec assmt 3 yrs supv rel
Count 37 Possession with intent to distribute heroin 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(C)		0-20 years $1,000,000 fine $100 spec assmt 3 yrs supv rel
Count 38 Witness Tampering 18 U.S.C. § 1512		0-20 yrs $250,000 fine $100 spec assmt 3 yrs supv rel

Updated July 23, 2015

Component

USAO - Ohio, Southern

Racketeering Indictment Charges 3 More Tied To Unsolved Homicides, Drug Trafficking, Gun Crimes

Related Content