King Shellz Pleads Guilty to RICO Charges in Latin Kings Shooting

BOSTON – King Shellz, Shelton Johnson, 31, a former member of the New Bedford Chapter of the Massachusetts Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (‘Latin Kings’), has pleaded guilty to racketeering charges. The defendant confessed to his involvement in a shooting incident that occurred in June 2019 targeting another Latin Kings member who was on bad terms with the gang.

Johnson, also known as ‘King Shellz,’ admitted to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy. Sentencing has been scheduled for January 6, 2021, before U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel. Johnson was arrested and charged in December 2019 while still an active member of the New Bedford Latin Kings.

The Latin Kings are a notorious violent criminal enterprise with thousands of members across the United States. They operate under a national manifesto, maintain an internal judiciary system, and use advanced communication methods to preserve their organizational hierarchy. As per court documents, the gang profits from drug distribution and engages in violence against rival gangs and witnesses for territorial control.

Johnson confessed to conspiring with other Latin Kings members and leaders to carry out the June 2019 shooting as well as participate in a beating of fellow gang members who had violated gang rules.

In December 2019, a federal grand jury indicted 62 leaders, members, and associates of the Latin Kings for racketeering conspiracy, drug conspiracy, and firearms charges. Johnson is the fifteenth defendant to plead guilty in this case.

The RICO conspiracy charge carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are determined by federal district court judges based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Field Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and New Bedford Police Chief Joseph C. Cordeiro announced the plea today. The investigation was a collaborative effort between the FBI North Shore Gang Task Force and the Bristol County and Suffolk County District Attorney’s Offices, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard and Mark Grady handling the prosecution.

The operation was part of a multi-agency task force under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a program aimed at identifying, disrupting, and dismantling major drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. More information on OCDETF is available at https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf/about-ocdetf.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations, and the remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.