HOUSTON, TX – Thirteen men from Houston are facing federal charges following a sweeping indictment that alleges a pattern of violent robberies, drug trafficking, obstruction of justice, and, most shockingly, two brutal murders committed last July. The crew, operating with ruthless efficiency, allegedly terrorized the city while flooding the streets with narcotics.
The indictment, handed down by a grand jury in the Southern District of Texas, names the following individuals: Derrick Dewayne Butler, also known as Kutt and Kutt Throat, 28; Travon Maxwell, also known as Goonie, 29; Emmanuel Winnfield, also known as Pimp, 36; Herman Mitchell, also known as Boobie, 37; Tyrone Raymond Bolton, also known as Honeybee, 32; Joe Devon Champion, also known as Champ, 35; Jonta Allen Glover, 32; Dewayne Donnell Champion, also known as Wayne, 37; Cedric Lynn Andrews, also known as Ced, 50; Jermar Ballard Jones, also known as Mar, 37; Christian Xavier Rucker, also known as Gucci, 30; Samuel Lamonte Draper, 25; and Jeremy James Jenkins, 21. All are residents of Houston.
All thirteen defendants are charged with one count of robbery conspiracy and one count of drug distribution conspiracy, offenses that carry a combined maximum sentence of 20 years in prison plus a mandatory minimum of 10 years, potentially extending to life, for the drug conspiracy alone. Prosecutors are also hitting them with additional charges of attempt to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and Jermar Ballard Jones faces an obstruction of justice charge.
The stakes are dramatically higher for three members of the crew. Derrick Dewayne Butler, Christian Xavier Rucker, and Jermar Ballard Jones are accused of two counts of murder in aid of racketeering, stemming from the July 19, 2023 killings. They also face charges related to using firearms during drug trafficking and violent crimes, and causing death through the use of a firearm. If convicted on the murder charges, they each face a mandatory minimum of life in prison, or the death penalty. Twelve other defendants – Bolton, J. Champion, Glover, Winnfield, D. Champion, Mitchell, Andrews, Jones, Butler, Maxwell, Draper, and Jenkins – could each receive an additional mandatory minimum of five years, up to life, for possessing firearms while engaged in drug trafficking.
Federal investigators from the FBI Houston Field Office and the Houston Police Department, with support from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Texas Department of Public Safety, built the case. The investigation is part of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime Initiative (VCI) in Houston and an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. Antoinette T. Bacon, Supervisory Official with the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas, and Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Williams Jr. of the FBI Houston Field Office jointly announced the charges.
The prosecution is being handled by Trial Attorneys Justin G. Bish, Ralph Paradiso, Ben Tonkin, and Jodi Anton of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section, along with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Byron H. Black and Kelly Zenón-Matos. The sentencing will ultimately be determined by a federal district court judge, factoring in U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other relevant legal considerations. This case is a stark reminder of the violence and drug-fueled chaos gripping Houston’s streets, and the long arm of the law is finally reaching out to these alleged perpetrators.
Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Organized Crime|Violent Crime|Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Press Release
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