Andre M. Brown, Short North Posse, Ohio 2014

Arrest Brings an End to Two-Year Manhunt for Short North Posse Fugitive

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Andre M. Brown, aka ‘Paco’, 33, of Columbus, Ohio was arrested this morning by FBI agents in Charlotte, North Carolina, bringing an end to a two-year manhunt.

Brown had been a fugitive since October 2014 when he was charged with nine counts in a superseding indictment related to his role in the Short North Posse, a notorious organized crime syndicate.

The superseding indictment, which names Brown, 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.

The Short North Posse specialized in murders and robberies of rival gang members, other drug dealers, and targets thought to have large sums of cash or firearms.

Brown was charged with one count of racketeering conspiracy and three counts of use and discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, each punishable by up to life in prison; one count of attempted possession with intent to distribute cocaine, a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison; and three counts of possession with intent to distribute and one count of attempted possession with intent to distribute a detectable amount of marijuana, each punishable by up to five years in prison.

Seventeen individuals were originally indicted in the racketeering case in July 2014. All of the defendants were accused of being an organized criminal enterprise known as the Short North Posse.

The investigation was 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.

Brown was one of three more people indicted in October 2014 in connection with a series of violent crimes including 13 previously unsolved murders as well as other attempted murders, drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, extortion and robbery.

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

The superseding indictment was a result of a two-year long investigation by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.

The Short North Posse also identified themselves nationally with the Crips street gang.

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