Fred Keys, Murder Conspiracy, New York 2023

Buffalo, NY – A chilling tale of murder and conspiracy unfolded in the city of Buffalo, New York, as Fred Keys, a 53-year-old member of the LRGP gang, was sentenced to 360 months in prison for his role in a murder conspiracy.

Keys was convicted of RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 28 grams or more of crack cocaine, alongside his associate, Alexis Mills, 24, who received a sentence of 222 months in prison.

According to Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas S. Duszkiewicz and Joel L. Violanti, Keys was an associate of the LRGP gang, an organization engaged in violent criminal activity, including the distribution of cocaine and crack cocaine and the use of firearms, which operates primarily in the area of Lombard, Rother, Gibson, and Playter Streets in the City of Buffalo.

The investigation revealed that in April 2011, the defendants and others agreed to murder a member of the Cold Springs Gang, a rival criminal organization, in retaliation for killing Alonzo Scott, the brother of LRGP leader Dewayne Gray. The victim, Amir Chambers, was believed to be associated with the Cold Springs Gang and had an ongoing social relationship with Alexis Mills.

After a failed attempt by Mills to poison Amir Chambers, it was agreed that Keys would kill Chambers by shooting him. Mills was to use her relationship with Chambers to get the victim to open his residence door. On April 20, 2011, Keys and Mills went to a residence at 111 Mills Street in Buffalo, where Keys killed Chambers by shooting him in the head. Mills kicked the victim in the head following the shooting to ensure that Chambers was in fact deceased.

The sentencings are the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Adam S. Cohen; the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Office; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ashan Benedict, New York Field Office; and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Daniel Derenda.

A total of 19 LRGP Gang members and associates have been convicted in this case.

Fred Keys’ sentence serves as a reminder of the severity of the consequences for those involved in violent criminal activity and the importance of law enforcement’s efforts to bring justice to the victims and their families.

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