Defendant Kyle Voltz Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Conspiracy in Michigan
A federal court in Ann Arbor has seen another guilty plea in the ongoing case against the Latin Counts street gang. Kyle Voltz, a 28-year-old from Lincoln Park, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, a charge that carries a sentence of up to 30 years in prison.
The indictment alleges that the Latin Counts gang, which operates in southwest Detroit and the downriver communities of Lincoln Park and Ecorse, committed a range of crimes, including murders, assaults, trafficking in drugs and stolen firearms, robberies, and breaking and entering homes and businesses. The gang allegedly used violence to stake out its “turf” and to intimidate both rival gang members and the citizens of southwest Detroit.
As part of his guilty plea, Voltz took responsibility for participating in the killing of Terrence McClearen and the shooting of another victim on August 18, 2013, and for assaulting and attempting to rob a different victim on April 29, 2014. Three other Latin Counts gang members have already been sentenced for their roles in the murder of McClearen.
The guilty plea is the twelfth and final one in the case, which was made possible by the Detroit One collaboration of local, state, and federal law enforcement. The initiative has resulted in a 30% reduction in homicides in Detroit since its launch in 2013.
“The Detroit One partners are systematically and aggressively prosecuting the street gangs that cause violent crime in our neighborhoods,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider. “Detroit is a safer place when violent gang members are off our streets and behind bars.”
The Latin Counts gang has been a target of the Detroit One initiative, which has also seen the sentencing of other high-ranking gang members. Isidro Garza, the head of the Latin Counts in Michigan, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for leading the gang while incarcerated in the Michigan Department of Corrections, where he was serving 25-50 years for a 1993 gang-related homicide.
Benjamin Beightol, another high-ranking member of the gang, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy in 2018 and faces 10 years in prison. As the “Minister of Information,” Beightol was responsible for leading the Latin Counts and disseminating Garza’s directions and messages to lower-ranking gang members.
The Detroit One initiative has been a collaborative effort between law enforcement and the community to reduce homicides and other violent crimes in Detroit. By working together, local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies have been able to identify and arrest individuals and groups initiating violence in Detroit.
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- Mark Duane Fuston, Conspiracy to Commit Arson, Vancouver WA, 2003 · Washington
- Mark E. Woodall, Jr., Discharging Firearm in Carjacking, Michigan 2014 · Pennsylvania
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Key Facts
- State: Michigan
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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