Labar Spann, Racketeering Conspiracy, Illinois 2022

A federal jury in Chicago has convicted Labar Spann, 43, of Chicago, of participating in a racketeering conspiracy that committed murders and other acts of violence while protecting a drug-dealing operation on the West and Southwest Sides of Chicago.

Spann was found guilty Monday on all four counts against him, including racketeering conspiracy, two counts of murder in aid of racketeering, and extortion. The jury found that Spann committed four murders in a cold, calculated, and premeditated manner as part of the racketeering conspiracy, including the murders of Maximillion McDaniel on July 25, 2000, George King on April 8, 2003, Willie Woods on April 17, 2003, and Rudy Rangel on June 4, 2003.

The conviction is punishable by a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison. U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin set sentencing for March 9, 2022.

The investigation into the Four Corner Hustlers was supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.

The Chicago FBI’s Safe Street Task Force, the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force (HIDTA), and ATF’s Chicago Crime Gun Strike Force also supported the investigation.

Spann was indicted in 2017 along with eight other members of the Four Corner Hustlers and two additional defendants. The other defendants pleaded guilty, and several have been sentenced to federal prison terms.

According to evidence presented at the nearly eight-week trial in federal court in Chicago, the gang dealt drugs and robbed rival dealers, while using violence and intimidation to prevent victims and witnesses from cooperating with law enforcement.

Spann’s conviction brings an end to a lengthy investigation into the racketeering activities of the Four Corner Hustlers. Authorities hope that the conviction will serve as a warning to other gangs operating in Chicago.

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