Maurice Antonio Kent, Murder in Aid of Racketeering, Georgia 2018
A federal grand jury in Rome, Georgia, has returned a nine-count indictment against six members or associates of the 135 Pirus street gang, including Maurice Antonio Kent, Christopher Nwanjoku, Jamel Dupree Hughes, Cedric Sams, Jr., Jennifer Foutz, and Michael Kent, on federal charges ranging from conspiracy to obstruct justice to murder in aid of racketeering.
The indictment, unsealed on March 21, 2018, alleges that the defendants were involved in a multitude of violent acts, including a murder, and were being prosecuted under the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative aimed at stopping violent gang activity.
“Gangs, like the 135 Pirus drive violence in our communities and show no regard for human life,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “The members and associates in this case were allegedly involved in a multitude of violent acts, including a murder, and are being prosecuted under our Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative aimed at stopping this very criminal activity.”
According to the indictment, the 135 Pirus gang originated in Compton, California, and expanded into the Northern District of Georgia, dividing itself into a Southside/Atlanta group, a Northside/North group, and a Northwest Georgia group. Leaders of the gang in Georgia maintain ties with the California gang leadership.
The 135 Pirus are governed by a set of rules, codes, laws, and oaths, which call for death of any gang member who cooperates with law enforcement. To become a 135 Pirus member, a recruit must be sponsored by an existing gang member and undergo a violent initiation process, known as being “jumped in” or “put on the hood.”
In the early morning hours of May 13, 2017, an argument occurred outside a Brookhaven, Georgia, nightclub. When a California-based high-ranking 135 Pirus gang member was supposedly disrespected, Maurice Antonio Kent allegedly committed a murder, leading to the indictment of the six gang members.
The charges against Maurice Antonio Kent and his co-defendants include murder in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and other related charges. The case is ongoing, and no sentencing date has been set.
“The residents of Bartow County benefit from this partnership which not only brings together local and federal resources to combat violent crime, but it also erases jurisdictional lines between agencies producing a maximum investigative effort,” said Bartow County Sheriff Clark Millsap.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the FBI-led Safe Streets Gang Task Force, along with its local partners, and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
Key Facts
- State: Georgia
- Category: Violent Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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