Dakota James LaFave, aka ‘Biggs,’ 30, of Fond du Lac, Minnesota, was sentenced to 366 months in federal prison for a cold-blooded attack meant to silence a cooperating witness and cement his standing in the violent Native Mob gang. The sentence, handed down by Chief Judge John R. Tunheim in St. Paul, includes three years of supervised release following his incarceration.
LaFave pleaded guilty on January 22, 2019, to three federal charges: assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, witness retaliation resulting in bodily injury, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. The charges stem from a shooting on October 27, 2017, when LaFave opened fire on a former Native Mob member, striking him in the back in an unprovoked act of vengeance.
According to court documents and LaFave’s own admissions, the attack was retaliation for the victim’s testimony in a 2013 federal racketeering trial that targeted other Native Mob members. LaFave admitted he also sought to boost his status within the gang by carrying out the attack, proving his loyalty through violence.
The Native Mob, a criminal enterprise active since at least 2006, operates across Minnesota and beyond, enforcing gang hierarchy through intimidation, assault, robbery, and murder. The organization regularly identifies suspected informants and plots retaliation, using violence to protect its territory, reputation, and illicit profits.
The investigation that led to LaFave’s conviction was a multi-agency effort involving the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Minneapolis Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Mille Lacs Tribal Police Department, and the Minnesota Department of Corrections. Federal prosecutors Andrew R. Winter and Bradley Endicott handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
LaFave now faces decades behind bars as a warning to others in the criminal underworld: betraying justice comes at a steep price. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota continues to prioritize dismantling violent gangs and protecting those who cooperate with law enforcement.
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Key Facts
- State: Minnesota
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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