Otis Hunter, Deshawn Evans Convicted in Milwaukee Gun Crew Rampage

Two young men, Otis Hunter (age 24) and Deshawn Evans (age 21), have been found guilty by a federal jury on all counts tied to a violent gunpoint crime spree that terrorized Milwaukee’s southside in late 2016. The verdict, delivered yesterday, marks the end of a high-stakes trial that exposed a ruthless robbery crew operating with military precision and brutal force.

Hunter was convicted of conspiracy, three business robberies, two carjackings, and five counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Evans was found guilty of conspiracy, one business robbery, one carjacking, and two counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. The crimes occurred between November 17, 2016, and December 4, 2016 — a 17-day stretch of fear fueled by masked men with handguns drawn.

At trial, prosecutors laid out a chilling pattern: the crew stormed businesses, ordered employees and customers to the ground, and stole cash while waving firearms in victims’ faces. On two separate occasions, victims were pistol-whipped — beaten with the weapons as a show of dominance and control. Most of the robberies hit small, neighborhood establishments where employees had little chance to fight back.

The evidence, gathered by the FBI’s Milwaukee Area Violent Crimes Task Force and the Milwaukee Police Department, included surveillance footage, ballistic matches, and testimony from traumatized witnesses who relived their confrontations in court. Prosecutors argued the defendants didn’t just rob — they weaponized fear, using guns not just as tools but as instruments of terror.

Sentencing is scheduled for April 27, 2018, before United States District Judge J.P. Stadtmueller. Otis Hunter now faces a mandatory minimum of 107 years in federal prison. Deshawn Evans faces a minimum of 32 years. Both numbers stem from the strict penalties tied to brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence — a charge that has become a cornerstone in federal efforts to dismantle gun-fueled criminal enterprises.

They aren’t the only ones facing time. Co-defendants Kelly Scott, Anthony Lindsey, and Dominique Rollins have already pled guilty to roles in some of the robberies and await their own sentencing. The convictions close a dark chapter in Milwaukee’s recent violent crime wave — one where a handful of men turned desperation into a deadly enterprise, and paid the ultimate price under federal law.