DETROIT, MICHIGAN – In a shocking turn of events, six members of the Vice Lords gang in Detroit pleaded guilty to various racketeering and firearms offenses based on their roles in the gang-related shooting of four individuals on May 7, 2015.
According to the plea agreements, the Vice Lords is a national gang engaged in a variety of crimes, including murder, robbery, narcotics trafficking, and witness intimidation. The defendants admitted that the Vice Lords’ leaders are located in Chicago and Detroit and that the gang is broken down into various ‘sets,’ ‘decks,’ or ‘branches.’
Members who seek to leave the gang oftentimes endure a physical beating by multiple Vice Lord members or are targeted for killing. The racketeering activity included, from 2011 through 2015, trafficking in controlled substances, including marijuana, Xanax, and ecstasy, at locations in and around the Detroit metropolitan area, including at Northland Mall in Southfield, Michigan.
Antonio Clark, aka Cheeto, 26, Aramis Wilson, aka Ace, 25, Tyrone Price, aka Price, 27, Jonathan Kinchen, aka Deago, 22, Kojuan Lee, aka Juan, 20, Kirshean Nelson, 19, Dion Robinson, 37, and Kenneth Smith, 34, all of Detroit, were indicted for racketeering and firearms charges relating to the gang-related shooting of four members of a family.
The defendants admitted that on May 7, 2015, they and others met at Smith’s house to discuss their plan and collect firearms, including an AK-47 assault rifle, then traveled in multiple cars to the intended victims’ house. After a brief confrontation with the brothers’ family members, Clark opened fire with an AK-47, firing at the family more than two dozen times and hitting four victims.
The charges related to the shooting are a component of the federal government’s prosecution of the Vice Lords street gang, which has led to the arrests and convictions of Vice Lords leaders and members over several years.
The following are the guilty pleas and charges related to the case:
- Antonio Clark, aka Cheeto, pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted murder in aid of racketeering and one count of using and carrying of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence on January 27, 2016.
- Aramis Wilson, aka Ace, pleaded guilty to two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering and one count of using and carrying of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence on January 25, 2016.
- Tyrone Price, aka Price, pleaded guilty to two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering and one count of using and carrying of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence on January 28, 2016.
- Jonathan Kinchen, aka Deago, pleaded guilty to one count of RICO conspiracy on January 28, 2016.
- Kojuan Lee, aka Juan, pleaded guilty to one count of RICO conspiracy on January 28, 2016.
- Kirshean Nelson pleaded guilty to one count of RICO conspiracy on January 26, 2016.
The case is a component of the federal government’s prosecution of the Vice Lords street gang, which has led to the arrests and convictions of Vice Lords leaders and members over several years.
Defendant:
Antonio Clark
Criminal Charges:
Racketeering and Firearms Offenses
City and State:
Detroit, Michigan
Exact Date:
January 27, 2016
Sentence or Outcome:
Pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted murder in aid of racketeering and one count of using and carrying of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence
Related Federal Cases
- Mario Leico Jackson, Racketeering Conspiracy, Michigan 2015 · Kentucky
- Devin Dantzler, Racketeering Conspiracy, Michigan 2024 · Illinois
- Roosevelt TuTu Sumpter, Racketeering Conspiracy, California 2023 · Michigan
- Mohammad Hassan Hamdan, Lying to FBI, Michigan 2014 · Michigan
- Johnathan Holt, Racketeering and Murder, Ohio 2024 · Ohio
Key Facts
- State: Michigan
- Category: Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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