Akia Pete, RICO Conspiracy, California 2023

Akia Pete, 35, of Gardena, known as “Studda Box,” pleaded guilty Friday, November 18, to conspiring to violate the federal RICO statute and conspiring to traffic in narcotics, admitting his role in a violent, decades-long criminal enterprise tied to the Five Deuce Broadway Gangster Crips (BGC). The plea, entered before United States District Judge S. James Otero, caps a sprawling federal crackdown on one of South L.A.’s most entrenched street gangs.

Pete admitted to participating in armed robbery crews that stalked bank customers, followed them home, and robbed them at gunpoint—using firearms, tasers, and zip ties. In one confirmed heist, the crew stole $10,000 in cash from a small business owner. He also played a direct role in the BGC’s narcotics operations, helping the gang enforce a “territorial monopoly” over drug sales in areas east of the Harbor Freeway and near Skid Row, where users are especially vulnerable.

Further damning, Pete confessed to membership in the “Baby Gremlins,” a violent enforcement clique within the BGC tasked with intimidating rivals and punishing disloyalty—often through violence. The group actively recruited younger members to carry out attacks, further entrenching the gang’s reign of fear in South Los Angeles. His cooperation exposes the inner workings of a gang that operated with military precision, holding meetings, enforcing rules, and sanctioning death for informants.

Pete now faces a statutory maximum of 60 years in federal prison, plus a mandatory minimum of five years for distributing crack cocaine. On March 13, Judge Otero will hand down the final sentence. After any prison term, Pete has agreed to a supervised release provision barring him from returning to the gang’s claimed territory in South L.A.—a condition designed to break his ties to the criminal network.

The plea is part of a massive 112-count indictment unsealed in 2014 that named 72 defendants linked to the BGC, a gang formed in the 1970s that evolved into a full-blown criminal syndicate. Seventy-one of those defendants have appeared in court; one remains in state custody. Charges include violent crimes in aid of racketeering, weapons offenses, and drug trafficking, with over 40 convictions secured to date.

“Street gangs victimize innocent people, bringing drugs and violence into our communities,” said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. FBI Assistant Director Deirdre Fike added: “The defendant and his co-conspirators targeted residents with intimidation and violence in an area they unlawfully claimed to control.” The FBI and LAPD continue joint efforts to dismantle remaining gang structures through coordinated federal prosecutions.