Walterboro Cowboys Gang Members Plead Guilty to Attempted Murder

Two Walterboro street gang members have copped to their roles in a violent crime spree tied to the Cowboys, a ruthless gang with deep roots in South Carolina’s Eastside. Christopher Sean Brown, aka Rougish, 23, and Matthew Rashaun Jones, aka Boogie Mac, 23, both of Walterboro, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and attempted murder in aid of racketeering, admitting their involvement in drive-by shootings, narcotics trafficking, and targeted attacks on rival gang members.

Brown entered a guilty plea specifically for attempted murder in aid of racketeering, stemming from a May 30, 2013, drive-by shooting where he and Jones fired multiple rounds at a residence believed to be occupied by members of the Dooley Hill gang — a sworn enemy of the Cowboys. The attack, carried out while both were passengers in a moving vehicle, was part of a broader wave of retaliatory violence fueled by territorial and gang allegiance.

Jones, meanwhile, admitted to a separate shooting on May 12, 2011, when he opened fire on a man he believed was affiliated with a rival gang. That act triggered a deadly chain reaction: a retaliatory shooting two days later on May 14, 2011, during which an innocent bystander was struck and seriously injured — collateral damage in a war waged by street code and color.

The Cowboys, active since at least 2009, operate with military precision and symbolic flair. Members wear red, white, and blue, display American flag imagery, and flash hand signs shaped like a ‘B’ — a nod to their alliance with the Bloods. Tattoos reading ‘Cowboy’ or ‘GMC’ are permanent markers of loyalty. Their territory — the Eastside of Walterboro — is more than a neighborhood; it’s a battleground.

The February 9, 2016, federal indictment charged Brown, Jones, and seven others with racketeering conspiracy, firearms offenses, and multiple counts of attempted murder in aid of racketeering. While the indictment is not evidence of guilt, the admissions in court cut through any doubt. These were not random acts of violence — they were calculated operations in a criminal enterprise built on fear, loyalty, and retaliation.

The investigation was led by ATF, HSI, and multiple local agencies including the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office, Walterboro Police Department, Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office, Summerville Police Department, and the First Circuit Solicitor’s Office. Prosecution is being handled by the Justice Department’s Organized Crime and Gang Section. Sentencing for Brown and Jones is pending — but the streets of Walterboro may finally catch a breath.