CHICAGO, IL – Four high-ranking members of the notorious Gangster Disciples street gang are facing life behind bars after a federal jury found them guilty of a brutal campaign of violence and racketeering. The convictions stem from a years-long investigation into the gang’s activities, which included drug trafficking, witness intimidation, and targeted killings to maintain control. The feds say this wasn’t just street beef – it was a calculated, interstate conspiracy.
The ringleaders, Warren Griffin, aka GG, aka Big Head, 53, of Glenwood, Illinois, Anthony Dobbins, Sean Clemon, aka Pops, 52, of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and Dominique Maxwell, aka D-Mac, aka Monster, 30, also of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, were all convicted of Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act conspiracy and murder in aid of racketeering. A fourth defendant, Frank Smith, aka Little Frank, aka Red Beard, 49, of Naperville, Illinois, shared the same fate, along with additional charges. The evidence painted a picture of ruthless ambition and a willingness to eliminate rivals within their own ranks.
The most chilling details emerged during the trial, revealing a cold-blooded execution on Chicago’s South Side. On May 18, 2018, Griffin drove Dobbins to confront a former Gangster Disciples Board Member (Victim-1) who opposed their leadership. Griffin allegedly lured the man into a trap, and Dobbins opened fire, shooting him three times in the back and once in the face. The motive? A power struggle within the gang’s hierarchy. Dobbins previously pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy on Jan. 17.
The violence wasn’t limited to Chicago. In Bridgeton, Missouri, on April 28, 2018, Clemon and Maxwell, acting on orders from Smith, fatally shot another victim (Victim-2) and injured two others. The shooting was directly linked to a dispute over control of the gang’s Missouri operations. Disturbingly, Smith allegedly sent Maxwell a text message – “Mike Tyson Punch Out” – just before the hit, a clear instruction for “extreme violence,” including murder. Both Clemon and Maxwell were rewarded with promotions within the gang for carrying out the hit.
Beyond the murders, the Gangster Disciples were involved in a range of criminal activities, including a nightclub stabbing in East St. Louis, Illinois, and a nonfatal shooting in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. They also ran a scheme to smuggle the synthetic drug “K2” into Missouri state prisons. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Cape Girardeau Field Office led the investigation, with assistance from multiple federal, state, and local agencies, including the FBI, DEA, and various police departments.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe for the Southern District of Illinois announced the convictions. While sentencing dates have not yet been set, all four defendants face mandatory life sentences. Prosecutors Jeremy Franker, Alexander Gottfried, and Christopher Usher of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Ali Summers, secured the convictions, bringing a measure of justice to the victims and signaling a serious blow to the Gangster Disciples’ operations.
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Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Organized Crime|Weapons|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Press Release
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