MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Three members of Minneapolis' Bloods gang were convicted of racketeering and firearm charges following a trial in federal court in St. Paul.
What we know
A jury found three Bloods members guilty after a multi-day trial related to deadly shootings:
- Michael Burrell was found guilty of charges connected to a deadly June 2020 shooting in Minneapolis that followed a fight at the 200 Club.
- Leontawan Lentez Holt was found guilty of charges connected to a deadly 2022 shooting outside Williams Pub in Uptown that claimed the life of Rayshawn Brown.
- Desean Solomon was found guilty and was allegedly involved in both of the shootings referenced above.
In both incidents, prosecutors say fights between rival gang members ended in deadly shootings in Minneapolis.
The gang members are the first three to face trial in the gang crackdown undertaken by the U.S. Attorney's Office in recent years.
Context
Federal authorities have charged dozens of gang members in recent years in racketeering (RICO Act) cases.
In May 2023, authorities brought charges against 45 members of the Highs and Blood gangs. More charges followed in August, when 14 more gang members faced charges.
Federal authorities made it clear they were focused on taking down three overarching gangs in the City of Minneapolis: The Highs, the Lows, and the Bloods.
Sentencing for all three men is scheduled for a later date. With Tuesday's verdict, 17 Bloods gang members and associates have been convicted or pled guilty to charges in the federal crackdown.
Background
The 2023 indictments followed a spate of crimes that followed the pandemic, including five murders involving Highs and Lows gang members between April and September 2021.
The Highs and Lows typically operate on Minneapolis' northside. The Bloods, on the other hand, work on the south side of the city, primarily near 38th and Chicago.
What are they saying?
In a provided statement, U.S. Attorney for Minnesota Andrew Luger said:
"The Minneapolis Bloods gang is a violent criminal enterprise. As the evidence proved, the defendants convicted today were members of that enterprise, and they carried out violence and murder on its behalf. As Bloods members, the rules these defendants lived by superseded all criminal laws and social tenets, such as respect for human life or concern for public safety."