6 members of St. Paul street gang indicted for carjackings

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Six members of a street gang connected with a series of carjackings in St. Paul in 2020 were indicted Tuesday.

According to the indictments, the carjackings spanned from May 2020 through January of this year. The gang, known as "Top 5" would make money through thefts, robberies and selling controlled substances. Each of the members would carry firearms to carry out the crimes.

The men charged were Joshoamei Richardson, 19, of St. Paul; James Williams, Jr., 20, of St. Paul; Isaiah Alstad, 22, of Columbia Heights; Clifton Walker, Jr., 23, of St. Paul; Jordan Rhodes, 22, of White Bear Lake; and Eric Ballard, Jr., 18, of St. Paul.

Each are charged with at least one carjacking, except Rhodes.

In neighboring Minneapolis, preliminary police data showed carjackings up more than 300 percent in 2020. A police sting in the city led to more than 40 arrests late last year.