Update:
Wayne Gilliam and Tyeshawn Rivers were each sentenced to 25 years, while Desmond Butler received 30 years.
Update:
Rashaud Nesmith and Michael Chester have each pleaded guilty. If a judge accepts their pleas, Chester will be sentenced to 20 years in federal prison and Nesmith to 40. Sentencing for Chester is scheduled for October 7, 2022 and October 28 for Nesmith.
Original Story:
A federal grand jury has indicted 15 alleged members of a Baltimore gang accused of participating in violent racketeering and drug conspiracies.
Prosecutors say at least 11 members of the Triple C gang played some role in a wide range of crimes since 2015, that included 18 murders and more than 27 attempted murders.
They have been identified as Correy Cawthorn, Desmond Butler, Darrell Carter, Michael Chester, Darien Coleman, Gary Creek, Richard Grier, Dayon Jeter, Raekwon McMann, Rashaud Nesmith and Tyeshawn Rivers.
Triple C stands for Cruddy Conniving Crutballs, and they operated throughout Baltimore City running street-level drug shops in the Darley Park and Orchard Ridge neighborhoods.
They were reportedly founded by one of the indicted suspects, Gary Creek, as an alternative to the Black Guerilla Family gang.
In June of 2021, Creek shot and killed himself following an hours long standoff with authorities in Georgia.
Creek allegedly accepted contracts for the gang to carry out murders. Carter and Cawthorn were high ranking members, according to prosecutors.
Members apparently used social media, jail calls and rap songs to communicate with each other as well as to threaten those who stood in their way.
Knowing that jail calls are recorded, incarcerated Triple C members and associates allegedly made calls using other inmates account numbers to conceal their identities.
“This violent street gang committed more than 40 homicides and attempted murders in total. This is not about numbers – each of those shootings represents a victim whose family will never see again, or a survivor of a non-fatal shooting who will never be the same," said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner.
Throughout the investigation, authorities seized 15 firearms that were used and/or possessed by members of the gang.
The indictment is the second related to the investigation and seeks the forfeiture of any proceeds the gang made from their alleged criminal activity.
A total of 10 defendants charged in the previous indictments have pleaded guilty. Eight have already been sentenced to between three and 17 years in federal prison.
