A Florida sheriff said Wednesday that 41 people have been charged with dozens of crimes in an effort to take down the leadership of a notoriously violent group called the Sex Money Murder gang.
The yearlong investigation involved law enforcement agencies across Florida, the Department of Corrections and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said at a news conference. It involved wiretaps and social media monitoring as well as keeping tabs on gang members directing operations from prison.
Investigators say SMM members devised and executed a scheme to smuggle synthetic cannabinoids into at least three state prisons. Evidence secured during the investigation revealed that members of the gang sprayed drugs onto pages of the Bible, Koran and greetings cards and then mailed them to gang members in the prisons.
“The goal is to dismantle the hierarchy,” Judd said. “We have just begun to arrest gangsters in this investigation.”
According to Judd, the suspects are charged with a total of 121 felonies and 40 misdemeanors; their criminal histories include 1,147 felonies, 161 misdemeanors, and 205 felony convictions.
State Attorney General Ashley Moody, who attended the press conference, said the Sex Money Murder gang was exceedingly dangerous, committing murders, intimidating witnesses, selling drugs and possessing weapons including assault-style rifles.
“Evil lurks in our communities. There is no doubt about that,” Moody said. “Evil must be contained.”
Judd said there are 121 felony charges so far against the alleged gang members. These include racketeering, drug sales, robberies, smuggling of contraband into prisons, murder conspiracy and other charges. Some charges could result in life prison sentences.
More than $1.5 million in illicit drugs was also seized, including methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana, mushrooms, oxycodone and, most deadly of all, fentanyl. Eighteen guns and more than $17,000 in currency were also confiscated.
“Gang members, listen up: We can intercept your social media,” Judd said. “Our goal is that they never breathe air outside a prison again.”
SMM gang members that are reported to have led criminal gang activity in Florida:
1. Hernando Thompson – Commissioner
- Racketeering, RICO/Conspiracy and three counts of Directing an Activity of a Criminal Gang
2. James Roundtree – Number Two Leader (Hi-20)
- Racketeering, RICO/Conspiracy and three counts of Directing an Activity of a Criminal Gang
3. Donahue Stephenson – Number Two Prison Boss (Hi-20)
- Racketeering, RICO/Conspiracy and one count of Directing an Activity of a Criminal Gang
4. Andree Romeus – Gang Advisor
- Racketeering, RICO/Conspiracy and three counts of Directing an Activity of a Criminal Gang
5. Jonathan Fleming – North Carolina Leader
- RICO/Conspiracy
6. Tonisha Fisher – Number One Female Leader (First Lady)
- Racketeering and RICO/Conspiracy
7. Cerenia Mixon – Gang Secretary
- Racketeering, RICO/Conspiracy and two counts of Directing an Activity of a Criminal Gang
8. Tyreese Cruz – County-level Leader
- Racketeering, RICO/Conspiracy and two counts of Directing an Activity of a Criminal Gang
9. Deshon Morris – Gang Enforcer
- RICO/Conspiracy
10. Horatio Walker – General Member
- Racketeering, RICO/Conspiracy and Tampering with a Witness
11. Antonio Taylor – General Member
- RICO/Conspiracy and four counts of Recruiting Members to Join a Criminal Gang
12. Xavier Ulysse – General Member
- Conspiracy to Commit Murder
13. Rodney Street – Member of the Nine-Trey Gangster Bloods
- RICO/Conspiracy
Detectives say they served six search warrants throughout the investigation in Lakeland, Winter Haven, Mount Dora, Orlando and Lake City.
Illegal drugs, firearms, and currency seized:
- 21.45 pounds of methamphetamine
- 2,595 grams of cocaine
- 3,051 grams of cannabis
- 249 grams of MDMA
- 719 grams of synthetic cannabis
- 7.86 grams of fentanyl
- 28 grams of mushrooms
- 8 grams of alprazolam
- 52 grams of oxycodone
- 1846 grams of promethazine
- 18 firearms
- $17,514 in US currency
The total street value of the drugs confiscated is more than $1.5 million.
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