Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Western Division | Chicago Police Department. Each man was for himself. Bro Man said a Cuba mother or Mexican wanted dude taken care of. Bro Man asked Donell to kill the dude for ten to thirty thousand dollars.. The bodyguard told detectives he shot at Simmons but missed, then dumped his gun in a bucket of soapy water at a car wash next to the barbershop before going back to Rangel. Prosecutors alleged Spann took over the reins of the gang after he was shot and paralyzed in 1999, using murder to elevate the gangs reputation for ruthlessness as well as his own street cred. Spann, who uses a wheelchair, kept a blanket over his head and showed no outward reaction as the verdict was read by U.S. District Judge Thomas Durkin. They were a small time gang that hung out around Madison Street. Each of the defendants are in custody and have made an initial appearance in federal court in Chicago. His sentencing has been set for Oct. 4. The federal charges were announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Angie Salazar, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of HSI; and David Brown, Superintendent of CPD. U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois, Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee (LECC), Ten Alleged Members or Associates of Chicago Street Gang Charged in Drug Trafficking Probe, Chicago Man Indicted for Firearms Trafficking and Selling Machine Gun Conversion Devices, California Man Arrested for Trafficking 91 Kilograms of Cocaine Worth $1.8 Million, Nine Individuals Charged and Arrested on Various Firearms, Drug, and Fraud Charges. The point was to keep people in fear, Storino said. The Four Corner Hustlers (4CH) is an African American street gang founded in the West Garfield Park neighborhood on the West Side of Chicago in the 1960s by Walter Wheat and Freddy Gauge. Thats why my name Bro Man. I do what I want.. Nunnery didnt want to just wait to hear from Ware that Rangel had shown up at the barbershop. Dart, Cook County Sheriff; and Eddie Johnson, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. General Info Three others allegedly worked as street-level dealers, while the charges accuse 40-year-old Maurice Bell of obtaining narcotics for sales at the Maypole Avenue location. The indictment last September targeting the Four Corner Hustlers includes six murders. When I described the chain that the guy had, he was, like, Yeah, I know who that is, we was just trying to rob him, Nunnery told a prosecutor. Rudy Rangel Jr. liked to keep his hair short. The mission of the task forces, which are comprised of agents and officers from numerous federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations. Dressed in a black shirt and seated in a wheelchair, Spann testified that he and an associate were about to commit an armed robbery of a dice game when he heard shots ring out. Nunnery reached out to Spann, feared leader of the brutal Four Corner Hustlers, which claimed large swaths of the West Side. But interviews and thousands of pages of records from the U.S. attorneys office, the Chicago Police Department, the Cook County states attorneys office and the Cook County medical examiners office reviewed by the Chicago Sun-Times suggest another possible motive: that the murder was contracted after Rangel stole 150 kilos of cocaine. Storino, the prosecutor, called Spanns testimony that he was a loner preposterous, pointing to a 2012 wiretapped conversation in which Spann was caught giving a veritable TED Talk on his leadership style. / CBS Chicago. ODonovan about this incident, but asked that he be given a cigarette and water first, detectives wrote. For a long time the 4CH had a relationship with the Traveling Vice Lords, because they were both Solid. He figured Nunnery was going to rob him but not just for the jewelry. IF I PUT #BRAMAN ON YOUR (expletive), THAN YOU #DEAD, 4REAL, the post by Rontrell Turnipseed read. In an attempt to mitigate violence and guarantee their own personal survival, the duo drafted a truce which would stop all conflict both on the streets and within the prison system. Attorneys Katie M. Durick and Kalia Coleman represent the government. From the Vice Lords, to Gangster Disciples, to the Four Corner Hustlers, to the New Breeds and the Black Souls, the West Side might not have received the recognition from the media as the South Side, but within the streets of the Chicago ghetto there is little difference between either side as this section of the city is the birthplace of He said the name of the game was respect then bristled when Babu asked if fear was a factor as well. The defendants are identified as Nita Ashford, 45; Latwan McCray, 18; Tharthur . Outside the barbershop, they saw Rangels blue SUV, drove a block west and turned, parking just north of the alley, according to what Nunnery and Simmons told authorities. Drug trafficking and usage of illegal substances were strictly forbidden, but shoplifting and violence were often considered an effective way to assert dominance over rival groups. [1] The Four Corner Hustlers at first were a single gang that would wear the colors black and brown. They wore the colors of black and brown and had nothing to do with the Vice Lords at that point in time. These are drugs that are packaged and bundled in particular ways for someone to be out there on the street selling it to customer after customer after customer.. Bro Man told Donell about a lick that a Puerto Rican had done for 150 kilos of cocaine, a detective wrote after interviewing Simmons. Spann has previously been acquitted of Rangel's murder and is already facing serious time in federal prison. The Four Corner Hustlers originated on Chicago's Westside in the early 1970's. The organization was founded by King Walter Wheat and Freddy "Malik" Gauge. Western Division Ervin and Zepeda both pled guilty. Supt. After they were charged in Cook County court with Rangels killing, the three made plans to try to lean on the witnesses so they wouldnt testify, Nunnery said. On top of the federal charges, at least 21 others have also been charged in Cook County with state drug offenses related to the investigation, according to Lausch. understood this to mean Nunnery attempted to hire [the man] to murder Rangel. Spann was charged in a sweeping 2017 indictment alleging he conspired with others to commit six gangland murders from 2000 to 2003. (Source: Sun-Times Media Wire Chicago Sun-Times 2017. Also charged were Angela Bell, 48, of Chicago, and Maurice Williams, 50, of . That group includes Chicagoans Teremius Webb, 25, Antonio Fletcher, 40, and Kyle Linton, 25. 4CH also were fighting with other people gangs like the Latin Kings and factions of the Black Stones. A locked padlock RAYMOND BETTS, 52, of Riverdale, is charged with conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute. They wore the colors of black and brown and had nothing to do with the Vice Lords at that point in time. "I interfered with Four Corner Hustler business," Royal said. He testified similarly when asked about Rangels killing, saying he had no idea who the Latin Kings boss even was when he heard Rangel had been shot. It also comes as Chicago continues to struggle to rein in gang and gun violence that has made national headlines. In a nearly 70-page complaint, authorities charged 10 alleged members of the Four Corner Hustlers, some with nicknames that include "Peanut" and "D-Nice" with federal drug conspiracy. Two other alleged members of the gang are also charged in the conspiracy: ANGELA BELL, 48, of Chicago, and MAURICE WILLIAMS, 50, of Riverdale. Lock Im not no angel, Im not no saint, but I aint got nothin to do with none of them murders.. While incarcerated, Spann was charged with bringing drugs into a penal institution and harassing a witness, which added three years and two years to his armed robbery sentence, though he also was credited with more than 700 days of time served in jail. In the prison system the Four Corner Hustlers DO NOT follow renegade philosophies and call themselves FOUR CORNER HUSTLER VICE LORDS, and they are stricktly alligned with the people nation. They allegedly conducted surveillance of their victims and used rental cars to cover their tracks. Spann has a string of felony convictions dating back to 1996 that meant he wasn't lawfully allowed to handle the weapon. He is a person who kills, he robs, he extorts and intimidates others, all in furtherance of his gang the Four Corner Hustlers. Starting in 1986 and from most of the 90s, the gang found new sources for profit in the sale crack cocaine. The joint federal and local investigation began in February of last year and included wiretaps, covert surveillance and narcotics purchases by undercover officers. The results were a change in colors, a standing peace with the Lords, and an en-mass conversion to Islam. Nunnery goes on to say that it was Squeaky, Bro Man and himself in the car but only Squeaky got out and did it. Nunnery says that the police were right there when this happened., Eight days later, the informant spoke with a man who said Nunnery tried to hire him to kill Rangel before turning to Spann. The two young African-Americans sought a way to protect their home territory, a narrow strip of land in Chicagos West Garfield Park, from the influence of external gang members who would use the area for drug trafficking and violent crimes. Spann also pleaded guilty to three obstruction of justice charges for persuading one of his companions, Ladonah Hampton, to tell a federal grand jury that Spann never fired the gun, even though she earlier told authorities he had. People are what they are, they do what they do.. None of that (expletive), when asked if he was responsible for the 2000 murder of Maximillion McDaniel. | Sam Charles / Sun-Times. Even while held at the Cook County Jail, Spann who has used a wheelchair since being shot more than 15 years ago has found himself in trouble. The complaint describes eight transactions for a total of approximately 136 grams of heroin. CHICAGO A federal indictment unsealed this week charges nine alleged members of the Four Corner Hustlers street gang with participating in a criminal organization that murdered six people and violently protected drug-dealing territories on the West and Southwest Sides of Chicago. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Rockford, IL 61101, Chicago: (312) 353-5300 Four others allegedly worked as "shift managers, overseeing drug sales at the illegal markets at various times of the day. Authorities said the shooting resulted from an attempted jewel robbery. In September 2017, 11 members of the gang were charged in a sweeping racketeering conspiracy that tied the Four Corner Hustlers to several murders between 2000 and 2012 including the 2003. Banks would invest these capitals to reform the group, eventually enlarging his empire to include more than 18000 members. The public is reminded that charges contain only accusations and are not evidence of guilt. ). Hes called himself old-school, a leader, a person other like-minded gangsters turned to for help and treated with respect. About a minute after Simmons got out of the car, Spann, Nunnery and the third man heard gunshots. They told them to not wear brown to wear Gold instead, change their names to the Four Corner Hustler Vice Lords, and sign up as a Vice Lord deck. Based on those records, this is the story of the killing of Rudy Kato Rangel Jr. Born on Thanksgiving Day 1972, Rangel grew up in LeClaire Courts on the Southwest Side but ended up traveling in lofty circles in two worlds: crime and rap music. Donell states that as they rode in the car, he saw Martise on the sidewalk shaking the dudes hand. Rockford: (815) 987-4444. They brawled against the Apache Vice Lords later known as Insane Vice Lords that was founded by Bennie Lee in 1967. Rangel bought it. A sweeping 2017 indictment tied the Four Corner Hustlers to six killings between 2000 and 2003. Assistant U.S. So did two Cook County sheriffs officers on patrol in an unmarked squad car at Roosevelt and Sacramento who reported the gunfire to the Chicago police. They raise their right hands and swear to tell the truth and then they lie, Shobat said. That group includes 24-year-old Jarelle Jones of Forest Park and Chicagoans Marquis Jones, 29, Joseph Williams, 31, and Dornell Williams, 34. (WTTW News) Ten reputed members of the Four Corner Hustlers street gang have been arrested and charged with conspiring to sell narcotics at open-air drug markets on Chicago's West Side following an undercover investigation that lasted more than a year. Under intense questioning by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kavitha Babu on Wednesday, Spann gave the prosecutor a lecture on how things work on the street. Spanns testimony on cross-examination has so far been much calmer and less profane than what he told the jury under direct questioning by his own attorney. Their group may have been successful in the past, but had no chance to match the strength of other larger associations such as the Vice Lords or the Black Gangster Disciples. More answers. In about 1976 like all the other VL branches, the 4CH joined the people alliance. Following a shootout which took place at a Valentines Day party in 1972 and other criminal activities dating up to 1975, both original founders Wheat and Gauge were sentenced to spend somewhat long periods in prison and transferred to a federal penitentiary to serve their time. CHICAGO A Chicago man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for firearms trafficking and possession and sale of machine gun conversion devices, also known as a switches, ROCKFORD A California man was arrested on a charge of possession with intent to distribute 91 kilograms of cocaine. Thats how its done, thats what the open-air drug markets look like, Lausch said. Labar "Bro Man" Spann is accused of participating in all six slayings, including the June 2003 murder of Latin Kings gangster Rudy "Kato" Rangel, whose death inspired the track "A 'Yo Kato" by rapper DMX. [The man] goes on to say that he didnt want to do it, but that Nunnery f him [Rangel] up in the barbershop. . The states attorneys office dropped the murder, attempted murder, aggravated battery and conspiracy to commit murder charges. Prosecutors identified Spann as the leader of the Four Corner Hustlers, which they've described as a group of West Side robbers, drug dealers and killers whose crimes date back to the mid-1990s . So are singles, batting average and stolen bases. In fact, Spann who prosecutors say is a member of the Four Corner Hustlers has faced charges in highly publicized cases before and been in and out of prison. The charges come months after the gang's longtime leader was convicted of racketeering conspiracy connected to multiple murders. "Families and residents of all ages, from school children to senior citizens, were impacted and intimidated on a daily basis," said First Dep. A criminal complaint filed in federal court in Chicago accuses Betts of selling or directing sales of heroin on eight occasions from December 2018 to March 2019. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Eleven have been indicted in all, with two being charged in an extortion conspiracy. The Four Corner Hustlers were started in the early or mid 1960s on chicago's west side. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Those criminal cases concluded in 2008 with convictions and prison for everyone but Spann. Street gangs like the Four Corner Hustlers pose a real threat to our community, said Angie Salazar, special agent-in-charge of Chicagos office of Homeland Security. The literature for the Four Corner Hustlers or 4CH is known as "The Lit." The Lit is the gangs creed. Among the homicides charged in the indictment was the 2000 slaying of Carlos Caldwell, who Spann believed had shot and paralyzed him six months earlier. Donell Simmons cap was found on the sidewalk near Rudy Rangel Jr.s SUV. He lost his composure briefly when asked by Babu whether he had anything to do with the killing of a man nicknamed Foots, which occurred in Four Corner Hustlers territory in 2003. Spann and Nunnery also were charged with soliciting murder, murder for hire and armed robbery. 219 S. Dearborn St., 5th Floor From the 80s to the 90s The gang colors are black and red and black and gold, serving under Vice Lords. (U.S. Attorneys Office). Angelo was the leader of the 4 Corner Hustlers. The leaders of the conspiracy are alleged to be members of the Chicago-based Four Corner Hustlers street gang. A separate trial for other defendants in the case had been planned for 2019, but it was scuttled by a series of last-minute guilty pleas. And he has done it for over two decades.. Attorneys Shawn McCarthy, David Green, and Kristin Pinkston represent the government. CHICAGO (WLS) -- With a stockpile of drugs and an arsenal of weapons, members of the Four Corner Hustlers ran at least three open-air drug markets in Chicago's East Garfield Park neighborhood. When the people nation began to experience a high volume of interalliance civil wars in 1991 the 4CH began to war with other Vice Lord branches/tribes for control of the drug trade and for less competition. 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After an eight-week trial, the jury deliberated for about 15 hours over three days before finding Labar Spann guilty of racketeering conspiracy. == Memphis.TN also.canton .MS..Houston texas. They actually used to brawl with them. When I walked past, somebody shot me in my back, Spann said. As he ran, Simmons Nets cap fell off. The ten federal defendants are in law enforcement custody and have made initial appearances in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The following year, Spann was charged with aggravated battery to a peace officer, unlawful use of a weapon by a felon and being a felon in possession of a firearm.