A major and violent Twin Cities drug trafficking operation being dismantled by the hour.
FBI interim Special Agent in Charge Rick Evanchec announcing the bust up of a drug gang known as the Family Mob.
"So far our collective effort has seized 14 firearms, 6.5 kg of fentanyl, 2 kg of cocaine, nearly 800 g of methamphetamine, nearly 200 g of crack, 5 vehicles, and nearly $100,000 in cash," says Evanchec.
He says at least a dozen suspects have been arrested following a flurry of search warrants, with more expected as the investigation continues.
After months of friction it's notable this operation was a joint effort between federal and local law enforcement.
“The Family Mob Gang is a ruthless criminal organization that uses violence to traffic poisonous narcotics, including fentanyl. No more,” said U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen. “As alleged, these defendants dumped countless doses of fentanyl into our community. My office is proud to work with our local, state, and federal partners to pursue justice against violent criminals and those who profit from distributing dangerous narcotics.”
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara saying it demonstrates the power of partnerships, and will lead to real results.
“I’m incredibly proud of the members of the MPD who worked this, and who consistently go above expectations in their dedication to keeping our community safe,” said O’Hara. “And I’m grateful for our federal and county partners whose hard work and dedication made today possible.”
Rafael Mattei is Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
"This gang ruled by intimidation and violence, spreading poison throughout the Minneapolis community," Mattei said.
Loss of federal prosecutors doesn't harm investigation
This operation was succesfully carried out with indictments despite the loss of several prosecutors from the Minnesota U.S. Attorney's Office. A number left during the federal government's immigration surge in the Twin Cities. But Rosen said Wednesday they are carrying on.
"Our office has all of this bandwidth and more," he said. "Our office continues to grow and if you're a criminal in the city of Minneapolis or in the state of Minnesota, I recommend that you don't commit crimes on the assumption that the U.S. Attorney's Office doesn't have enough lawyers."
In fact, Rosen addes, they're quickly adding new prosecutors to fill the void.
"We're hiring at a good clip. We've got people who have accepted positions and we've got offers that are going out," said Rosen, who was appointed by President Donald Trump late last year. "And we're actually very gratified that we are getting extraordinarily high quality applications from all over the country."
The FBI says hundreds of local and federal officers were involved in the operation, one of the largest in Twin Cities history.
The following defendants have been charged federally:
- Silk Lamond Davis, a/k/a “Good/Do Good”, 48, of Minneapolis, is charged by indictment with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine.
- Alexisus Jarmon Mosby, a/k/a “Snake”, 44, of Bloomington is charged by indictment with distribution of fentanyl.
- Kiron Jamoll Williams, 43, of Minneapolis, is charged by indictment with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
- Rashshon Jamahl Taggett, a/k/a “Dread” a/k/a “Lay Low”, 44, of Minneapolis, is charged by complaint with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
- Lakendrick Darnell Gilliam, a/k/a “Bay Bay”, 38, of St. Paul, is charged by complaint with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.