'Sex Money Murder' gang RICO indictment: 23 face charges spanning more than a decade

ATLANTA - About two dozen people, who the U.S. Attorney’s Office describes as "very brutal" and "very dangerous" gang members are facing a federal racketeering indictment.

Ryan Buchanan, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, made the announcement on Monday.

The indictment outlines how members of the so-called "Sex Money Murder" gang committed fraud, trafficked in drugs, and killed people. A total of 23 people were indicted on 12 charges.

Buchahan says the gang committed their crimes both on the streets, and inside prisons, up and down the East Coast, including Georgia, over a span of more than 10 years. 

He says the gang coordinated their activity with contraband cell phones, often from behind bars. 

"Often using contraband cell phones orchestrated numerous crimes including murder, attempted murder, assault, attempted arson, drug trafficking in and outside prison facilities and fraud," Buchanan said.

Federal prosecutors outlined a list of some of the gang's most heinous crimes.

"October of 2017, one member murdered an inmate at Hancock State Prison at the order of another defendant because the victim allegedly violated one of the gang’s rules," 

He says, in one case, they even shot and killed a baby.

"Four gang members and associates stormed a home in DeKalb County and shot repeatedly into a bathroom, killing a 9-month-old boy," said Buchanan.

Buchanan says the grand jury handed up the indictment last week, with a majority of those having made their first appearance last week.

"Sex Money Murder is a national gang, and a subset of the Bloods gang, originated in the early 1970s in Los Angeles, California," said Buchanan.

He says 11 members were already in prison when they ordered or carried out these crimes.

The following individuals have been indicted in connection to the federal probe:

• Ryan Brandt, a/k/a Street Life and Robert Kraft, 44, of Hays State Prison in Trion, Georgia, is charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiring, aiding and abetting, and possessing a controlled substance and a controlled substance analogue with the intent to distribute;
• Kyle Oree, a/k/a Nasty Nu, 52, of Washington State Prison in Davisboro, Georgia, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiring to possess and possessing a controlled substance and a controlled substance analogue with the intent to distribute;
• Chase Pinckney, a/k/a Chase Pickney, Three Shots, Noriega, and Sinatra, 38, of Ware State Prison in Waycross, Georgia, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiring to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute;
• Elton Jackson, a/k/a 2gz and John Madden, 41, of Telfair State Prison in Helena, Georgia, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiring to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute;
• Sean Carr, a/k/a Nut and Nutkase, 51, of FCI Talladega in Talladega, Alabama, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiring to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute;
• Lavorsia Jones, a/k/a Shitbag, 23, of Dacula, Georgia, is charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiring, attempting, and possessing a controlled substance with the intent to distribute, and possessing a controlled substance analogue with the intent to distribute;
• Danielle Ford, 49, of Ellenwood, Georgia, is charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiring to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute, and possessing a controlled substance analogue with the intent to distribute;
• Charlton King, a/k/a Hell’s Militant Camp, 23 of Valdosta, Georgia, is charged with RICO conspiracy;
• Demarco Draughn, a/k/a Shoota B, 28, of Macon State Prison in Oglethorpe, Georgia, is charged with RICO conspiracy;
• Richard Smith, a/k/a Alleyway and Brett Favre, 36, of Ware State Prison in Waycross, Georgia, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiring to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute;
• Rontavious Fowler, a/k/a Lil Hot, 26, of Hancock State Prison in Sparta, Georgia, is charged with RICO conspiracy;
• Shavon Thomas, a/k/a Shavon Edwards, 55, of Decatur, Georgia, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiring to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute;
• Lionel Edwards, a/k/a Tony, Tyson, and Python, 41, of USP Florence in Florence, Colorado, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiring to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute;
• Anthony Jernigan, a/k/a Hell Raiser, 36, of Hays State Prison in Trion, Georgia, is charged with RICO conspiracy;
• Cedric Pierre, a/k/a Flip, 23, of Robert A. Deyton Correctional Facility in Lovejoy, Georgia, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiring to possess and possessing a controlled substance with the intent to distribute;
• Ricardo Sanchez, 40, of Macon State Prison in Oglethorpe, Georgia, is charged with conspiring to possess and possessing a controlled substance with the intent to distribute;
• Troy McCraine, 57, of Tennessee, is charged with conspiring to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute;
• Qawwee Mitchell, 36, of Gainesville, Georgia, is charged with conspiring to possess and possessing a controlled substance with the intent to distribute, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime;
• Sherri Gandy-Torres, 56, of Lakeland, Florida, is charged with conspiring to possess and possessing a controlled substance with the intent to distribute;
• Nyla Blacknell, 43, of Duluth, state, is charged with conspiring to possess and possessing a controlled substance with the intent to distribute and carrying a firearm during and in relation to of a drug trafficking crime;
• Tracey Wise, 46, Milledgeville, Georgia, is charged with conspiring to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute;
• Shounnette Wooten, 50, of Gray, Georgia, is charged with conspiring to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute; and
• Kierra Williams, 31, of Haddock, Georgia, is charged with conspiring to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute and possessing a controlled substance analogue with the intent to distribute.