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Federal Grand Jury Indicts Members and Associates of Violent Chicago Street Gang for Racketeering Conspiracy Involving 13 Murders
A federal grand jury has indicted six alleged members and associates of a Chicago street gang for participating in a criminal organization that murdered rivals, committed armed robberies and carjackings, and violently protected their perceived territory on the South Side of Chicago.
The indictment alleges that members of the Faceworld street gang engaged in numerous acts of violence, including 13 murders and numerous attempted murders, assaults, armed robberies, and carjackings in Chicago.
Among the violence charged in the indictment were shootings at passengers aboard a Chicago Transit Authority bus and at mourners attending the funeral of a rival gang member allegedly killed by Faceworld members.
The defendants and other Faceworld members and associates used threats and intimidation to prevent victims and witnesses from cooperating with law enforcement, the charges allege.
Faceworld members allegedly promoted their violent enterprise on social media, posting comments, photos, and videos to proclaim membership in the gang, taunt rivals, and boast about murders and other acts of violence.
The defendants and other Faceworld members and associates also trafficked cocaine and heroin in Chicago and Iowa, the indictment states.
The indictment was unsealed Friday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. It charges all six defendants with racketeering conspiracy. Three of the defendants are also charged with murder in aid of racketeering. Arraignments were held Friday in federal court for three of the defendants, while three others will be arraigned on a later date. All six defendants are currently in law enforcement custody.
The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Substantial assistance was provided by the Chicago Police Department, Romeoville, Ill. Police Department, Illinois State Police, Illinois Department of Corrections, and the Cook County Sheriff’s Office. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julia Schwartz, Sushma Raju, and John “L.J.” Pavletic.
Charged with racketeering conspiracy are Chicago residents DONTAE HARPER, 28, TYRONE FOY, 31, TYJUAN TAPPLAR, 25, ROBERT LEE THOMAS, 22, DAVION HARRIS, 28, and DEAVEAN MCCLURE, 26.
Racketeering conspiracy generally carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, but a life sentence is possible for certain underlying charged activities. Harper, Foy, and Tapplar also face a maximum of the death penalty if convicted of certain murders charged in the indictment.
The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. 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.
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Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.
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