United States Attorney Eric Melgren

District of Kansas

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: JIM CROSS

MONDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2007
WWW.USDOJ.GOV/USAO/KS/


FEDERAL RACKETEERING CHARGES FILED AGAINST CRIPS GANG
MEMBERS IN WICHITA
First Federal Racketeering Case Filed in Kansas Charges a Wichita Street Gang with Making Murder, Robbery, Drug Trafficking Part of Doing Business




WICHITA— The Crips street gang in Wichita is the target of the first federal racketeering case ever filed in Kansas, U.S. Attorney Eric Melgren and Wichita Police Chief Norman Williams announced Friday.

Twenty-eight members of the Crips are charged in two indictments that are the result of a year-long federal investigation led by the Wichita Police Department.

“The defendants are accused of attempting to use violence and threats of violence to preserve and expand the power of the Crips street gang and to protect their criminal enterprise from interference by law enforcement,â€