Twenty-one people were arrested early Thursday after an FBI-led investigation of alleged gang-related drug and weapon sales in Lake County, State’s Attorney Michael Nerheim announced Friday.
He said it was the first time suspects have been charged under the Illinois Street Gang and Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.
“This is the first time this relatively new statute has been used in Lake County,” Nerheim said at a news conference Friday in Mundelein. “This signifies a new approach to our fight against gangs, guns and drugs.”
The RICO statute allows prosecutors to build a case against an entire organization rather than one individual at a time, Nerheim said.
Nerheim said guns, money, drugs and vehicles were seized in the arrests, which authorities said stemmed from a multiagency investigation by an FBI-led task force that began in January into alleged sales of guns, heroin, cocaine and prescription pills by the Lake County-based Four Corner Hustlers street gang.
The task force was made up of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Lake County Metropolitan Enforcement Group, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office – as well as the Waukegan, Zion, North Chicago and Mundelein police departments.
Gregory Harris Sr., 42, was among those arrested, according to authorities. The criminal complaint alleges he was the ringleader of the group. He is being held on $10 million bond and has a court date of Nov. 20, officials said.
The arrest warrants were executed simultaneously Thursday morning by teams of agents and police officers throughout the county, authorities said. The suspects were all brought into custody without incident, Nerheim said.
Drugs are no longer just a problem for Chicago, he said.
“Especially with respect to heroin, this is a drug that is being sold everywhere,” Nerheim said. “It’s being sold in every community of Lake County. This isn’t something where you need to drive to the West Side of Chicago to buy heroin anymore.”
He said the issue isn’t an isolated one.
“These problems, whether its gangs, drugs or guns; these aren’t problems that only occur in Waukegan, or Zion, or North Chicago or Mundelein,” he said. “These occur all over Lake County.”
According to authorities, the defendants are:
Gregory Harris, Sr., also known as “Chili-G”, 42;
Tyrone Springs, 47;
Harlin Barnes, also known as “H.B.” and “Cool Kid 40,” 33;
James Allard, also known as “Jimmy,” 41;
Demetrius Spencer, 49;
Ryan Hawkins, also known as “Big-Lo,” 33;
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Fabian Golden, also known as “Golden Child,” 31;
Jill Dotson, 61;
Brittany Pickens, 28;
Shaleshea Keller, 39;
Anthony Glover, also known as “Tully,” 29;
Nigel Patrick, also known as “Jilla,” 43;
Gregory Harris, Jr., also known as “Lil Greggo,” 20;
Jason Anaya-Whitaker, also known as “D.J. Gold,” 36;
Desmond Washington, 42;
Clifton Johnson, also known as “Dot,” 21;
Luis Melendez, also known as “Speedy,” 33;
Kenneth Fitzhugh, 22;
Seneca Davis, 28;
Garland Bone, also known as “Killa Krame,” 33;
Derek Gordon, 35.