A federal grand jury in the Southern District of Texas has indicted 13 Houston men for their alleged involvement in a violent robbery crew implicated in robbery, drug trafficking, obstruction of justice, and murder. The charges include the killing of two individuals in July 2023.
The 13 defendants, ranging in age from 21 to 50, are all facing charges of robbery conspiracy and drug distribution conspiracy. If convicted, they each face up to 20 years in prison for the robbery conspiracy and a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life for the drug distribution conspiracy.
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Several defendants are facing additional charges:
- Murder: Derrick Dewayne Butler, Christian Xavier Rucker, and Jermar Ballard Jones are charged with murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison or the possibility of the death penalty.
- Firearms Offenses: Most of the defendants are also charged with possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, which carries an additional mandatory minimum sentence of five years.
“There is no place in our community for groups that terrorize their fellow citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. “This superseding indictment alleges violent criminal acts and the tragic loss of two lives. The Southern District of Texas will continue to pursue justice for these victims as well as for the people of Houston.”
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This case is part of a larger effort by the Department of Justice’s Violent Crime Initiative and an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation to address violent crime and gang activity in Houston.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Houston Police Department, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Texas Department of Public Safety.
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