Member of Baltimore “Triple C” Gang Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for a Racketeering Conspiracy, Including Multiple Murders and Attempted Murders
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake today sentenced Michael Chester, a/k/a Mikkie, age 24, of Baltimore, to 20 years in federal prison for a racketeering conspiracy, including attempted murder and murder, related to his participation in the violent street gang known as Cruddy Conniving Crutballs or Triple C, that operated throughout Baltimore City.
The sentence was announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to Chester’s plea agreement, Triple C members engaged in a pattern of criminal racketeering activity between 2015 and 2020, including more than a dozen murders and numerous non-fatal shootings, robberies, and carjackings, in order to promote the reputation of Triple C and to command respect from the neighborhood. Other spin-offs of the gang are “SCL” and recently, “TRD.”
As detailed in Chester’s plea agreement, the gang benefitted financially from selling narcotics, murdering drug dealers, taking contract killings, and engaging in street robberies. Triple C members also robbed dice games for cash and occasionally carjacked vehicles. Members divided the proceeds of illegal activities and often contacted each other to commit a robbery if a member needed money.
Triple C members routinely used social media to identify and locate victims and to communicate with each other and share information concerning possible retaliation for violent crimes committed by gang members. Triple C members and associates used at least 14 firearms to commit crimes, often trading with each other or other groups to avoid detection through ballistic evidence. Members limited conversations about criminal plans to other members of Triple C and critiqued each other after committing crimes regarding ways to improve their performance.
Chester admitted that he was present at five murders during which other members of the conspiracy discharged a firearm, including the murder of Devonte Monroe on August 19, 2017, the murder of Carols Jones on August 28, 2017, the murder of Diamante Howard on April 21, 2018, the murder of Darius Mason on July 29, 2018, and the murder of Corey Moseley on December 31, 2018. In addition, Chester was present at an attempted murder on April 4, 2018 and on May 1, 2018 was found with the firearm which is a ballistics match to gun used in that attempted murder. Chester admitted that as part of his activities with Triple C, he distributed controlled substances, including crack cocaine. It was reasonably foreseeable to Chester that members of the conspiracy would commit additional murders, attempted murders, carjackings, and robberies.
This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-….
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in this investigation and thanked the FBI and the Office of the Baltimore City State’s Attorney for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia C. McLane, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn.
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