June 19 (UPI) -- The Justice Department has charged nine members of the Eastside Rollin' 20s Crips gang with a 12-count indictment that includes attempted murder, narcotics trafficking and conspiracy, among other charges.
"As alleged, RTC members unleashed a wave of violence across three states and the District of Columbia, extending down the East Coast to Florida. Their commission of brutal, indiscriminate acts over perceived slights on social media reflects a particularly dangerous form of gang activity," Justice Department Criminal Division head Matthew R. Galeotti said in a statement after the indictment was unsealed Wednesday.
The indictment alleges the RTC members and associates charged "committed numerous violent acts on behalf of the RTC," including a June 2022 murder in Alexandria, Va. ; a July 2021 attempted shooting of several individuals in the District of Columbia; an August 2021 armed robbery and pistol whipping of an individual in Hollywood, Fla.; and a January 2021 attempted murder of two individuals in Winston-Salem, N.C.
According to the Justice Department, RTC also obtained and distributed multi-kilogram quantities of pressed fentanyl pills and recruited children "to commit crimes on behalf of the gang, including acts of violence and drug trafficking."
