Randy Alton Graves
SAN DIEGO–Thirty-five people, many of whom are alleged members and associates of the West Coast Crips criminal street gang, are charged in complaints unsealed today with participating in three drug- and gun-related conspiracies, including one that alleges a racketeering enterprise with execution-style murders, a takeover-style robbery, high-speed chases, witness intimidation, and other acts of violence.
At the same time, the District Attorney’s Office will be filing charges against 22 defendants in a parallel investigation involving crimes such as robbery, drug sales, and illegal firearm possession and sales.
Thursday morning before dawn, a contingent of more than 500 local, state, and federal law enforcement officials hit dozens of locations around the county looking for defendants, guns, and drugs. Thirty federal defendants and 19 state defendants are in custody as of 3 p.m. today, and during searches yesterday and over the course of the yearlong investigation, authorities have seized more than 16 firearms, including sawed-off shotguns, pistols, and revolvers; many rounds of ammunition; plus 4.5 pounds of methamphetamine, 4,400 pounds of marijuana, and $300,000 in counterfeit bills.
According to the racketeering complaint, Graves was overheard on court-authorized wiretaps discussing his connections to past killings and his status as a “G,” or senior member. “I got multiples on my jacket…I don’t think it’s too many [expletives] as highly decorated the way I am. I know I got five, six bodies…I got 35 years in and ain’t been around here flexing my muscle cause I’m a G and everybody respects me.”
In another call quoted in the complaint, Graves expressed fear that a female gang associate was going to talk to police about a murder committed by West Coast Crip members. “You run your mouth, you die, period. You run and hide, we get the next closest thing to you, period, no ifs, ands, or buts.”
The federal racketeering statute known as RICO historically has been used to prosecute mobsters and organized crime, but federal prosecutors have been using the statute on street gangs in recent years because they are increasingly acting as organized, sophisticated criminal enterprises.
The federal RICO complaint charges 17 alleged members and associates of the West Coast Crips and describes a criminal enterprise that has committed five murders, numerous attempted murders, armed robberies, high-speed chases, and other violent crimes, as well as prostitution, money laundering, and importation and distribution of methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana.
Two other complaints charge 12 and 6 people, respectively, with methamphetamine trafficking conspiracies and firearms offenses. The 12-defendant complaint alleges that for at least a period of time last fall, a methamphetamine source-of-supply was using El Cajon Valley High School students to smuggle methamphetamine into the United States from Mexico. The six-defendant complaint alleges that both WCC and 5/9 Brim gang members worked together to conduct their methamphetamine and other trafficking activities.
The five murders alleged in the RICO conspiracy equate to about one-third of all gang-related murders in the city of San Diego in 2013—and about 13 percent of the overall murder tally in the entire city.
“RICO charges can be viewed as nothing less than a virtual wrecking ball crashing into the ruthless, ultra-violent West Coast Crips, a gang that has been a scourge on San Diego communities for far too long,” said U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy. “This violent gang culture has spilled over into our communities with public acts of violence, high-speed chases, and the recruitment of kids to be drug couriers. With these charges, we are restoring some peace to our residents.”
Five federal defendants are still at large, including Randy Alton Graves, the lead defendant in the racketeering case. Graves is considered armed and dangerous and believed to be driving a baby blue Mercedes with paper license plates. Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI at (858) 320-1800.
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