Members of 'Bloods' gang are indicted

Fifteen suspected members and associates of the “Bloods” gang have been indicted on federal firearms, drug and robbery charges – the third time in two years that authorities have targeted gangs and their criminal activities in Charlotte.

The 41-count indictment, unsealed Wednesday, alleges that the gang members were selling cocaine, heroin and marijuana, operating a “crack house” on Dundeen Street in Charlotte, committing robberies and illegally using and possessing firearms.

Thirteen of the 15 suspects, with nick names like “Dawg,” “Wad,” “Brother Man,” “B-Dog” and “Monk,” were rounded up Wednesday morning and are in federal custody.

The indictment followed a six-month investigation by the FBI and Charlotte-Mecklenburg police.

“Today's indictment underscores our ongoing commitment to eradicate violent drug gangs,” U.S. Attorney Gretchen Shappert said. “Law enforcement partnerships are critical to our success.”

It's the third time since 2007 that federal prosecutors have sought similar indictments against gang members in Charlotte.

In March of 2007, members of the Hidden Valley Kings, Charlotte's most notorious home-grown gang, were indicted in federal court. The gang members were sentenced to long prison terms in December.

Last June, members of MS-13, a violent gang with roots in El Salvador, were indicted. The case is scheduled for trial in June.

“We have shown that when agencies work together, we have the power to bring down entire gangs,” Nathan Gray, who heads the FBI in North Carolina, said. “We will continue to do all we can to make sure people walk through their neighborhoods and not fear gang violence.”

The indictment identified the defendants as members or associates of the Bloods or narcotics suppliers of the gang.

The gang members are accused of conducting the bulk of their drug trafficking and other criminal activity in the area along Beatties Ford Road, between Capps Hill Mine Road and Brookshire Boulevard. They bought and sold narcotics in and around dwellings often referred to by the defendants as “the Spot,” “the Trap,” “Daddy's House,” and “the Dungeon,” according to the indictment.

Another source of the gang's income, the indictment alleges, came from robberies of other drug dealers where both drugs and drug proceeds were obtained by violence and intimidation.

“Today's operation impacts the entire city,” Policed Chief Rodney Monroe said. “The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, and all of its law enforcement partners, will continue to work extremely hard to remove the fear and intimidation caused by gangs in our neighborhoods. Our strategy is to root out this type of criminal activity.”