The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, along with state and federal officials, announced they've arrested 10 individuals (9 men and 1 woman) who were part of a violent street gang.
Two of the men, Henry Hayes, 18, and Kquame Richardson, 18, were both arrested and charged with the murder of 22-month-old Aiden McClendon. On Thursday, police announced RICO charges will be added to their rap sheet.
"I wouldn't say that this particular incident, the Aiden McClendon case, actually started it, but it was a big step forward in that case where we really started to take a hard look and see a lot of the same players and begin to make the connection of them being involved in the same type of organization," said Sheriff Mike Williams with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.
The two involved in McClendon's murder, plus eight other individuals, were all part of a violent street gang which called itself Problem Child Entertainment (PCE). It masqueraded as an entertainment company, but its members committed violent crimes including murder, attempted murder, aggravated battery, armed robbery, theft, and drug sales.
Police worked with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the State Attorney's Office for over a year to bring this violent gang's "reign of terror" to an end.
Williams said that though there are always additional players that affiliate themselves with gangs, the investigation efforts were focused on those who were most dangerous and those were committing the dangerous crimes within the gang.
The Aiden case is just one murder confirmed to be affiliated with the PCE gang. NIBIN was used on shell casings found at the murder scene to help connect the men arrested to the murder.
"We've disabled an organization that as the Sheriff has told you has committed crimes throughout the community," State Attorney Melissa Nelson said.
JSO announcing the arrest of 10 gang members as part of yr long investigation. Two members have been charged in death of 22-month-old Aiden McClendon from Jan. 2016. pic.twitter.com/uHnQy1jGhZ
— Jason Rantala (@jarantala) November 16, 2017
The following people have been arrested in this case have had prior arrests:
- Henry Lee Hayes, 18:
- Arrested/Charged on Nov. 10, 2017 - second degree murder charge, attempted murder in the first degree, discharging a firearm from a vehicle, shooting or throwing a deadly missile, possession of a weapon or ammunition by Florida delinquent adult felony, battery in a detention facility, violation of the Rico Statute, conspiracy to violate the Rico Statute.
- Kquame Riquan Richardson, 18:
- Arrested/Charged on Nov. 10, 2017 - violation of racketeering laws, conspiracy to violate the Rico Statute, conspiracy to violate the Rico Statute.
- Andrew Ricardo Fuller, 20:
- Arrested/Charged on Nov. 10, 2017 - violation of racketeering laws, conspiracy to violate the Rico Statute
- Arrested/Charged on June 10, 2017 - no valid driver's license, armed robbery
- Arrested/Charged on June 24, 2016 - trespass other than structure or conveyance
- Rashon Verdell Jackson, 20:
- Arrested/Charged on Nov. 10, 2017 - fraud - false pretenses/swindle
- Arrested/Charged on Aug. 31, 2016 - possession of marijuana with the intent to sell/deliver within a specified area
- Arrested/Charged on Feb. 2, 2016 - loitering or prowling, resisting officer without violence to his or her person
- Arrested/Charged on Oct. 29, 2015 - no valid driver's license, side window sunscreen, driving without a seatbelt
- Danny Juwan Hadden, 20:
- Arrested/Charged on Nov. 10, 2017 - violation of racketeering laws, conspiracy to violate the Rico Statute
- Arrested/Charged on Aug. 1, 2017 - possession of weapon or ammunition by gang-related felon or delinquent, burglary, resisting officer without violence to his or her person, no valid driver's license, driving without a seatbelt
- Arrested/Charged on Feb. 7, 2016 - possession of a firearm by adjudicated delinquent, possession of a firearm, weapon or ammunition by a convicted felon
- Arrested/Charged on Sept. 19, 2015 - theft of a motor vehicle, resisting an officer without violence, driving without a seatbelt
- Tezmond Mitchell, 19:
- Arrested/Charged on July 27, 2017 - simple assault and battery
- Arrested/Charged on July 12, 2017 - battery (touch or strike), battery (causes bodily harm)
- Arrested/Charged on May 9, 2017 - possession of over 20 grams of marijuana
- Cynthia Keshenry Hayes, 21:
- Arrested/Charged on Nov. 10, 2017 - fraud with false pretenses to swindle
- Arrested/Charged on Aug. 31, 2016 - possession of a weapon or ammunition by gang-related felon or delinquent
- Arrested/Charged on Feb. 7, 2016 - violation of probation or parole
- Arrested/Charged on May 26, 2015 - grand theft
- Jalyn Keyon Baker, 20:
- Arrested/Charged on Nov. 10, 2017 - violation of racketeering laws, conspiracy to violate the Rico Statute
- Arrested/Charged on Dec. 8, 2015 - violation of probation or parole
- Arrested/Charged on Dec. 7, 2015 - armed robbery with a firearm or deadly weapon, possession of a firearm, weapon or ammunition by a convicted felon, tampering or fabricating evidence, burglary or conveyance, battery in a detention facility
- Arrested/Charged on May 18, 2015 - making threats, possession of a weapon or ammunition by Florida delinquent adult felony
- Monteco Devante Brown, 20:
- Arrested/Charged on Feb. 7, 2016 - possession of a weapon or ammunition by a gang-related felon or delinquent, carrying a concealed firearm, attempted murder in the first degree, shooting or throwing deadly missiles into a dwelling, fleeing or attempting to elude after a crash - aggravated and property damage or injury, accident; failed to give information and left the scene, property damage/attended vehicle, resisting officer without violence.
- Arrested/Charged on Aug. 19, 2015 - possession of weapon or ammunition by Florida delinquent adult felony, trespass other than structure or conveyance, resisting officer without violence, battery in a detention facility.
- Charles Ben Howell, 19:
- Arrested/Charged on Nov. 9, 2017 - violation of the Rico Statute, conspiracy to violate the Rico Statute
- Arrested/Charged on March 8, 2016 - drugs, narcotics, traffic offense
- Arrested/Charged on Jan. 20, 2017 - give/receive any contraband into county detention facility
- Arrested/Charged on Aug. 25, 2016 - carrying a concealed firearm
- Arrested/Charged on Feb. 7, 2016 - impeding traffic, no valid driver's license, side window sunscreen, possesion of not more than 20 grams of marijuana.