The alleged leader of a Chicago street gang whose nickname is “Murder” is among 23 suspects charged with federal gun and drug crimes after a long-standing investigation, authorities said Wednesday.
Darnell “Murder” McMiller, 34, is described as the leader of the Black Disciples, one of the largest gangs in the city. Several other alleged high-ranking members were also charged, including members of the gang’s “Dog Pound” faction.
Clarence, 27, allegedly leads the subset. He is accused of trafficking three pistols.
Kenneth Brown, 59, supplied the gang drugs for distribution throughout the city, and Charles Knight supplied drugs to the McMiller crew, the Justice Department said. Brown is accused of conspiring with Terrence Morris, 48, to distribute heroin in March 2019, according to a criminal complaint.
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Darnell “Murder” McMiller, 34, is the alleged leader of Chicago’s Black Disciples street gang. He was one of 23 suspects dragged into a year-long investigation into the sale of weapons and drugs on the south side of the city.
(Justice Department )
McMiller allegedly conspired with Knight, 56, to distribute heroin with fentanyl to an informant in September 2019. Another man, John Ector, 47, is charged with bank fraud.
During the investigation into the sale of weapons and drugs in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood, authorities recovered 24 firearms and multiple amounts of cocaine, heroin with fentanyl, crack, ecstasy and nearly $ 52,600 in cash, authorities said.
“While there are many things that must be done to help our city’s violent crime problem, including job creation, the provision of sound educational resources and the like, one thing that all reasonable people can agree on is that Violent criminals must be held accountable for their crimes, “US Attorney John Lausch said at a press conference on Wednesday, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
McMiller has been the target of federal authorities for years. In 2013, he was charged with three counts of distributing a controlled substance. He pleaded guilty to one count and was sentenced to eight years in prison, according to the Sun-Times.
Lausch declined to comment when asked if the 2019 murder of Lawrence “Big Law” Loggins, the former leader of the Black Disciples, impacted the investigation.
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Wednesday’s announcement comes as federal agents have been deployed to Chicago to address an increase in violent crime. Authorities said Operation Legend, which authorizes the deployment of federal forces in the cities to help local police curb violent crime, will lead to more arrests.
“The influx of federal resources under Operation Legend, announced last week, fits perfectly with this same strategy … to rid our neighborhoods of gunslingers and drug traffickers to restore the rule of law and help keep people safe,” Lausch said. .
