CHICAGO — Eighteen members of the Black Disciples gang were charged with federal gun and drug violations, the FBI said Friday.
Sixteen defendants were arrested Thursday, one was apprehended Friday and another is still on the loose, as FBI agents cracked down on drug and gun trafficking in the Altgeld Gardens neighborhood. The agency's Safe Streets Gang Task Force worked with Chicago police to arrest 12 suspects; two were found in Wisconsin, one in Iowa and two others in Indiana.
Sixteen men were charged with possession of a controlled substance, including crack cocaine and heroin, or with federal gun violations. Two others were charged in federal court in Hammond, Ind., with distribution of a controlled substance or a firearms violations.
The men charged with gun violations are Walter Blackman, aka "Gangster," 50, of the 8600 block of Lakewood Ave., Hammond, Ind.; Adbullah Brewer, aka "Dullah," 25, of the 6500 block of South Ashland Avenue; Jeffrey Brewer, aka "Mac," 23, of the 12000 block of South Michigan Avenue; Jamaal Crawford, 30, of the 3100 block of East 80th Street; Stephan Gwin, 34, of the 500 block of East 144th Place, Dolton; Antoine Harris, aka "Poo," 25, of the 13900 block of South Wentworth Avenue, Riverdale; Darious Harris, aka "Buddha," 21, of the 11700 block of South Michigan Avenue; Levertis Logan, 26, of the 14700 block of South Beachview Terrace, Dolton; Wallace Muhammad, 35, of the 14200 block of South Maryland Avenue; Leshawn Price, 20, of the 3100 block of Butler Street, Springfield; Marlon Shannon, aka "Chuck," 42, of the 14400 block of South Bensely Avenue, Burnham; Christopher Williams, aka "Big C," 30, of the 4600 block of West Jackson Street, and Brian Washington, 26, of the 400 block of Johnson Street, Gary, Ind.
Blackman also was hit with a federal gun charge.
Also facing gun charges in Chicago are Blackman's brother, Ken Blackman, 29, with no known permanent address; Anthony Green, aka "Ant," 43, of the 7100 block of South Calumet Avenue, and James Jones, aka "Solo," 36, of the 700 block of West 116th Place. Christopher Derrick, 54, of the 2400 block of West 86th Avenue in Merrillville, Ind., was charged in Indiana.
Ken Blackman avoided capture Thursday and is still at large, the FBI said.
The agency said the charges are the result of an ongoing effort by state, local and federal authorities to crack down on gun and drug trafficking in the Chicago area. Agents used "sophisticated physical surveillance techniques," as well as drug buys and phone taps to ensnare the defendants, the FBI said.
So far, authorities have recovered more than 1.3 kilograms of crack cocaine, .44 kilograms of heroin and 39 firearms, the FBI said.
All the defendants except one have appeared in court in Chicago, Indiana or Iowa, and were ordered held without bond. If convicted, they face maximum sentences of 20 to 40 years and life in prison. Drug charges also carry maximum fines ranging from $1 million to $10 million.
