Five members of north Minneapolis gang convicted on RICO, drugs charges
Five members of a north Minneapolis gang were convicted in federal court last week on charges including murder.
On Thursday, a federal jury convicted five members of the Highs gang on various charges. The gang operates north of West Broadway Avenue in North Minneapolis. As members of the gang, the defendants were expected to retaliate against the rival Lows gang, which operates south of West Broadway Avenue, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The members convicted are:
Tyreese Giles, 24
Trevaun Robinson, 29
William Banks, 35
Gregory Brown, 35
Josiah Taylor, 31
Giles, Robinson, Banks and Brown were convicted on federal RICO conspiracy charges.
Giles was also convicted of committing a murder on behalf of the gang on Sept. 9, 2021, when he traveled to a store in Lows territory and fatally shot a Lows member, an apparent retaliatory attack to the killing of a Highs member just a few hours earlier at a Minneapolis barbershop.
Taylor was convicted of conspiring to distribute controlled substances and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
'The Highs have long terrorized north Minneapolis, bringing drugs, violence, and murder into our community,' Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson said in a statement.
'This verdict represents yet another step in our fight against gang violence. I want to thank the coalition of federal, state, and local law enforcement partners who joined together to investigate and prosecute this violent criminal street gang. I also want to thank the Justice Department's Violent Crime & Racketeering Section for lending their expertise and partnering with the U.S. Attorney's Office on our RICO cases.'
The trial was the second of back-to-back trials involving members of the Highs gang. The third trial will begin Monday. In total, more than 40 defendants are charged in the case.
This story was originally reported by Bring Me The News on Jun 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
28 minutes ago
- New York Post
Virginia man who cheered ‘political assassinations' pleads guilty after 150 pipe bombs are seized from home
A Virginia man charged with stockpiling the largest number of finished explosives in FBI history and accused of making threatening comments about politicians has pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of an unregistered short barrel rifle and possession of unregistered destructive devices. Authorities seized around 150 pipe bombs and other explosive devices from Brad Spafford's home near Norfolk last fall, according to court documents. Spafford was also accused by prosecutors of using former President Joe Biden's photo for target practice, saying 'he believed political assassinations should be brought back' and telling someone shortly after President Donald Trump's assassination attempt, 'Bro, I hope the shooter doesn't miss Kamala,' according to an informant. The investigation into Spafford began in 2023, when the informant, who is in law enforcement, told authorities Spafford was stockpiling ammunition and weapons. Authorities found a highly unstable explosive material in a freezer next to frozen foods and more explosive material inside a backpack that said '#NoLivesMatter' while searching his home in December. Spafford has remained in custody since his arrest in December, when a judge ruled he had 'shown the capacity for extreme danger.' He originally pleaded not guilty in January, and his defense argued he should be released because he had a steady job and no criminal record. Federal agents seized a stockpile of homemade explosives in Brad Spafford's home. AP This image provided by U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Virginia shows a rifle seized when they arrested Spafford. AP Spafford, who is married with two young daughters, lost three fingers in a homemade explosives accident in 2021, the judge noted. Spafford could face 10 years in prison on each charge and is scheduled to be sentenced in December.
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Yahoo
Authorities suspend ground search for northern Minnesota man missing for weeks
Authorities suspend ground search for northern Minnesota man missing for weeks originally appeared on Bring Me The News. The Cook County Sheriff's Office has suspended a ground search for a 40-year-old northern Minnesota man who's been missing since the beginning of July. Gene Doherty was last seen leaving his mother's home near Silver Bay on July 1. His vehicle, a 2009 Ford Edge, was found on July 11 on Brule Lake Road between Cascade Lake and Little Cascade Lake, part of the Superior National Forest. The sheriff's office says it's suspending the ground search for Doherty due to challenging terrain, limited resources, and a lack of results from search and rescue operations. For the past week, authorities have focused on the 451-acre Cascade Lake, where a detection dog pinpointed Doherty's scent at the public boat landing, with crews using boats and sonar to search the water and shoreline. 'We've had a great search and rescue group,' Cook County Sheriff Pat Eliasen told WTIP. "They give it everything." The sheriff's office plans to continue searching Cascade Lake every day until July 22. After that, crews will reassess and "maybe try something else," the sheriff told the Grand Marais-based radio station. "We're going to keep it up as long as we can, as long as resources hold out, and as long as we can get people to do it," Eliasen said. The Cook County Sheriff's Office, Cook County Search and Rescue, the U.S. Forest Service, and St. Louis County Search and Rescue have been assisting in the search and rescue effort. Anyone with information should contact the Lake County Sheriff's Office at 218-834-8385, or 911. Note: The details provided in this story are based on law enforcement's latest version of events, and may be subject to change. This story was originally reported by Bring Me The News on Jul 18, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Leader of notorious Mass. gang sentenced to prison following decade of violence
A 26-year-old former leader of a notorious Massachusetts gang known for a decade of bloodshed was sentenced to prison Wednesday. Aaron Diaz Liranzo, also known as 'Sosa,' was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Nathaniel M. Gorton to 14 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Diaz Liranzo was arrested and charged in February when authorities said he was the leader of the Lynn Chapter of the Trinitarios gang. He pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy, or conspiring to participate in criminal operations in a pattern of illegal activity, in March. He was one of at least 22 active gang members who were charged with state or federal crimes earlier this year. He was the sixth gang member charged to plead guilty. The charges stem from a slew of organized criminal activities in Massachusetts over the past decade, including the murders of six people and the attempted killings of 11 others. In February, officials called the indictments a 'significant blow' to the criminal enterprise. Diaz Liranzo was the leader of the Lynn Chapter from at least 2021 until 2025, called 'the Primera' or 'Number One,' according to the U.S. District Attorney's Office. The 26-year-old admitted to participating in a shooting outside of a Lynn nightclub in March 2019, where he shot at three people inside a car, the office said. Two people were severely injured, though both survived. The shooting was planned to target rival gang members and the victims were lured there by another gang member who 'posed as a woman who needed a ride,' the district attorney's office said. Massachusetts Trinitarios have committed multiple homicides in Essex County over the past decade and are believed to be responsible for numerous attempted murders, shootings, kidnappings and robberies, the district attorney's office said. More News Mass. beach closures: Here are the beaches closed on Thursday, July 17 GoFundMe campaigns set up for family of Fall River man killed in police shooting Social Security implementing big change this fall. Here's how benefits will be affected Springfield weekend homicide victim identified as 35-year-old resident Fall River funeral home offers free services for Gabriel House fire victims Read the original article on MassLive.
