Los Angeles, California - Thirteen members of an Inglewood street gang have been charged in a series of indictments returned by a federal grand jury, it was announced Wednesday by United States Attorney Nicola T. Hanna in Los Angeles; Assistant Director in Charge Paul Delacourt of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office; and the Inglewood Chief of Police Mark Fronterotta.
The majority of the defendants were arrested during the past week; seven of whom were arrested on Tuesday, October 30, 2018. Four were arrested last year.
Based on a joint investigation by members of the FBI’s Los Angeles Metropolitan Task Force on Violent Gangs and the Inglewood Police Department, the Inglewood Family Gang was identified as a violent street gang with ties to gangs outside of the Los Angeles area.
The Inglewood Family Gang evolved from a local Inglewood street gang to an organized national criminal enterprise with known cliques in New York, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Oklahoma, Missouri, North Carolina, Kentucky, Texas, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.
Task force investigators have determined that members and associates of the gang used established cliques to traffic firearms; powder cocaine; crack cocaine; methamphetamine; and other narcotics, while engaging in violent crimes.
Over the course of the investigation, task force members working with the Inglewood Police Department, executed controlled purchases through which they acquired firearms; cocaine; ecstasy; and methamphetamine.
The individuals charged in multiple indictments are listed below. The charges they each face and their status is also listed.
Byron Sumlin, aka “Busy” or “Bizzy,” 45, of the Gramercy Park section of Los Angeles, was charged with unlawfully engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license. Sumlin was arrested on Tuesday, October 30, 2018, and is in federal custody.
Jason Inge, aka “J-Rush,” 31, of Inglewood, was charged with cocaine distribution and aiding and abetting, and with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Inge was arrested by the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office on Tuesday, October 30, 2018, and is in federal custody there. The government will seek to remove Inge to Los Angeles for prosecution.
Terrence Hale, aka, “T,” 51, of Gardena, was charged with cocaine and methamphetamine distribution and aiding and abetting. Hale was arrested Tuesday, October 30, 2018, and is in federal custody.
Ralph Adrian Williams, 33, of Long Beach, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Williams was arrested on Tuesday, October 30, 2018, and is in federal custody.
Hafoka Netane, aka “T-Blue,” 33, of Hawthorne, was charged with cocaine distribution and aiding and abetting. Netane was arrested on Tuesday, October 30, 2018, and is in federal custody.
Ronald Anthony Miller, aka “Get Down” or “Fetti,” 29, of Inglewood, was charged with cocaine distribution and aiding and abetting. Miller was arrested on Tuesday, October 30, 2018, and is expected to make an initial appearance on Wednesday, October 31, 2018.
Agyei Hasani Covington aka “Little J-Byrd,” 39, of Inglewood, was charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine; distribution of methamphetamine and aiding and abetting. Covington was arrested in Compton on Tuesday, October 30, 2018, and is expected to be in court on Wednesday, October 31, 2018.
Justin Jackson, aka “Baby Taco,” 23, of Gardena, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Jones is expected to be transferred from state custody to federal custody later this week and will make an initial appearance in federal court.
Charles Armstead, aka “Green Eyes,” 37, of San Bernardino, was charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine; distribution of methamphetamine and aiding and abetting. Armstead was arrested on Monday, October 29, 2018, and is in federal custody.
Victoria Sanders, 50, of Inglewood, was charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine; distribution of controlled substances and aiding and abetting. Sanders pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.
Eddie Lee Jackson, aka “Coco,” 54, of Inglewood, was charged with distribution of cocaine base in the form of crack cocaine. Sanders was arrested last year and is awaiting trial.
Derick Butler, aka “D-Wise,” 31, of Inglewood, was charged with being a felon in possession of firearms. Butler pleaded guilty and was sentenced to one year and a day imprisonment.
Chad Jones, 28, of Inglewood, was charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine; distribution of controlled substances and aiding and abetting. Jones transfer from state custody to federal custody is pending.
A fourteenth subject of the investigation, Dayquan Travion Ware, 28, of Los Angeles, is currently being held for a probation violation. Ware was arrested on Tuesday, October 30, 2018, and is in state custody. He is not currently facing federal charges.
Unless otherwise noted, those arrested over the past several days made an initial appearance before a federal magistrate in United States District Court in Los Angeles and were remanded to federal custody. As noted, defendants Miller and Covington will be in court today for an initial appearance.
This is a continuing investigation.
If convicted of the charges in the various indictments, the defendants face a statutory maximum sentence ranging from 10 years to life in federal prison.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
