Three Leaders Of The Detroit Branch Of The Vice Lord Nation Gang Sentenced For Racketeering Conspiracy
Friday, December 27, 2024, 10:15 A.M. ET. 3 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
DETROIT, MI.- On Thursday, December 26, 2024, U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison reported that earlier this week, three members of the Detroit branch of the Almighty Vice Lord Nation gang appeared in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan and were sentenced to decades in federal prison after being convicted on April 23, 2024, of RICO Conspiracy for murder, drug trafficking, and weapons charges.
During the trial, the U.S. Attorney’s Office presented evidence that proved the Almighty Vice Lord Nation was a vast criminal enterprise that committed acts of violence, drug trafficking, weapons offenses, and other crimes across the United States. The Almighty Vice Lord Nation is divided into different branches, each with its own leadership that answers to a “Board,” in Chicago, Illinois.
The trial, which took place in U.S. District Court before U.S. District Court Judge Jonathan J.C. Grey, involved members of the Traveling Vice Lords, which are based in Detroit, Michigan.
Judge Sentences To All Three To Decades In Federal Prison
During this week’s sentencing hearing, Terry Douglas, 44, of Detroit, Michigan, who held the title of “Chief” and was the leader of the Michigan Traveling Vice Lords, was sentenced to 720 months in federal prison. Schuyler Belew, 31, of Detroit, Michigan, who held the title of “Universal Elite” and was the leader of the Detroit Traveling Vice Lords, was also sentenced to 720 months in federal prison.
Devon Baskerville, 34, of Detroit, Michigan, who held the title of “Chief Enforcer” for the Traveling Vice Lords, was sentenced to 840 months in federal prison.
Evidence Presented At Trial
The evidence at trial showed that these three members of the Almighty Vice Lord Nation worked together to further the Enterprise, which involved other members in committing racketeering acts such as murder, narcotics trafficking, and witness intimidation.
The jury heard testimony about a brazen shooting that took place in broad daylight at a Detroit public park. In that shooting, Baskerville, acting on orders from Douglas and Belew, executed an individual suspected of cooperating with law enforcement and attempted to murder the individual’s girlfriend when he shot several times into her vehicle as she tried to flee. Also in the vehicle were her two young children, who miraculously escaped injury. The girlfriend, who was pregnant at the time, was struck multiple times by gunfire but survived the shooting.
The jury also convicted Lawon Carter of drug trafficking and weapons offenses. Carter has been scheduled to be sentenced on April 28, 2025.
“The sentences handed down in this case should send a clear message to violent offenders who terrorize our neighborhoods: we won’t stop until you are brought to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Ison. “It is my sincere hope that these sentences bring some closure to the victim’s family.”
