United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced federal criminal charges against 12 members of the No Name Demons Gang in Lincoln, Nebraska. The charges allege a firearms conspiracy; conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act); drug trafficking crimes; and multiple charges of possessing firearms in furtherance of crimes of violence and drug trafficking crimes. Some of the charged defendants, if convicted, face up to life in federal prison. Other defendants face up to 60 years in federal prison if convicted of their charges. The indictment was unsealed today and appearances by the defendants are scheduled to begin Monday, November 23, 2020, before United States Magistrate Judge Cheryl R. Zwart in Lincoln.
The indictment alleges, as part of the firearms conspiracy, the defendants stole firearms, to include a .45 caliber Smith and Wesson Tactical Handgun that was used in a homicide earlier this year, and purchased weapons illegally in order to arm juvenile members of the gang. The defendants are alleged to have used the firearms not only to further their drug trafficking but also to commit robberies of individuals in Lincoln.
The defendants are:
| Jupree Y. Hill, age 25 | Krysean Reynolds, age 19 |
| Rice A. Hill, aka “Shay”, age 18 | David L. Atem, age 20 |
| Lorenzo Anderson, aka “Peace”, age 27 | Kyce James Davis, age 18 |
| Orion J. Ross, age 19 | Yuko Joseph Gusko, age 18 |
| Tang Lian, age 19 | Isaiah James Dorsey, age 19 |
| Bryan Castillo, age 18 | Kalam K. Yiel, age 20 |
Special Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, alongside officers and investigators of the Lincoln Police Department, deputies from the United States Marshals Service, and deputies and investigators with the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, executed a series of search warrants in connection with these charges earlier today and worked together to take these defendants into custody quickly and safely. All are in custody without incident. The charges announced today are a direct result of the hard work, successful cooperation, and seamless coordination amongst all of these state and federal law enforcement partners.
U.S. Attorney Kelly praised the efforts of the Lincoln Police Department, the Lancaster County Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and other agencies for coming together on this investigation and prosecution. Kelly added, “Federal statutes provide effective tools to combat violent crimes involving firearms and the cooperation of all levels of law enforcement, as here, will keep our communities safe.”
After today’s arrests, FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel said, “Protecting the public from violent criminals is a fundamental core of the FBI’s mission. Today a violent gang has been dismantled. Working closely with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, the Lincoln Safe Streets Gang Task Force has struck a major blow against violent gang activity in the Lincoln area. We will continue to investigate, arrest, and charge violent gang members who terrorize our community. Our Safe Streets Task Force is committed to creating a higher quality of life for all residents in Lincoln by eliminating the threat of gang violence.”
Lincoln Chief of Police Jeffrey Bliemeister stated, “The collaborative efforts of federal and local law enforcement agencies combined with the support of the citizens of Lincoln are critical to impacting violent crime. We appreciate the focused work by so many talented and driven staff leading to the arrests.”
An Indictment is simply an accusation. Defendants are presumed innocent until evidence proves their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
This case was primarily investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Lincoln Police Department with operational assistance from the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Marshals Service.