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Prosecutors Announce Largest Federal Murder Indictment In Ohio History
By: Karen Kasler | Statehouse News Bureau
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Prosecutors and law enforcement in central Ohio are talking about what they say is the largest federal murder indictment in Ohio history. Seventeen alleged members of the Short North Posse are accused of 12 unsolved murders and 23 attempted murders in six central Ohio cities since 2005.
They’re accused of committing those crimes to control the gang’s reputation and territory.
"This gang has been hit significantly," said Carter Stewart, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Ohio. "This gang was also prosecuted in the mid-to-late 90s as well, so there have been multiple hits on this gang. We can't say it's been decimated, we can't say it's been dismantled, that's our goal, but I can tell you they've taken a significant hit, especially on their enforcement side."
Stewart said those gang members named in the indictment referred to themselves as the Cut Throat Committee and the Homicide Squad, and that they also threatened or intimidated witnesses to keep them from talking to police.
The indictment is the result of a two-year investigation involving the US Attorney’s office, the FBI, the DEA, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Columbus Police and the sheriff’s offices in Franklin and Fairfield Counties.