ST. LOUIS — Federal prosecutors announced Thursday that more than two dozen people connected with a group called the "Black Mafia Family" were arrested this week on charges including money laundering, bank fraud, weapons charges and drug distribution.
Thirty-four people face federal charges ranging from pandemic loan fraud to money laundering and distribution of methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine and heroin in connection with the investigation, according to a news release from federal authorities.
"The scale of this Midwest criminal operation is uncommon," said Michael A. Davis, the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration's division that leads investigations in Missouri, Kansas and Southern Illinois. "It's no wonder that it took the combined resources of federal, state and local law enforcement to bring the operation to an end."Â
Those charged include Chad E. "JBo" Brown, 51, who is accused of bank fraud and submitting a false form to get a pandemic business loan. Court documents say Brown described himself as the "junior boss" of the mafia family in a video on social media.Â
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Carl Von Garrett, 53, was indicted alongside four others and accused of laundering nearly $1 million in drug proceeds between March and May 2021.Â
Others, including Robert "Honest" Sims, 40 and Jeremy "Welo" Steele, were accused of distributing hundreds of grams of drugs, and Samir Simpson-Bey, 37, was indicted on one count of distributing more than 40 grams of fentanyl.Â
Others are charged with weapons offenses and drug distribution.Â