Infamous Gangster Disciples founder Larry Hoover is set to appear in court for the first time in decades Thursday as his long-shot bid to win freedom comes to a head at Chicago’s federal courthouse.
Hoover, 73, had initially been scheduled to appear in person at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, but U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey later said he would be linked via videoconference, citing “logistical and safety concerns.”
The 1 p.m. hearing is a crucial step in Hoover’s yearslong quest to win early release from his federal sentence under the First Step law passed in 2018, which has already led to reduced sentences for several of his co-defendants.
Federal prosecutors have vehemently opposed such a break for Hoover, arguing he has continued to hold sway over the gang’s hierarchy from the federal “Supermax” prison in Florence, Colorado, even secretly communicating with an underling through coded messages hidden in a dictionary.
In a new motion just hours ahead of the hearing, prosecutors alleged that during a prison visit with his common law wife in August, Hoover asked if his lawyers wanted him to bring a copy of the “Blueprint” to Thursday’s hearing, which the U.S. Bureau of Prisons considers “a blueprint for how to organize a prison gang,” including governing principles, methods of discipline, and a membership application.