THE BREAKDOWN: Federal prosecutors have charged 26 individuals tied to Rhode Island street gangs, alleging they ran a decade-long criminal enterprise responsible for murder, drug trafficking, and widespread financial fraud.
Federal authorities in Rhode Island have charged nearly three dozen people in a major crackdown on local street gangs. First Assistant United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda, alongside local and federal law enforcement leaders, announced a federal indictment against 26 individuals. The charges target a sprawling criminal enterprise allegedly made up of the East Side gang, the Congress gang, and several of their subsets and associates. Three additional defendants face related charges.
According to court documents, this group operated across Providence, Pawtucket, and Central Falls for more than ten years, dating back to at least 2013. Prosecutors state that the members worked together to advance the organization’s interests through a mix of street violence, drug dealing, and financial fraud.
The indictment details a long list of violent acts, including murder, conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, assault, and armed robbery. To fund these activities, the group allegedly relied heavily on drug trafficking. Law enforcement officials state that enterprise members distributed large quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, marijuana, and Percocet throughout the region, using the drug market as a primary income stream…