More than a dozen people sentenced in federal investigation targeting the 4k street gang in the city of Alachua
Press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The last of 12 federal defendants was sentenced for drug trafficking and firearm charges related to a joint federal and state investigation into the 4K criminal street gang in the city of Alachua. The sentences were announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“Our law enforcement partners’ concerted investigation and prosecution of violent crime – here acts of murder and retaliatory gun violence by rival gang members – is central to our mission to protect the public,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “The sentences imposed in this investigation, some spanning multiple decades, illustrate our shared resolve to keep our communities safe and the significant consequences associated with gun violence by gang-affiliated drug traffickers.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Safe Streets Task Force began an investigation of the 4K gang following a number of gang-related shootings in the city of Alachua in 2018. The FBI worked with the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office and the Alachua Police Department to investigate the initial shooting and numerous other shootings thereafter. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) aided through investigation of 4K’s drug-trafficking activity. Between February 22, 2020, and May 20, 2020, the United States Attorney’s Office, FBI, and DEA obtained six court-authorized Title III wiretaps on cellphones used by members of the drug-trafficking conspiracy. On May 20, 2020, federal search warrants were executed, and four individuals were federally arrested, with others being indicted in June and August 2020.
The federally sentenced defendants, which include 4K gang members and associates, as well as people selling drugs to the 4K gang, were:
- Roddrae Antonio Williams, 32, Alachua, Florida, 480 months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release.
- Elboric Quadarius Robinson, 32, Alachua, Florida, 336 months in prison, followed by 8 years of supervised release.
- Decoda Kadarrell King, 36, Williston, Florida, 168 months in prison, followed by 8 years of supervised release.
- Eric Jermaine Williams, 42, Gainesville, Florida, 104 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release.
- Daniel Heath Willis, 30, Alachua, Florida, 96 months in prison, followed by 8 years of supervised release.
- Morris Cordell Robinson, Jr., 58, Alachua, Florida, 78 months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release.
- Gregory Lavough Williams, Jr., 44, Yorba Linda, California, 48 months in prison, followed by 4 years of supervised release.
- Rakeidra Alexandria Neal, 33, Gainesville, Florida, 14.5 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release.
- Rayme Herhandez, 47, Morriston, Florida, 12 months and 1 day in prison, followed by 8 years of supervised release.
- Tomeka Necole Bryant, 44, Gainesville, Florida, 12 months and 1 day in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release.
- Edward Lashawn Garrison, Jr., 27, Fort White, Florida, 10 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
- Lorenza Durr, 33, Alachua, Florida, 8 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
“The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office recognizes the grave threats posed by drug trafficking and firearm violations,” said Sheriff Emery Gainey. “We understand that multi-agency cooperation is not merely a strategy but an essential approach to addressing these challenges. Together, we stand united in our mission to protect our neighborhoods and uphold the rule of law.”
“The sentencing of Roddrae Williams brings to a close a years-long joint investigation involving multiple law enforcement and investigative partners… The cooperation between these agencies resulted in the successful prosecution of these 12 individuals who terrorized our local communities,” said Alachua Police Chief Jesse J. Sandusky. “We are thankful for the assistance we received from our partners and hope that this can help bring closure to the victims’ families.”
Charges by the Eighth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office were brought against the following:
- Hakiem Brockman, 25, West Palm Beach, Florida, pled nolo contendere to second-degree murder with discharge of a firearm causing death, conspiracy to commit first degree murder, and four counts of attempted murder in the first degree with discharge of a firearm. Brockman was sentenced to 35 years in prison, 25 of which will be served day-for-day.
- McKenzley Edwards, 30, Alachua, Florida, pled nolo contendere to six counts of attempted second degree murder with discharge of a firearm and actual possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, tampering with a witness, victim, or informant, and one count of conspiracy to commit first degree murder (premeditated) and attempted murder. Edwards was sentenced to 25 years in prison, 20 of which will be served day-for-day.
- Kenzel Edwards, 28, Alachua, Florida, pled nolo contendere to three counts of attempted second degree murder with a firearm and was sentenced to 15 years in prison, 10 of which will be served day-for-day.
- Jeffery Robinson, Jr., 29, Alachua, Florida, pled nolo contendere to accessory after the fact to murder and was sentenced to 5 years in prison.
- Roddrae Williams, 32, Alachua, Florida, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit first degree murder (premeditated) and is pending sentencing.
“Each of these violent felony offenders posed a significant risk to the safety of our community. Thanks to the professional, expert work of this task force and our prosecutors, this community will be protected from further violence by these offenders,” said Brian Kramer, State Attorney for the Eighth Judicial Circuit.
“These sentencings demonstrate the FBI’s relentless determination to eradicate drug-fueled gang violence that is plaguing communities,” said FBI Jacksonville Acting Special Agent in Charge Mark Dargis. “Disrupting organizations like this one is a critical part of the FBI mission, and we will use every legal means available to hold accountable those who threaten our neighborhoods. The rule of law is not optional, and we want to make clear to other gangs operating in our communities: the FBI and our local, state, and federal partners are coming for you, and the violence won’t be tolerated.”
“DEA’s top priority is protecting the safety and health of our Florida communities. Drug trafficking and associated violence puts our communities in danger,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “The DEA Miami Field Division remains committed to working with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to reduce violent crime, remove dangerous drugs from our streets, and hold those responsible for distributing this poison in our communities accountable for their actions.”
These convictions were the result of a joint investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, Alachua Police Department, Gainesville Police Department, University of Florida Police Department, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ocala Police Department. The federal cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain, and the state cases were prosecuted by Assistant State Attorney Daniel Owen.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.
Makes you wonder why this type of operation hasn’t been done in Wokeville just how much is the city tying the hands of GPD
Glad to see these animals get Federal time. They will serve the time. The trials and sentencing took more than three years but at least the community will not see these 12 for a while. Good riddens. Good work by law enforcement and prosecutors.
I have to believe all the above is a work of fiction. Why? Because for decades all my local officials have been swearing “there are no gangs here.”
I must believe the officials, right?
Like on Jan. 14, 2019, when a Alachua Police Dept. spokesman named Sandusky told TV-20 on camera that there are no gangs operating in Alachua.
I feel so much safer, knowing that ’56’, Alachua’s rival gang to the ‘4K’ gang, does not exist either and will not take over the turf monopoly with all their 4K rivals in jail. Whew!
These thugs are going nowhere but to a life of
prison and costing the taxpayers to care for them while in jail. Give them hard labor.
How lovely. Thank you, Feds for doing what our local loser judges and lawyers couldn’t.
🤔 That can’t be right. The demographics are all wrong if you ask Al, Ben, or even Joe.
Maybe they should appeal. Don’t let those mentioned above fool you. It is predominantly a segment of society committing the most crime and it’s apparent in the statistics as well as the streets.
Dang! We got’s gangs! Shame Lonnie couldn’t figure it out.
It is sad to see the name of a man I remember from my Pop Warner days in Alachua. A life wasted is a shame, but he had other options. My hope is that he changes while in prison.
Funny that ASO Sheriff Emery Gainey is taking credit for this and bragging about the good work ASO did on this matter. All this investigation was done before October 2023 when he took office.
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Reminds some of us of the article in the Chronicle February 7, 2022.
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“Alachua County Sheriff’s Office “removed” from DEA task force; Watson responds by withdrawing all deputies from joint task forces”
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“Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ASO) has been removed from the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) task force, and the responsibilities and funding will be transferred to Gainesville Police Department (GPD). Since then, Sheriff Clovis Watson, Jr., has withdrawn from four other joint task forces with local and federal agencies.”
Cynics in Alachua, without any concrete proof, just rumors, joked it was because DEA did not trust Alachua homeboy Watson and his Alachua lackey underlings to not tip off their Alachua homeboy buddies in the 4K gang. Then a bunch of subpoenas were served at ASO HQ, which we still do not know about. Then Clovie quit. Makes the cynics wonder some more. Hmmmm. . .
Nah, can’t be. Crooked cops only exist in Grade B Hollywood movie scripts.
These Doo Doo hair Doos are a pattern of concern for public safety. What’s up with that?
Hopefully there will be a few less innocent people killed by fentanyl and other poison in the Alachua area in coming months.
Innocent people killed by fentanyl?? Do you mean drug users who commit crimes to support their habits??
NOW LETS BUST THOSE DRUGS HOUSES OUT IN HAILE PLANTATION!!!