The final defendant in a wide-ranging, years-long case against nearly 40 people thought to be members of the Gangster Disciples has been sentenced to 40 years in prison.
Lewis Mobley, 45, of Atlanta, was convicted in 2019 on charges of RICO conspiracy, attempted murder in aid of racketeering and using a firearm in an attempted murder, acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia Kurt Erskine said in a news release.
Mobley was charged after he shot a minor in the chest twice who he blamed for interrupting the filming of a gangster rap video.
The music video incident was one of 25 shootings that took place between 2011 and 2015 that were presented in the case, Erskine said. Eight of those were murders. The gang was also involved in multiple robberies, the extortion of rap artists to become affiliated with the gang, fraud totaling $450,000 and trafficking large amounts of illegal drugs. In the course of prosecuting the case, 33 guns were recovered.
According to Erskine, the case involved 38 defendants, including alleged high-ranking members from eight states: Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and California. The sentences collectively represent “a major achievement in our fight against gang violence,” U.S. Justice Department Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. said.
“For decades, the Gangster Disciples have destroyed communities all across the United States. The gang’s criminal activity in Atlanta included the killing of innocent people, brazen shootings, and prolific drug trafficking,” Erskine said. “We understand that the sentences issued in this case will not mend the hearts of those who lost loved ones to the crimes of the Gangster Disciples, but we do believe they will make our community safer.”
The Gangster Disciples case involved law enforcement agencies at nearly every level, including the FBI, GBI and local police. DeKalb County police Chief Mirtha Ramos and Atlanta police Chief Rodney Bryant each celebrated the sentencing of Mobley for bringing the case to a close.
“The convictions of Lewis Mobley and other defendants sends a resounding message to gang members around the country that gang activity will not be tolerated in Atlanta,” Bryant said.
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