His nickname was Smurf. But Donald Glass was a leader in a violent gang, turning teenagers into killers and plotting the shooting deaths of at least 10 people, according to federal prosecutors.
Glass was one of two leaders of the Gangster Disciples given hefty sentences in federal prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Friday. Glass, 30, of Decatur, was sentenced to life plus 10 years in prison for his crimes, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Bobby Christine. A second gang member, Shauntay Craig, 42, of Birmingham, Alabama, was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
“Members of the Gangster Disciples left a trail of death and destruction across Georgia and much of the United States,” Christine said in an emailed statement. “The sentence for these two gang leaders sends a resounding message to those who seek to inflict irreparable harm on their communities in furtherance of a violent gang. It should reassure citizens that we will use every asset we have to abolish gang activity.”
Credit: Hyosub Shin
Credit: Hyosub Shin
According to federal investigators, the highly structured Gangster Disciples are a national gang with roots in Chicago dating to the 1970s. In September 2016, 22 Georgians were named in a massive federal indictment filed in Atlanta targeting gang members in 24 states.
Evidence at trials showed that the Gangster Disciples were responsible for 24 shootings from 2011 through 2015, including 12 murders, according to Christine’s office.
Glass was among members of the Gangster Disciples convicted of racketeering conspiracy involving murder in May 2019. Craig, also known as Shake, was convicted three months later.
“The Gangster Disciples are a ruthless gang that preyed upon our communities for far too long, and Craig and Glass were the driving force behind the devastation the gang caused,” Chris Hacker, special agent in charge of FBI Atlanta, said in an emailed statement. “It is our goal to dismantle these organized, violent criminal enterprises and we could not do it without the efforts of the FBI-led Safe Streets Gang Task Force and its state and local partners.”
Glass led the “H.A.T.E.” committee for the gang, tasked with enforcing the violence, according to investigators. In his role, Glass ordered his band of teenage shooters to kill at least 10 people. Craig served as a board member, the highest-ranking position in the Gangster Disciples. Prosecutors said he was responsible for violence, drug trafficking and murders.
The DeKalb County and Atlanta police departments assisted in the investigation, which involved several federal agencies.
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