Over 40 Members of White Nationalist Gang ‘Ghost Face Gangsters’ Facing Life In Prison After Federal Indictments
The U.S. Department of Justice this week indicted 43 members of white nationalist prison gang the Ghost Face Gangsters who were arrested on federal drug and weapons charges in the Southern District of Georgia.
In a press release, the DOJ announced that 43 people were charged and 41 were arrested as part of a sting dubbed “Operation Vanilla Gorilla,” an apparent reference to the group’s self-given nickname. The 93-page, 83-count federal grand jury indictment unsealed Nov. 16 lists a litany of charges against the defendants that stem from “a multitude of offenses involving trafficking methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin.”
All 43 alleged Ghost Face Gangster members are now facing life behind bars. (WJCL / video screenshot)
Criminal charges against GFG members ranged from the unlawful distribution of controlled substances to the possession of counterfeit currency. Members of the gang, which made its way into Georgia prisons in the late 1990s, were also indicted on charges related to the illegal ownership of firearms, including a sawed off-rifle and another firearm with an obliterated serial number.
“Operation Vanilla Gorilla represents one of the largest take downs of Ghost Face Gangsters associates to date,” said Bobby L. Christine, a U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “We will continue to take the fight to those who wrongly believe they can willfully disrupt our communities without consequence.”
The feds said a total of 23 firearms were seized during the operation. All 43 defendants in the case have been arrested 561 times in total, while 10 defendants have more than 10 felony convictions under their belt.
According to the indictment, the gang launched its drug-trafficking operation in 2015 and continued their crimes up until the present, operating in several South Georgia counties and beyond. All of the defendants are now facing penalties of up to life in prison.
“The Ghost Face Gangsters are no strangers to the [Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team] and have been targeted in several recent high-profile CNT cases,” CNT director Everett Ragan said. “This is a dangerous gang that promotes violence and profits from poisoning our communities. CNT understands that working investigations collectively with our law enforcement partners maximizes the impact, puts more criminals away, and is an overall win for the citizens we are sworn to protect.”
The bust comes just days after authorities in Florida arrested 39 members of two affiliated neo-Nazi groups, recovering pipe bombs and methamphetamines.
Authorities say the investigation is ongoing.
Watch more in the clip below.
