Thirty gang members and associates charged with racketeering, murder
Thirty gang members and associates charged with racketeering, murder
by Dave Williams | Capitol BeatMay 18, 2025 | 11:04 am
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An eight-count federal court indictment unsealed in the Southern District of Georgia charges 30 alleged members of the Sex Money Murder (SMM) gang and associates with crimes including racketeering and murder.
The suspects were arrested in four Georgia cities – Savannah, Hinesville, Augusta and Atlanta – according to an indictment unsealed on Wednesday.
According to court records and testimony, the defendants trafficked large amounts of deadly drugs – including methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin – throughout the Savannah area. They also are accused of taking part in sophisticated fraud schemes to obtain federal COVID-19 relief and unemployment benefits, causing a loss of more than $850,000.
The indictment also charges Byron Hopkins in the shooting death of a 19-year-old gang member who wanted to leave the gang.
“Today’s indictment is an important step in ending gang violence on our streets and in our prisons,” said Tara Lyons, acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “My office will continuously work with our law enforcement partners to ensure public safety.”
According to court documents, Hopkins and other SMM members intercepted a 19-year-old man in February 2020 and took him to a rural residential neighborhood, where Hopkins shot him to death. The victim had reportedly expressed a desire to leave the gang after accusing Hopkins of having sex with a minor girl who became pregnant.
If convicted, the defendants face up to life in prison for the murder, up to life in prison for the racketeering conspiracy, and up to 30 years behind bars for wire fraud.
The case is being investigated by the FBI, the U.S. Department of Labor, the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the state Department of Corrections, and nine local law enforcement agencies.
The SMM gang is a subset of The Bloods, a gang that originated in Los Angeles in the early 1970s. From there, the gang spread to areas along the East Coast, including Georgia, where it operates inside and outside of prisons and jails.
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