Two convicted gang members get life in federal prison
WACO, Texas ( FOX 44 ) – Two Temple men have been sentenced to life in federal prison for crimes committed in violation of the Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization (RICO) Act and the Hobbs Act. A federal jury found the men guilty of all charges in February.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, 27-year-old Atorius Marquis Williams, a.k.a. Lil Man, and 30-year-old Trashawn Lamar Alexander, a.k.a. Mad Max, were members and associates of a criminal organization referred to as Killas With Aggression (KWA), an organization engaged in and affecting interstate and foreign commerce by, among other things, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to rob persons engaged in the distribution of controlled substances.
The Department of Justice says Williams and Alexander, along with co-defendant Demonta Daniels, a.k.a. Tado, a.k.a. Tato, conspired to commit four murders, multiple violent assaults, extortion, drug trafficking and armed robberies in furtherance of the criminal enterprise. Specifically, the indictment alleges four overt acts to include murder – one committed by Williams on September 30, 2017, in Belton; the second, committed by Williams and Alexander on December 10, 2017, in Temple; the third, committed by Williams and Daniels on January 16, 2018, in Temple; and the fourth, committed by Williams, Daniels and Alexander on January 31, 2018, in Temple.
The defendants additionally conspired to affect commerce by robbery, committing acts of physical violence and threatening to commit acts of physical violence to steal controlled substances and proceeds from persons engaged in illegal drug distribution. Williams, Daniels and Alexander were also convicted of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, namely robbery. Alexander was convicted of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
On Monday, Alexander and Williams were each sentenced to life in prison for three counts and a concurrent 20 years in prison for three additional counts.
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The Department of Justice says Daniels will be sentenced at a later date. Seven other codefendants in the case had been sentenced prior to todays. Dominic Johnson was sentenced in January 2023 to 70 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine; Desmond Wilkerson was sentenced in September 2023 to 71 months in prison for racketeering conspiracy; James Roy Whitfield, Jr. was sentenced on February 13 to 102 months in prison for one count of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of aiding and abetting; Jason Mayse was sentenced on February 13 to 40 months for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana; Jyaraciel Whitfield was sentenced in September 2023 to 144 months in prison for one count of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of aiding and abetting; Christopher Meyers was sentenced in August 2022 to 144 months in prison for racketeering conspiracy; and Reginald Williams was sentenced in September 2023 to 96 months in prison for one count of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of aiding and abetting.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The Department of Justice says the FBI, Temple Police Department, Belton Police Department, Bell County Organized Crime Unit, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Marshals Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), Cameron Police Department, and Hearne Police Department investigated the case with valuable assistance from the Killeen Police Department and Bell County Sheriff's Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Blanton prosecuted the case.
