26 Indicted On More Than 200 Charges In Gwinnett Investigation

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA — More than 20 people were indicted on Jan. 25 by a grand jury on murder, gang, racketeering and gun charges after an investigation that lasted slightly longer than a year, Gwinnett County Police said Monday.

Police said 25 of 26 people listed in a 210-count indictment were arrested in the multi-county task force operation.

Khari Kelley, 22, of Decatur, also known as RX Yano, is at-large and is the 26th defendant in the case, police said.

Police began the investigation after receiving multiple shooting cases in August 2021 along Boggs Road in Duluth, police said. The shootings were related to violence between the Blixtz gang and the 56 Gang, police said.

Members of the 56 Gang were accused of shooting and killing Jeremiah Pretto, 18, of Duluth, on Aug. 29, 2021, police said. It was while probing the killing of Pretto that investigators connected several violent crimes to the 56 Gang, police said.

The crimes included multiple armed robberies, carjackings, aggravated assaults and other crimes, police said.

The case became a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act investigation against the 56 Gang in December 2021, police said, adding several members were charged in more violent cases.

Police accused members of the 56 Gang of working with the Drug Rixh gang. Police said members of both gangs face criminal gang charges.

Police said the overt acts of racketeering spanned across the metro Atlanta area and jurisdictions as far as Carroll County.

The 26 people who were indicted were from Lawrenceville, Clarkston, Stone Mountain and other areas, police said.

The group faces charges on suspicion of violations of the RICO Act, violations of the Gang Act, malice murder, felony murder, multiple counts of armed robbery, multiple counts of hijacking a motor vehicle, multiple counts of aggravated assault, terroristic threats, various firearms offenses and other charges, police said.

"Violence and criminal street gang activity affect our families, schools and communities. Any violence and criminal street gang activity that harms our citizens' and visitors' safety and quality of life is unacceptable," police said in a news release.

"Anyone who participates in acts of violence or criminal street gang activity will be arrested, charged, prosecuted and held accountable for their actions. Additionally, we work diligently to provide the district attorney's office with cases that result in successful prosecutions. Any acts of violence or criminal gang activity will be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest in Gwinnett County."

For the investigation, Gwinnett County Police were joined by the Gwinnett County District Attorney's Office, Gwinnett Sheriff's Office's Fugitive Unit, United States Marshals Service, DeKalb County Police Department's Gang Unit, Fulton County District Attorney's Office, DeKalb County District Attorney's Office and the FBI.