Vice Lords Leader Who Ordered Family Gunned Down Sentenced

DETROIT, MI — Burney “Tank” Everett, 27, the leader of the Vice Lords street gang who ordered the May 2015 shooting of a Detroit mother and three of her children with an AK-47 because her sons wanted to leave the gang, was sentenced to 13 ½ years in prison Thursday in federal court, the Justice Department said. All the victims survived.

“Everett controlled the Vice Lords by ordering violent retribution against anyone who crossed him, his revenge had no limits,” Acting Assistant Attorney General Blanco, of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, said of the Vice Lords leader. Everett had pleaded guilty last fall to two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering and one count of use and carry of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

Everett admitted in court that he ordered other members of the Traveling Vice Lords, the subset of the national gang that is headquartered in Detroit, to find the two brothers who had left the gang, according to a news release. Multiple cars occupied by TVL members arrived at the brothers’ home on May 7, 2015, again at Everett’s direction.

After a brief confrontation with the family, gang member Antonio Clark gunned them down with the AK-47. According to records in Clark’s earlier trial, he fired the weapon 23 times, hitting the brothers, their mother and their 15-year-old sister. Clark, 27, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in the shootings.

“This conviction and sentence is particularly important since Mr. Everett was a leader of the gang and directed this violence to occur,” Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel L. Lemisch of the Eastern District of Michigan said in a statement. “This lengthy sentence underscores that one does not have to be physically present at a shooting to bear the full brunt of criminal responsibility and punishment.

“We hope Mr. Everett’s sentence sends a strong message of deterrence to those who may want to pursue the gang lifestyle,” he added.

Besides Everett and Clark, seven other members and leaders of the TVL have pleaded guilty to charges related to the shooting, and only one — Kenneth Smith, 35, have been sentenced. All are from Detroit.

Others who have been sentenced include:

• Aramis Wilson, 26, 12 ½ years in prison;
• Dion Robinson, 39, 10 years, 8 months in prison;
• Jonathan Kinchen, 24, 10 years in prison;
• Tyrone Price, 27, 11 years, 8 months in prison;
• Kojuan Lee, 20, 8 years, 8 months in prison;
• Kirshean Nelson, 20, 3 years in prison;
• Jamerio Clark, 28, 48 months in prison.

Leaders of the Vice lords, which the Justice Department is engaged in a variety of crimes, are located in both Detroit and Chicago.

Everett and his associates were arrested after an exhaustive investigation by the local, state and federal law enforcement partners in the Detroit One Initiative, which works with the community to reduce murders and other violent crimes in Detroit.

“While gang violence continues to plague the safety and security of our neighborhoods, (Tuesday’s) sentence reflects the continuing impact the Detroit One Initiative is having on the ability of gang members to terrorize our communities,” David P. Gelios, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Detroit Division, said in the statement. “... The message should be clear this collaboration of federal, state and local law enforcement partners is committed to restoring our streets to the law-abiding citizens of Detroit.”

Photo via Shutterstock