All Minnesota Prisoners on Lockdown for 25 Hours During Major Gang Sweep

All of the inmates in Minnesota's prison system, including those at the Shakopee women's prison, were placed on a 25-hour lockdown this week while authorities conducted a major sweep targeting members of a Native American gang.

The lockdown coincided with the unsealing of a 47-count federal indictment charging 24 members of the Native Mob gang with conspiracy to commit racketeering and other crimes.

“The DOC played a supporting role in this sweep,” John Schadl, a spokesperson with the Department of Corrections said Wednesday afternoon. “We have been cooperating with this investigation for some time. One way we could contribute is to perform a lockdown ... to make sure communication was cut off while the sweep was underway.”

Prisoners were confined to their cells from 4 a.m. Tuesday until 5 a.m. Wednesday, and weren't allowed any outside contact, Schadl said.

"It's very rare to lock down all the facilities at once," he said. "But, it's a tool we use it at each facility to account for people and to break up disturbances."

The six defendants who made their initial federal court appearances late Tuesday afternoon were arrested earlier that morning in a take-down conducted by 100 and 150 local, state, federal, and tribal law enforcement officials, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Arrests were made on the White Earth, Mille Lacs and Leech Lake Indian reservations as well as in the Twin Cities. Of the 18 remaining defendants, 12 are presently in jail or prison on other charges, while six continue to be sought by law enforcement.

The six people arrested yesterday remain in custody pending their next hearings, scheduled for Jan. 26 and Jan. 27.

"We owe a debt of gratitude to everyone involved in the investigation," U.S. Attorney B. Todd Jones said. "Their efforts have made our streets and communities much safer.”

Native Mob gang members routinely engage in drug trafficking, assault, robbery and murder, according to authorities. Detectives believe there are about 200 members of the gang—including juveniles—who are regularly recruited from communities with large, young, male, Native American populations.

Association with the gang is often signified by wearing red and black clothing or sporting gang-related tattoos.

The indictment alleges that since at least the mid-1990s, those arrested in this case, and others, have conspired to conduct criminal activity through the gang, violating the federal Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.

The primary objective, according to the indictment, of the “enterprise” is to preserve, protect, promote and enhance the Native Mob’s power, territory and financial gains.

To do that, authorities allege that gang members distributed illegal drugs—from crack cocaine to ecstasy—as well as provided monetary support to other members, including those incarcerated; obstruct police investigations and intimidate witnesses.

The indictment alleges that the members had and circulated firearms for gang use and commit acts of violence—including murder—against people associated with rival gangs.

If convicted, gang members face a maximum sentence of between 20 years and life in federal prison.