4 Providence Gang Members Plead Guilty To Racketeering Charges

PROVIDENCE, RI — Four members of what federal authorities described as a violent Providence gang involved in several shootings and drug trafficking pleaded guilty to racketeering charges.

Delacey Andrade, 28, Kendrick Johnson 30, Keishon Johnson, 32, and Montrel Johnson, 25, pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of participating in the activities of a racketeer influenced corrupt organization.

According to court documents, the men were part of the Chad Brown gang, Prosecutors said since 2013, the gang participated in frequent acts of violence against rival gangs on the east side of Providence. The gang's crimes included drive-by shootings and illegal drug sales, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said the escalation of violence began on June 22, 2013, when Chad Brown member Jose Sanchez was fatally shot. In retaliation, two East Side gang members, Ryan Almeida and Nelson Sanchez, were shot to death on Dec. 24, 2013 and Jan. 2014, 2014.

"While the defendants in this case were not charged in federal court with those killings, they mark the beginning of the time-period charged in the RICO (Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organization), count and provide context for the specific racketeering acts committed by the defendants," a spokesperson from the U.S. Attorney's Office of Rhode Island said in a news release.

The racketeering charges stemmed from four shootings in 2016 and 2017, each involving one or more of the defendants, prosecutors said.

"There is no higher priority for this office and this department than combatting violent crime and gun violence in our communities," said Rhode Island U.S. Attorney Zachary Cunha. "This case demonstrates that we, working hand-in-glove with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners, will bring every resource at our disposal - including the sweep and impact of a RICO prosecution, to bring the sources of violence in our communities to justice. These convictions are a testament to that cooperation- particularly the work of the Providence Police Department, ATF, and the Rhode Island Office of Attorney General, and a victory for public safety."