‘Operation Go Broke’ nets 9 gang arrests, 6 still wanted
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Local law enforcement leaders and the FBI came together to arrest several suspects for gang activity in Indianapolis as part of “Operation Go Broke”
Mayor Joe Hogsett, Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry and IMPD Chief Troy Riggs and the FBI have arrested nine suspects in connection to the gang activity in the Butler-Tarkington neighborhood, they announced during a joint press conference on Thursday.
“Indianapolis is a great city and its going to stay that way,” said Mayor Hogsett.
Those arrested were part of the “Gett Money Gang.” They’re accused of causing crime in the Butler Tarkington neighborhood, and officials say it spread further north.
According to the release, the gang mainly operates on the north side of Indianapolis in two locations: Creekwook Apartments and 6740 Scenic Court.
“I was just surprised that I haven’t associated what was going on down there to up here, you know,” said Joe Fields, outside of the Scenic Court home.
Curry said that they have nine of those suspects in custody and are looking for six others. Three of the suspects were already in custody on unrelated charges, including a relative of Michael Pugh, who was convicted on burglary, battery and carjacking in the 2013 Spring Mill Road break-in.
Court documents show the house where the gang operated is just two doors down from where Fields lives.
“You see people come and going in a neighborhood all the time, you see that,” said Fields. “They come by, speak, I speak to them, they go ahead.”
Documents indicate the gang members were responsible for assaults, robberies and murders.
“For several years, the defendants charged in this case have terrorized citizens in Butler Tarkington and other neighborhoods throughout Indianapolis,” IMPD Chief Troy Riggs said. “These arrests show our resolve to work with our local, state, and federal partners to reduce crime throughout our city. You will continue to see long-term operations to address systemic issues, which lead to violent crime and a degradation of quality of life within our neighborhoods.”
Over the course of a six-month investigation law enforcement arrested 26 people, 17 guns are off the streets, along with 26 pounds of marijuana and more than five grams of cocaine and nearly $33,000 was confiscated.
“The people in our city who traffic in drugs and guns will not terrorize our citizens,” said Mayor Hogsett. “We will not rest until our city is the safest in the country…You have my word on that.”
He stressed that law enforcement’s effort does not end here and Indianapolis will continue to look for violent felons.
“We will not go quietly into the night. We will not be prisoners of our fears,” said Hogsett.
The Butler Tarkington neighborhood saw a spat of crime last summer, including the shooting death of 10-year-old DeShawn Swanson. Officials didn’t tie the gang to his death, but the neighborhood is on-guard.
“We are not going to stand for a public safety crisis like we saw last year,” said Clark Kirkman, the President of the Butler Tarkington Neighborhood Association.
The neighborhood is now 189 days free of violent crime. Kirkman credits the involvement of the Ten Point Coalition. The Coalition has held a series of walks with IMPD since last summer. Kirkman says they’re now looking to improve lighting on the streets.
There’s a number of city-owned, and then privately-owned street lights. A number of the privately-owned ones are not on right now. We’d like to identify those and get as many turned on as we can, said Kirkman.
Chief Riggs said that in his years he has not seen a collaboration like this to get these suspects off the streets.
“(The detectives) continue to dig each and every day,” said Riggs.
Those arrested are:
- Rashaan Bangmon, 20
- Charles Davis, Jr, 20
- David Gibbs, 22
- Deion Orr, 22
- Ryan Pedtke, 29
- Casey Pugh, 39
- Micah Smith, 23
- Landon Tompkins, 20
- Daitwon Williams, 20
Warrants are issued for:
- Robert Carey, 19
- Tarell Davis, 22
- Jaylen Grice, 22
- Hayes Hall, 24
- Deshalon Jackson, 20
- Robert Starks, 25
