Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

OXFORD, MS. - William C. Lamar, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Mississippi, announced today that several alleged members of the Simon City Royals have been charged in a two-count indictment for participating in a violent assault in aid of a racketeering enterprise. The indictment was returned by a grand jury on April 23, 2019, and unsealed today in the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Mississippi.

 

According to court documents, the Simon City Royals is a national gang with a highly organized structure including board members and Ambassadors who each control geographic regions. The scope of the Simon City Royals’ crimes is wide-ranging and consistent throughout the national operation. The gang protects its power and operation through threats, intimidation and violence, including murder, attempted murder, identity fraud and obstruction of justice.

 

Investigation has shown that the Simon City Royals is active within correctional facilities in the State of Mississippi, and the organization is primarily overseen by members of the organization who are incarcerated within the correctional facilities. Once a correctional facility has enough members of the “Folk Nation,” primarily Simon City Royals and Gangster Disciples, to form a hierarchy within the facility, they are considered “plugged in,” or part of the Simon City Royal organization. Members are required to submit reports daily to the board over each facility that tracks money earned, disciplinary actions, and any violence/security threats that occur.

 

The Indictment charged several individuals for their involvement in a prison stabbing that occurred at the EMCF prison facility located in Meridian, Mississippi, including: WILTON JOHNSON a/k/a BIG BOI, JEREMY SMITH a/k/a LIL ONE, CARL MCMILLIAN, JAMES VAUGHN a/k/a SIR FLUTE, JUSTIN HANNAH, and JOE JOHNSON.

 

All the defendants appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge David Sanders on Monday and are scheduled for arraignments and detention hearings on Thursday, May 23, 2019, at 2:30pm.

 

Following the publication of the indictments, U.S. Attorney Lamar emphasized his commitment to combating illegal gang activity and violence. “The prosecution of violent crime, and those individuals who perpetrate it, is a top priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partners. We will continue to devote our time, efforts, and resources to the investigation and prosecution of those gangs who threaten our citizens and communities with their illegal activities.”

 

William McCrary, Assistant Special Agent in Charge for ATF, New Orleans Field Division, stated: “ATF and our law enforcement partners are committed to reducing violent crime in the state of Mississippi. These indictments are an example of our ongoing commitment to dismantling violent gangs."

 

The case is being investigated by a multi-agency task force consisting of agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and investigators with the Mississippi Department of Corrections. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Stringfellow of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Mississippi, and Christopher Taylor from the Department of Justice, Organized Crime and Gang Section.

 

The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt and that all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty.