OFF THE WIRE
ksdk.com
St. Louis (KSDK) - Two Chicago-area men and a Denver man pleaded guilty this week to federal racketeering conspiracy charges, U.S. Attorney Richard Callahan said Friday.
A federal grand jury indicted 41-year-old Thomas Bailey, 32-year-old Maurice Thomas and 33-year-old Rasheed Brandon in June 2011.
According to court documents, the three men confirmed their association with the Wheels of Soul Outlaw Motorcycle Gang. Bailey and Thomas also admitted to trafficking crack cocaine within the gang. Bailey also acknowledged that he agreed to the killing of an insubordinate member of the Chicago Westside Chapter of the Wheels of Soul and confessed his involvement in a conspiracy to murder rival motorcycle club members in East St. Louis in January 2011.
The motorcycle gang claims chapters in more than 20 states, including Illinois. Investigations into the gang began in 2009 following an armed robbery and murder in St. Louis by members of the gang's St. Louis chapter. Past charges to members of the gang across chapters include multiple murders, attempted murders, conspiracies to commit murder, kidnapping and trafficking in firearms.
Sentencing for Bailey and Thomas is set for April 11, while Brandon's sentencing date is slated for April 24. All three men face up to 20 years in prison.
