Gangster Disciples Leader From Decatur Sentenced To Prison

DECATUR, GA — Two leaders of the Gangster Disciples, a national gang, were sentenced to prison for racketeering conspiracy involving murder, according to FBI Atlanta: Shauntay Craig of Birmingham, Alabama and Donald Glass of Decatur. Glass was also sentenced for firearms crimes.

The Gangster Disciples are a national gang with roots in Chicago, Illinois dating back to the 1970s, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Bobby L. Christine, the charges and other information presented in court. The gang is highly structured with a hierarchy of leadership posts known as "Positions of Authority," or "POAs." Gang rules are strictly enforced, most important of which is "Silence and Secrecy" — a prohibition on cooperating with law enforcement, a news release from FBI Atlanta said.

Violations of the "Silence and Secrecy" rule are punishable by death, and evidence at trial showed that the Gangster Disciples were responsible for 24 shootings from 2011 through 2015, including 12 murders, the release said.

“Members of the Gangster Disciples left a trail of death and destruction across Georgia and much of the United States,” Christine said. “The sentence for these two gang leaders sends a resounding message to those who seek to inflict irreparable harm on their communities in furtherance of a violent gang. It should reassure citizens that we will use every asset we have to abolish gang activity.”

Craig, 42, was a Board Member, the highest-ranking position in the Gangster Disciples. Glass, 30, led the H.A.T.E. Committee, a specialized enforcement team within the gang that "reigned terror through its numerous murders, shootings and robberies," according to the news release. As leader of the committee, Glass "ordered his band of teenage shooters" to shoot and kill more than 10 people.

Craig was sentenced to 40 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Craig was convicted on Aug. 30, 2019 after he pleaded guilty to the offense of racketeering conspiracy involving murder and drug trafficking. Glass was convicted on May 16, 2019 of racketeering conspiracy involving murder, discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and causing death through the use of a firearm for the murder of Robert Dixon.

“We are glad justice is being served and hope this sentencing sends a message that no one is above the law,” DeKalb County Police Chief Mirtha V. Ramos said.

This case was investigated by the FBI, Atlanta Police Department, DeKalb County Police Department, Aurora Police Department in Colorado, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the United States Marshal’s Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Georgia Department of Corrections, with significant assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, according to the news release.

“The Gangster Disciples are a ruthless gang that preyed upon our communities for far too long, and Craig and Glass were the driving force behind the devastation the gang caused,” said Chris Hacker, special agent in charge of FBI Atlanta. “It is our goal to dismantle these organized, violent criminal enterprises and we could not do it without the efforts of the FBI-led Safe Streets Gang Task Force and its state and local partners.”