6 'Faceworld' Gang Members Indicted In Conspiracy Tied To 13 Murders, Carjackings, Assaults: Feds

A federal grand jury has indicted six alleged members and associates of a Chicago street gang for participating in a criminal organization that murdered rivals, committed armed robberies and carjackings, and violently protected their perceived territory on the South Side of Chicago, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois.

The indictment alleges that members of the Faceworld street gang engaged in numerous acts of violence, including 13 murders and numerous attempted murders, assaults, armed robberies and carjackings in Chicago, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Among the violence charged in the indictment were shootings at passengers aboard a Chicago Transit Authority bus and at mourners attending the funeral of a rival gang member allegedly killed by Faceworld members, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The defendants and other Faceworld members and associates used threats and intimidation to prevent victims and witnesses from cooperating with law enforcement, the charges allege.

Faceworld members allegedly promoted their violent enterprise on social media, posting comments, photos, and videos to proclaim membership in the gang, taunt rivals, and boast about murders and other acts of violence. The defendants and other Faceworld members and associates also trafficked cocaine and heroin in Chicago and Iowa, the indictment states.

The indictment was unsealed Friday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Six men are charged with racketeering conspiracy, according to the news release.

Three of the defendants are also charged with murder in aid of racketeering. Arraignments were held Friday in federal court for three of the defendants, while three others will be arraigned at a later date. All six defendants are currently in law enforcement custody.

Chicago residents Dontae Harper, 28; Tyrone Foy, 31; Tyjuan Tapplar, 25; Robert Lee Thomas, 22; Davion Harris, 28; and Deavean McClure, 26, are facing racketeering conspiracy charges.

Racketeering conspiracy generally carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, but a life sentence is possible for certain underlying charged activities, according to the news release. Harper, Foy, and Tapplar also face a maximum of the death penalty if convicted of certain murders charged in the indictment.

The U.S. Attorney's Office said substantial assistance was provided by the Chicago Police Department, Romeoville Police Department, Illinois State Police, Illinois Department of Corrections, and the Cook County Sheriff’s Office.

The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.