Alleged Bloods Members Indicted for Murder, Other Charges

Three city men who authorities claim helped run a violent Hawthorne Avenue street gang were indicted Wednesday on more than two dozen charges, including eight counts of murder, U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said.

“As the indictment spells out, the gang members indicted today used murder and violence as tools of their criminal trade, punishing disloyal associates, intimidating rivals and silencing those they believed were cooperating with law enforcement,” Fishman said. “They presided over a reign of terror along Hawthorne Avenue for years. These charges finally assign responsibility for more than half a dozen unsolved homicides and represent the latest efforts in our ongoing pursuit of members of violent street gangs.”

Farad Roland, 28, Mark Williams, 30, and Malik Lowery, 31, allegedly belonged to The South Side Cartel, a subset of the 793 Bloods gang. Roland is charged with six counts of murder in aid of racketeering, while Williams and Lowery are each charged with one count of murder in aid of racketeering. They face life in jail and possibly the death penalty, officials said.

The gang, which once had as many 20 members, is believed to have formed in 2002 and is suspected of several robberies and murders, officials said. Its base was located in buildings known as “The Twin Towers,” where police have made several arrests over the years. 

Roland, Williams and Lowery are believed to be the remaining leaders of the gang, officials said.