A millionaire businessman and six reputed leaders of a street gang have been convicted of dealing drugs and trying to use murder to silence their rivals and witnesses.
The seven, including businessman Noah Robinson, the half brother of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, face life in prison without parole when sentenced Dec. 12."This trial took out the day-to-day street leaders, the most violent people," said Assistant U.S. Attorney William Hogan. "We eliminated the entire upper echelon of the El Rukn organization.
"Robinson gave them a facade of legitimacy," he said. "The El Rukns were one step away from being an organization as difficult to penetrate as the Mafia."
The four-month trial was the third of five stemming from the 1989 indictments of 65 reputed El Rukn leaders, which prosecutors say broke the back of the once-powerful street gang. So far, 33 of the 65 have been convicted or have pleaded guilty to various charges, Hogan said.