Five members of the Short North Posse have been found guilty on multiple charges including murder and racketeering.
Rashad “Buckwheat” Liston, 26; Robert “Killer B” Ledbetter, 37; Christopher “O-Dog” Harris, 28; Deounte “D-Frog” Ussury, 31; and Clifford “Tink” Robinson, 38, were found guilty on all charges, which accounted for 10 of 14 previously unsolved homicides.
The gang members on trial were affiliated with the Posse’s “Homicide Squad."
“These five men had perpetuated a multi-generational tradition of terrorizing Columbus neighborhoods through violence and intimidation,” Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman said. “The verdict today has sent a clear message that their reign has ended and such behavior will not go unpunished.”
Each of the defendants were convicted of between two and eight counts of murder. Each faces life in prison. A date for sentencing has not yet been set.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office says the Short North Posse terrorized central Ohio for 30 years.
The defendants are five of 20 individuals who were indicted in October 2014 in a racketeering case, with charges that include murders, attempted murders, drug trafficking, weapons offenses, extortion and robbery.
Of the remaining 15 defendants, nine have pleaded guilty and one has died.
The remaining five defendants are scheduled for trials on July 11 and September 26.
TIMELINE: Short North Posse
- 2010: Alleged Short North Posse Members Indicted
- 2013: Columbus Police, Feds Round Up Alleged Gang Members On Drug Charges
- 2014: Prosecutors Say Multiple Murders, Shootings Linked To Short North Posse Members
- 2015: Gang Ringleader Shot And Killed In Officer-Involved Shooting
- 2015: Four Short North Posse Members Charged With Murder
- 2015: 20 Short North Posse Members Sentenced In Drug Trafficking Prosecution
- 2016: Two Short North Posse Members Plead Guilty To Gang-Related Charges