Nine men from the Quad Cities have been sentenced to federal prison for their involvement in a racketeering conspiracy characterized by violence, including murder and drug trafficking. The group, identified as members of the Fifth Street gang or its aliases such as "Arsenal Courts Posse" and "Fifth Street Mafia," operated primarily out of Rock Island, Illinois.
The criminal enterprise was linked to numerous shooting investigations and at least seven homicides over two decades. Notable incidents include the 2006 shootings that resulted in two deaths, multiple shootings between 2020 and 2022, and an ambush on Davenport police officers in June 2020.
On December 18, 2024, several defendants received lengthy sentences: Don Christopher White Jr., Raheem Jacques Houston, Deaguise Ramont Hall, Michael Linn Cross, LaShawn D. James Hensley were sentenced to terms ranging from 12 to 40 years. On December 19, additional sentences were handed down to Devante Atwell French, Simmeon Terrell Hall, Devell Carl Lewis, and Cortez Deangelo Cooper Jr., with similar durations.
Previously in July 2024, Brandon Deshane Branigan had been sentenced to 18 years for related charges. Chief Jeffery Bladel of the Davenport Police Department stated: “Violent crime against our community and attacks on law enforcement will not be tolerated."
Two individuals have pled guilty and are awaiting sentencing early next year: Ricky Lee Childs Jr. faces up to 20 years imprisonment while Timothy Justin Beaver could receive up to a maximum of 40 years.
Meanwhile, Kylea Dapri Cartwright Jr. and Rasheem Damonte Bogan await trial scheduled for February next year. Both face serious charges including racketeering conspiracy.
The investigation was conducted by multiple agencies including the Davenport Police Department and Rock Island Police Department among others.