4 gang members charged with Va. officer's slaying

4 gang members charged with Va. officer's slaying (Image 1) (Copyright by WSLS - All rights reserved)

A federal indictment accuses four people in the gang-related slaying of a reserve Virginia police officer.

The charges unsealed Friday in U.S. District Court are among 28 returned against nine people who have been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of Waynesboro reserve police officer Kevin Quick.

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The 45-year-old Quick was reported missing Feb. 1. His body was found several days later in Goochland County west of Richmond.

The four charged with Quick's kidnapping and slaying are Daniel Lamont Mathis, Shantai Monique Shelton, Mersadies Lachalle Shelton and Travis Leon Bell.

The indictment alleges all four were either members or close associates of the 99 Goon Syndikate, which is affiliated with the Bloods street gang.

Many of the other charges related to alleged gang activities.

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News release from U.S. Attorney for Western District of Virginia :

A Federal Grand Jury sitting in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Charlottesville has returned an indictment charging eight individuals with federal racketeering, narcotics, robbery, kidnapping and murder charges related to a string of violent episodes across Central Virginia that included the alleged kidnapping and murder of Waynesboro Reserve Police Captain Kevin Quick. A ninth defendant has been charged federally with obstruction of justice.

In an indictment returned under seal on Wednesday, May 14, 2014 and unsealed this morning following the defendants' initial court appearances, the grand jury has charged the following: Daniel Lamont Mathis, 18, of Charlottesville, Va., Shantai Monique Shelton, 24, of Charlottesville,

Va., Mersadies Lachelle Shelton, 20, of Charlottesville, Va., Travis Leon Bell, 23, of Front Royal, Va., Anthony Leon White, 22, of Louisa, Va., Gert Arthur Lee Wright, III, 23, of Manassas, Va., Anthony Darnell Stokes, 32, of Manassas, Va., Devante O'Brian Bell, 20, of Louisa, Va., and Leslie Hope Casterlow, 50, of Manassas, Va.

According to the indictment, those charged today are either members or associates of the "99 Goonz Syndikate" set of the Bloods criminal street gang. The indictment alleges that members of this gang participated in a pattern of racketeering from December 2012-April 2014 that included violent armed robberies, the kidnapping and murder of Kevin Quick, the sale of narcotics and the obstruction of justice after that incident.

Mathis, Shantai Shelton, Mersadies Shelton, Travis Bell, Anthony White and Devante Bell are charged with conducting several armed robberies of both commercial businesses and individuals in Louisa, Charlottesville, Albemarle County, Fluvanna County and Gordonsville. It is alleged that this series of robberies were conducted using firearms and were conducted to financially benefit the collective group. Anthony Stokes, Gert Wright and Leslie Casterlow are charged with obstructing justice by assisting other members of the conspiracy destroy evidence and elude apprehension following the kidnapping and murder of Kevin Quick.

The investigation of the case was conducted by the Virginia State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Albemarle County Police Department, the Charlottesville City Police Department, the Louisa County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office, the Waynesboro Police Department, the Henrico County Police Department, the Gordonsville Police Department, the Goochland County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office, the Fluvanna County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office and the Prince William County Police Department.

United States Attorney Timothy J. Heaphy, Assistant United States Attorney Ronald M. Huber and Special Assistant United States Attorney and Louisa County Commonwealth's Attorney Russell E. McGuire will prosecute the case for the United States.

An indictment is only a charge and all defendants are entitled to a fair and speedy trial and are considered innocent until and if they are proven guilty.