ROANOKE, Va. – A Roanoke man admitted in federal court on Wednesday that he was a gang member and pleaded guilty to murder in aid of racketeering and conspiracy charges for gang-related violence throughout Roanoke.
Demonte Mack, 32, and his alleged co-conspirators, Trayvone Kasey, Chauncey Levesy, and others were members and associates of the Rollin’ 30s Crips, which also called itself the “Dirt Gang.”
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According to the Department of Justice, the Rollin’ 30s Crips are a national street gang founded in the greater Los Angeles, California area with smaller sets in other cities throughout the United States. Roanoke’s sect operated primarily in northwest Roanoke, centered in and around the Lansdowne neighborhood.
Mack admitted during Wednesday’s court proceedings that he, Kasey, Levesy and others conspired to conduct a pattern of racketeering activity, including multiple threats and acts of violent crime.
“Reducing violent crime through impactful prosecutions like that of the Rollin’ 30s is a priority of this United States Attorney’s Office,” said U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh. “We will continue to partner with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to ensure the cases we bring serve to make our communities safer.”
Specifically, in June 2017, Mack conspired with Kasey, Levesy, and others to murder “Victim D.F.,” according to the Department of Justice.
Court documents further allege that Mack and Kasey murdered “Victim N.L.” at the direction of a leader within the gang.
N.L refers to Nikalas Lee, a 17-year-old boy who was shot and killed on June 15, 2017, in northwest Roanoke.
Mack admitted that after the shooting, he and Levesy met up with other Rollin’ 30s gang members and reported everything that occurred to the gang’s leadership.
Both D.F. and Lee were members of the Rollin’ 30s gang, but fell out of favor with them in early summer of 2017, according to the Department of Justice.
“This outcome is a great example of what happens when law enforcement has a successful partnership with the prosecutorial side of the justice system. Thanks to our partnerships with local, state, and federal law enforcement, Roanoke is a safer place. Our community is sending a strong message to those who choose to perpetuate gun violence and organized crime in our city: we will find you and do everything we can to hold you accountable for your actions,” said Roanoke Police Chief Sam Roman.
Last year, Trayvone Kasey pleaded guilty to federal racketeering, murder in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death, interference with commerce by robbery, and discharging a firearm and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death.
Kasey was part of the same October 2018 federal indictment that named Mack, Levesey and Sean Guerrant.
Levesy has also pleaded guilty to racketeering and conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering.