KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Street gang leaders and members face federal charges in KCMO accusing them of crimes of violence, including drive-by shootings and a murder conspiracy.
The six-count indictment includes charges against leaders of the following KCMO street gangs: Park Side Greasies, Click Clack Gang and South Benton Gang.
The trio of gangs often combine forces to sell illegal drugs, commit robberies and shootings, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Kansas City.
The confederation of the three gangs is known as South Park Click.
The gang alliance was mentioned in a 2013 song, “For Da 30’s,” which includes the verse, “South Park Click. That’s South Benton, Park and Click Clack. If somebody got shot, close your mouth – we probably did that. McDonald’s or Wendy’s, we don’t give a (expletive). You won’t move until the paramedics pick you up,” according to the news release.
The indictment accuses Steven K. Lee, 38, of being the leader of the Park Side Greasies, a gang that makes its base of operations around the intersection of East 33rd Street and Park Avenue.
Charles V. Williams, 35, is said to be the leader of the Click Clack Gang, and Travis Cook, 30, is the boss of the South Benton Gang, according to the news release.
Law officers arrested Lee, Williams, Cook and two other alleged gang members, Ewon Kelley, 33, and Anthony Hunter, 25, in a sweep Thursday.
Alleged gang members Myreku Frazier, 30, and Jacequin Boswell, 30, also were charged Thursday in federal court.
Richard B. Johnson, 24, and Deion Alford, 23, also alleged to be street gang members, were already in custody on other charges, the news release states.
Lee, Johnson, Alford, Kelley, Frazier, Hunter and Boswell all are alleged to be members of Park Side Greasies.
More than 140 officers from numerous agencies search 16 residences associated with gang members.
The officers seized approximately 27 firearms, two machine guns, over 1,000 rounds of ammunition and cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, marijuana and cash, the news release states. Not all the items found in the searches have been logged into evidence.
The indictment charges all nine defendants with one count of participating in a racketeering conspiracy since at least Jan. 1, 2008, according to the news release. The gang members and their leaders allegedly participated in racketeering activity, including multiple acts and threats of murder, robbery, and drug trafficking.
They all also face one count of participating in a drug-trafficking conspiracy since at least Jan. 1, 2008. Among the drugs the gangs sold were crack cocaine, heroin, meth and fentanyl, according to the news release.
Lee, Johnson, Alford, Kelley, Hunter and Boswell are charged with one count of participating in a murder conspiracy since at least Dec. 8, 2017, in aid of the racketeering enterprise.
The news release states Lee allegedly issued a contract for the murder of a rival gang member.
Boswell found and tried to shoot the victim, but the victim managed to escape.
Hunter allegedly shot at the same victim on Dec. 30, 2018.
He is said to have told Lee they had “exchanged metal.”
Kelley spotted the intended target on Jan. 1, 2019, but was unable to kill the intended victim because too many people were around, according to the news release.
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