Deon Williams, charged in Minneapolis gang crackdown, pleads guilty
MINNEAPOLIS -- One of dozens of alleged gang members charged last month in a crackdown by federal officials has pleaded guilty.
Deon Williams changed his plea to guilty at a hearing Monday afternoon. He was charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was convicted of the same charge in January 2021.
According to the indictment, Williams was a member of the Highs, a north Minneapolis gang. He was found with a gun in November, which he is prohibited from possessing because of prior convictions.
Williams is in custody at the Sherburne County Jail.
In May, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Minnesota announced the arrests and indictments of 45 alleged gang members in Minneapolis. The indictments against members of the Highs and Bloods, a south Minneapolis gang, were made possible by the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), which allows federal authorities to prosecute a large number of gang members at once, after first establishing that the gang is part of a sizable criminal enterprise.
Note: The video above originally aired on May 4, 2023.