Man sentenced to 35 months in prison in connection to federal crackdown of Minneapolis street gangs

One of dozens of people charged in an effort by the federal government to address violence involving street gangs in Minneapolis was sentenced Tuesday to nearly three years in prison. 

Ronnell Lockhart was convicted of racketeer influenced corrupt organization (RICO) conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. He was sentenced to 35 months in prison, with three years of supervised release.

In May of 2023, 45 members of two Minneapolis street gangs, the Highs and the Bloods, were arrested and indicted. It was the first time RICO had been used in the city since the law was established in the 1970s.

The indictments alleged the members participated in a "brutal and unrelenting trail of violence over the course of years." 

The incidents include a 2020 shootout and murder at the 200 Club in north Minneapolis and an April 2022 murder outside of William's Pub in Uptown.