Member of the Fully Blooded Felons Gang Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for RICO, Drug, and Firearm Offenses

Jeffrey Lee, a member of the Fully Blooded Felons gang, 25, of Cleveland, was sentenced today to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy, drug offenses, including fentanyl distribution, and possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.

"This defendant, now a fully convicted and sentenced felon, will spend the next 12 years in prison because of his drug dealing and firearm crimes," said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department's Criminal Division. "The long sentence handed down by the court underscores the danger that drugs and guns bring to a community, and the seriousness of crimes like this. The Criminal Division will continue to seek lengthy sentences for gang members who commit drug and gun crimes."

"We will not tolerate violent drug traffickers like Mr. Lee who devastate our communities and hurt people with the drugs they peddle," said U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio. "We want to acknowledge the investigators with the Cleveland FBI and the Cleveland Division of Police for their successful efforts which helped our prosecutors put this dangerous criminal behind bars."

"We are steadfast in our resolve to bring justice to the families whose loved ones have been impacted by the actions of Jeffrey Lee and the Fully Blooded Felons," said Special Agent in Charge Joshua DelManzo of the FBI Cleveland Field Office. "For too long, these gang members have poisoned our communities through their illicit drug, gun, and criminal activities. This case and subsequent sentencing highlights the power of partnership, combining federal and local resources to identify gang members and drug traffickers leading to well-investigated cases. The FBI and its partners will continue to aggressively investigate individuals to dismantle their criminal network and eradicate violence and crime from our neighborhoods."

As the defendant admitted during his plea hearing and in other court documents, the Fully Blooded Felons have been in existence in Ohio since approximately 2012, operating primarily out of the eastside of Cleveland, as well as Akron, Youngstown, and elsewhere. They are also active in the Ohio prison system.

The Fully Blooded Felons' structure includes a "Commission," which is a group of members tasked with maintaining the structure and organization of the enterprise through physical discipline and by determining which illicit means the organization would use to make money.

The Fully Blooded Felons had rules that members were required to follow. The rules were sent to members online, by text message, and in face-to-face communications. Members were required to abide by "omerta," or the code of silence, and were required to memorize and recite at meetings the "Fully Five," a set of rules that included following all orders issued by the Commission. If a member did not know the "Fully Five," they were punished.

To further their drug trafficking, Fully Blooded Felons members used two separate stash-houses at a local apartment complex. During the execution of search warrants, law enforcement recovered close to three-quarters of a pound of fentanyl, as well as cocaine, methamphetamine, and seven firearms. In addition to the two stash houses, gang members also sold drugs in an open-air drug market that operated in the space adjacent to the apartment building where the two stash houses were located. Jeffrey Lee was an enforcer and regularly distributed fentanyl and other drugs on behalf of the gang. In one text message exchange, Lee asked another gang member where a .380 caliber handgun was hidden. Lee was also present at one of the trap houses when it was searched by police, who found over a half-pound of fentanyl, as well as methamphetamine, and cocaine, along with packing and other items used in drug trafficking.

The FBI investigated this case, with substantial assistance from the Cleveland Police Department.

This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Brian W. Lynch from the Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul E. Hanna, Robert F. Corts, and Margaret A. Sweeney for the Northern District of Ohio.