JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — 13 gang members in Jacksonville have been indicted for drug trafficking, murder for hire, and several felony charges. This was revealed today by federal agents after years of investigating. They say the members belonged to the Slime Enterprise gang, which agents say operated on the north side of Jacksonville. 12 of them are in custody, and the search is still active for one.
“Racketeering conspiracy, a drug trafficking conspiracy, firearms charges, murder for hire, conspiracy to commit murder for hire, and retaliating against a witness,” said Greg Kehoe, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida.
The Slime Enterprise gang first went by the names Pearl World, BB4L, or Black Burners for Life, and K4T or Killers for Telly. Agents say that name stemmed from one of the gang’s leaders.
“Brian Brightman. His brother was Telly Simmons who was killed in 2019, and he had set up K4T as an organization to retaliate against the killers,” Kehoe said.
The indictment says Brightman was involved in several crimes.
In January of 2023, they say he shipped about 20 pounds of marijuana from California to Jacksonville.
He was in a high-speed chase with police where they recovered $42,000 in cash and the receipt for the drug package. Another big part of the indictment is retaliation.
“Against anybody they perceived to have done any number of them or anybody in the organization wrong or had harmed the organization in any way,” Kehoe said.
They say members of the gang maintained trap houses in Jacksonville to deal drugs. The indictment lists those locations as Main Street, West 16th Street, New Berlin Road, and even one on wheels.
“He had a mobile trap house that he drove around Jacksonville to engage in his narcotics trafficking and distribution,” Kehoe said.
Counts 7,8 and 9 are murder for hire and conspiracy to commit murder for Hire.
It says actions of several members, including Brightman, resulted in the death of several people.
“In August 2022, Brightman solicited Slime Members Raymond Cash and Devon McFadden, as well as other members. To murder a rival gang member. That murder was successful,” Kehoe said.
The U.S. State Attorney says the defendants could face from 20 years in prison to the death penalty for the span of these charges.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
