“11 Hunnit” Gang Member Sentenced to Nearly a Decade in Prison for RICO Conspiracy
PITTSBURGH, PA – A member of the 11 Hunnit street gang from the Hill District neighborhood of Pittsburgh has been sentenced in federal court to 117 months’ imprisonment on his conviction for violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Dionte Griffin (aka “L Gzz”, aka “Fat Boi, aka “El Gwopo”), 25, formerly of the Hill District neighborhood of the City of Pittsburgh, following his April 7, 2021, guilty plea to one count of RICO conspiracy.
According to information presented to the Court, Griffin, a member of the violent street gang known as “11 Hunnit,” conspired with codefendants Sydney Pack, Richard Kelly, and others, to conduct and participate in the affairs of the 11 Hunnit gang through a pattern of racketeering activity consisting generically of acts involving murder, robbery, and the distribution of controlled substances. Mr. Griffin acknowledged his personal participation in certain overt acts that were done in furtherance of the RICO conspiracy, which included a January 2016 shooting of a rival gang member, an October 2016 shooting of a rival gang member, the unlawful possession of fentanyl and firearms, and his participation – along with other members of 11 Hunnit – in several publicly available rap music videos designed to intimidate rival gangs and enhance 11 Hunnit’s reputation as a violent enterprise.
During the proceeding, District Judge Bissoon urged Griffin to abandon gang life following the service of his sentence, noting that participation in street gangs would inevitably lead Griffin to further imprisonment or death. Following his sentence of imprisonment, Griffin will be supervised for five years by the United States Probation Office. Judge Bissoon ordered Griffin not to associate with any gang members as a condition of his supervision.
Assistant United States Attorney Jerome A. Moschetta prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Kaufman commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, together with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Griffin. This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
