Native Mob Gang Member Sentenced To 366 Months In Prison For Assault In Aid Of Racketeering, Witness Retaliation
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced the sentencing of DAKOTA JAMES LAFAVE, aka “Biggs,” 30, to 366 months in prison for assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, witness retaliation, and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. LAFAVE, who pleaded guilty on January 22, 2019, was sentenced before Chief Judge John R. Tunheim in U.S. District Court in St. Paul, Minnesota.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, since 2006, LAFAVE has been a member of the Native Mob gang, a criminal enterprise whose members and associates engage in acts of violence, including murder, attempted murder, assault, robbery, and threats of violence in order to preserve and protect power, territory, reputation, and profits of the enterprise. Members and associates of the Native Mob meet regularly to discuss, among other things, acts of violence and crimes committed against rival gang members, gang rules and by-laws, law enforcement interactions, and to share with one another the identities of individuals who might be cooperating with law enforcement and propose actions to be taken against those individuals.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, on October 27, 2017, LAFAVE shot a former Native Mob gang member in the back. LAFAVE admitted that his motive for the shooting was two-fold: first, it was an act of retaliation against that individual for testifying against Native Mob gang members in a federal racketeering conspiracy trial in 2013; and second, an unprovoked attack such as this would maintain or increase LAFAVE’s position within the Native Mob.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Minneapolis Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Mille Lacs Tribal Police Department, and the Minnesota Department of Corrections.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew R. Winter and Bradley Endicott prosecuted the case.
Defendant Information:
DAKOTA JAMES LAFAVE, aka “Biggs,” 30
Fond du Lac, Minn.
Convicted:
- Assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, 1 count
- Witness retaliation (bodily injury), 1 count
- Discharge of a firearm during and in relation to crimes of violence, 1 count
Sentenced:
- 366 months in prison
- 3 years Supervised Release
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