ORLANDO, Fla. — Eleven alleged members and associates of the Sex Money Murder 24K (SMM-24K) gang have been indicted in the Middle District of Florida on federal charges including racketeering conspiracy, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder by aiding and abetting racketeering, and large-scale drug trafficking in Florida prisons.
Federal prosecutors have released a four-count indictment charging the defendants with operating a violent criminal enterprise both inside and outside of Florida Department of Corrections facilities.
SMM-24K, which is part of the nationally known Bloods gang, allegedly enforced its rules with extreme violence, including stabbings and attempted murders of members, according to court documents.
Prison “target list” and suspected organized attacks
Investigators said gang leaders had created a “hit list” identifying their victims, their locations and the charges against them.
One of the most serious charges involves Tyrone Conaway, 37, formerly of Fort Lauderdale, who is accused of directing fellow SMM-24K members at DeSoto Correctional Facility to kill a gang member accused of lying to and stealing from the organization on January 17, 2023. Less than two weeks later, the targeted inmate was stabbed inside the facility.
On February 23, 2023, prosecutors alleged that Terry Tillman, 38, of Orlando, attempted to kill another SMM member by stabbing him around the neck while Charlie Martin, 28, of DeLand, acted as a lookout.
Authorities also allege that Hernando Thompson, 40, and Alvin James, 30, of Orlando, collaborated via text message to arrange the murder of a rival gang member in April 2023. The inmate was attacked and slashed in the face at Apalachee East Correctional Facility. After being transferred to Liberty Correctional Facility, he was reportedly stabbed again by the same rival gang member on May 24, 2023.
Drug trafficking in Florida prisons
Federal authorities say the gang also operated a sophisticated drug trafficking network inside Florida correctional facilities.
Court documents allege that SMM-24K members used outside partners to smuggle drugs, including methamphetamine, into state prisons to benefit their criminal enterprises.
Assistant Attorney General A. Theisen Duba said the gang “brutally enforced its purported rules” while moving large quantities of dangerous drugs into correctional facilities across the state.
U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe added that the indictment shows how the gang expanded its operations “even from behind bars.”
“The crimes alleged in this indictment demonstrate the SMM-24K gang’s ruthlessness and determination to perpetuate its heinous acts in Florida’s prisons,” Kehoe said.
FBI Tampa Special Agent in Charge Matthew Fodor said dismantling prison-based gangs remains a top priority for federal law enforcement.
Origin and scope of the organization
Prosecutors say SMM-24K is an offshoot of the Bloods gang, which originated in Los Angeles in the early 1970s and later expanded from the Bronx to the entire East Coast, including Florida. Authorities allege that members of SMM-24K orchestrated a conspiracy to commit murders and distribute drugs within Florida Department of Corrections facilities as part of a broader extortion enterprise.
potential penalty
If convicted:
The defendant faces life in prison on racketeering conspiracy and drug conspiracy charges. Conspiracy to commit murder in aid of extortion carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
The FBI is leading the investigation with assistance from the Florida Department of Corrections, FDOC Office of Inspector General, and Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
Trial Attorney Christopher Matthews of the Department of Justice’s Violent Crimes and Racketeering Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Ruddy and Robert Sowell are prosecuting the case.
Federal officials emphasized that the charges are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
