ROANOKE, Va. – Sean Denzel Guerrant, a Roanoke man who led the Rollin’ 30s Crips in Roanoke, pleaded guilty today to one count of racketeering conspiracy that included responsibility for a murder as well as a separate count involving a conspiracy to murder a different victim. During his plea hearing, Guerrant admitted to leading the criminal street gang whose members committed a murder in June 2017.
Guerrant, a.k.a. “Harlem Dunk” and his co-conspirators,Trayvone Raycron Kasey, Chauncey Dion Levesy, and Demonte Rashod Mack, were members of the Rollin’ 30s Crips, which also called itself the “Dirt Gang.” The Rollin’ 30s Crips are a national street gang founded in the greater Los Angeles, California area with smaller sets in other cities throughout the United States. The Roanoke set of the Rollin’ 30s operated primarily in northwest Roanoke, centered in and around the Lansdowne neighborhood.
“There is no higher priority for my Office than prosecuting murders stemming from gang violence. If you shoot and kill another person because of, or in furtherance of, some gang affiliation, you can know that the United States Attorney’s Office, and our partners in law enforcement, are going to investigate and bring federal charges where appropriate.” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “This case also sends a message to those perceived leaders of criminal enterprises. It makes no difference under federal law whether you personally committed the murder, or whether you encouraged, directed, or ordered another person to commit an act of violence. You are going to face the same consequences as those who pull the trigger. I am thankful to the FBI and the Roanoke City Police Department for their continued dedication to their work on this difficult but important mission.”
“While nothing can erase the pain that the family and friends of this young man feel after his life were taken, we hope this plea brings some level of peace and comfort to them. This joint investigation with our federal, state and local partners resulted in the successful conclusion of this homicide investigation. This is a clear and direct message to those who continue to choose to engage in gun violence and organized crime in Roanoke: we are going to do everything we can to hold you accountable for your actions. The Roanoke Police Department and our partners at every level of the judicial system are committed to doing our part to keep Roanoke safe,” said Chief Sam Roman, Roanoke Police Department
“Today’s result is the culmination of a multi-year, coordinated investigation by the FBI, City of Roanoke Police Department and our law enforcement partners,” said Special Agent in Charge Stanley M. Meador of the FBI’s Richmond Division. “This conviction shows that the FBI and its partners continue their commitment to investigate and disrupt those individuals and organizations who victimize our communities.”
Guerrant admitted today that he, Kasey, Mack, Levesy, and others conspired to conduct a pattern of racketeering activity, including multiple threats and acts of violence. Specifically, Guerrant ordered N.L., a seventeen-year-old, to kill D.F. to atone for N.L.’s gang violations and perceived disloyalty to the gang.
In the early morning hours of June 15, 2017, Kasey drove N.L. to pick up D.F., while Levesy and Mack followed them to a nearby Roanoke apartment complex. After arriving at the apartment complex, everyone except Levesy exited their vehicles while D.F. ran away and hid, leaving Mack, Kasey and N.L. together in one of the parking areas. At that time, N.L. refused to hand over his firearm to Kasey until Mack pointed his own firearm at N.L. and told him to give it up. After handing over his firearm to Kasey, N.L. ran away in an attempt to escape, but both Kasey and Mack chased him and ultimately shot N.L. twice in the back. According to the Medical Examiner, N.L.’s murder resulted from the two shots that entered his back.
After the shooting, Mack, Kasey, and Levesy returned to the gang’s “trap house” and met up with Guerrant and other Rollin’ 30s gang members, at which time everything that occurred was reported to Guerrant.
The City of Roanoke Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Violent Crimes Task Force investigated this case along with other law enforcement assets from the Virginia State Police, the Roanoke County Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Miller, Coleman Adams, and Michael Baudinet are prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders works together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders, and partners with locally-based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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