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Alleged leader of Rome and Cartersville area gang convicted on RICO charges

Maurice Kent was convicted on RICO charges and connected to a shooting at a Brookhaven night club.

ATLANTA — The alleged leader of a gang that operates primarily around Rome and Cartersville was convicted on federal RICO charges, the U.S. Attorney in Atlanta announced this week.

According to Ryan K. Buchanan, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, Maurice Kent was the leader of a sub-section of the California-based 135 Pirus gang.  

Among other acts, Kent was found guilty of firing shots into a crowd outside a Brookhaven night club in 2017, injuring another gang member and security guard.

RELATED: Georgia's RICO Act explained

He was also implicated in the murder of a 17-year-old member of the gang, who had witnessed the shooting.

When Kent learned the teenager had been interviewed by police, he believed he was "snitching," according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

"Two days later, 135 Pirus gang members devised a plan to lure the teenager to Bartow County, Georgia, where they shot and killed him with Kent’s gun, leaving the boy’s body on a rural road," a release said.

Several other members of the gang - including Kent's twin brother - were convicted the in the case. Two of them are from Atlanta, one from Lawrenceville, one from Acworth and one from Cartersville.

“The 135 Pirus gang is a violent criminal organization whose members committed a multitude of crimes, including the horrific execution of a 17-year-old witness,” Buchanan said in a statement. “Kent and his fellow gang members demonstrated an absolute disregard for human life and have now been brought to justice as a result of the strong partnership between federal and local law enforcement. This case, which culminated in a jury verdict convicting Kent of all charges, reflects our office’s resolve to tirelessly investigate and prosecute gangs who drive violence in our communities.”

Kent has not yet been sentenced. 

   

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