Three more individuals have been charged as part of a federal indictment targeting the Lows, a street gang based in Minneapolis. The newly charged defendants—Marques Armstrong Jr., 30, Davant Moore, 23, and Jahon Lynch, 20—are accused of participating in a racketeering conspiracy that includes murder, attempted murder, firearms offenses, and drug trafficking involving fentanyl. This brings the total number of defendants in the case to fourteen.
According to the indictment, the Lows gang has operated primarily in north Minneapolis since about 2004. The group is alleged to have used violence and intimidation to protect its territory and criminal activities. The indictment details ten murders linked to the gang as part of its racketeering activity.
“These fourteen defendants are allegedly all part of a gang that is responsible for at least 10 murders on the streets of Minneapolis,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These murders, which allegedly took place at a gas station, a barbershop, a food truck, and other public places, terrorized neighborhoods. As this superseding indictment to net additional gang members shows, the Criminal Division will not relent in addressing violent crime.”
“The Lows are killing our neighbors, and we’re taking them down,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “RICO charges give us the power to dismantle the violent street gangs that fuel the violence and trap families in fear. Every time we bring one of these cases, shootings drop, neighborhoods calm, and law-abiding families reclaim their streets. This progress is only possible because of the relentless work of our law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice’s Violent Crime & Racketeering Section. To every family that has lost someone to gang violence: we will not stop until your streets are safe.”
“This violent street gang, the Lows, will not continue to wreak havoc in Minneapolis neighborhoods,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “Violent groups don’t belong in our communities. These charges demonstrate our overall strategy and relentless determination to eradicate the drug-fueled gang violence plaguing our community. The FBI and our partners will continue to aggressively pursue gangs wherever they surface and are steadfast in making sure our communities are a safe place for our citizens.”
“For nearly two decades, the Lows have menaced the north Minneapolis community through gun violence and murders,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “Together with our law enforcement partners, the FBI has fought tirelessly to end that reign of terror. This new indictment shows that the FBI will never stop working to crush violent gangs like the Lows, save lives, and protect our communities.”
“Through the relentless efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Minneapolis Police Department, and our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, this outcome represents another significant step in dismantling the gangs that have victimized our city—especially in the neighborhoods most impacted,” said Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara. “For the individuals and families who have endured this violence, today’s result brings us closer to justice and accountability. We remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting every family and every community. The people of Minneapolis deserve a city that is safe and free from fear.”
“This criminal street gang treated gun violence and murder as business tools to maintain power and control,” said Jason Bushey, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Chicago Field Office. “IRS-CI special agents followed the money to expose how this enterprise was financed, uncovering the cash flow that allowed them to buy weapons, traffic drugs, and sow fear in Minneapolis neighborhoods. By tracing their illicit proceeds, we gave our law enforcement partners the evidence to not only disrupt this conspiracy but to hold its leaders accountable for the violence they inflicted. This case shows how IRS-CI’s financial expertise is critical to dismantling organized crime and protecting communities from violent threats.”
“Street gangs have been a persistent source of violence in Minneapolis, and the allegations in this indictment show the toll they continue to take on our communities,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Travis Riddle of the St. Paul Field Division. “ATF has been committed to this city for decades, and we will continue working to keep firearms out of the hands of those who are prohibited and to hold accountable those who use violence to threaten the safety of our neighborhoods.”
“The line between drug trafficking and violence is non-existent and today’s announcement is another reminder of this fact,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Omaha Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Rafael Mattei. “Agents with the DEA remain committed to our partners in law enforcement to ensure our communities are safe places to live.”
“Criminal organizations like the Lows pose a significant threat to public safety, endangering our communities through murder, narcotics trafficking to include fentanyl, gang violence, and other criminal activities,” said ICE HSI St. Paul Acting Special Agent in Charge Samuel Westbay. “Our agents remain steadfast in their commitment to working alongside our law enforcement partners to dismantle these dangerous criminal enterprises and restore safety and security to our neighborhoods.”
“The expansion of this RICO case to include three more defendants suspected of the most heinous crimes underscores the strength of our ongoing partnership at local state federal level,” said Hennepin County Sheriff DeWanna Witt.“We are dismantling this violent organization responsible for terrorizing our communitiesand taking important steps towards justice for victimsand thesafetyofourneighborhoods.GangviolencehasnoplaceinHennepinCountyandtheHennepinCountySheriff’sOfficewillcontinuetoworktoputthesecriminalorganizationsoutofbusiness.”
“Minnesotans deserve tol ive withoutthefearofgangviolenceattheirdoorstep—ofrivalryescalatingtobloodshed,”saidBureauofCriminalApprehensionSuperintendentDrewEvans.“It hastostop,andourresolvetomakethathappenhasneverbeenstronger.”
“StoppingviolentcriminalsthatmisusetheU.S.PostalServiceandposearisk tothegeneralpublicremainsthetoppriorityoftheU.S.PostalInspectionService,”saidPostalInspectorinChargeBryanMusgrove.“Today’ssupersedingindictmentsendsaclearmessage:Ifyou do harmtoourcommunities,wewillfindyouandbringyoutojustice.”
The indictment lists several incidents tiedtoallegedmembersoftheLowsincludingfatalshootingsatpublicplaceslikeagasstationabarbershopandafoodtruckaswellasdrive-byshootingsandinvestigationsuncoveringtheuseoffirearmsnarcoticstraffickingandothercrimes.Thechargesincludeactsfrom2021through2024.
If convicted,thedefendantsfacepenaltiesincludinguptolifeimprisonmentforracketeeringconspiracyinvolvingactsofmurderusingafirearmtocommitmurder,andconspiratytodistributecontrolledsubstances.
Multiple agencies includingATF,FBI ,DEA ,IRS -CI ,HSI ,USPIS ,MinneapolisPoliceDepartment,HennepinCountySheriff’sOffice,MinnesotaBureauofCriminalApprehension,andMinnesotaDepartmentofCorrectionsareinvestigatingthecasewithassistancefromtheU.S.MarshalsService.
Assistant U.S.AttorneysGarrettS.FieldsandDavidM.ClassenfortheDistrictofMinnesotaandTrialAttorneyJaredEngelkingoftheCriminalDivision’sViolentCrimeandRacketeeringSectionareprosecutingthecase.
Anindictmentisnotaproofofguilt.Allaccusedarepresumedinnocentuntilprovenotherwiseincourt.
