Three Cleveland gang members convicted in federal RICO murder case
A federal jury convicted Raven Mullins, Malik Brooks and Jayon Florence of offenses including RICO murder after a three-week trial in Cleveland.
- Development
- 5 November 2026
- Coverage
- Verdict
- Current status
- Verdict returned
- Source record
- 2 verified sources
Federal jury returns verdicts
A federal jury in Cleveland convicted three members and associates of the Fully Blooded Felons gang on November 5 after a three-week trial. Raven Mullins, 37, Malik Brooks, 28, and Jayon Florence, 23, were convicted of offenses including murder under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, RICO conspiracy, RICO kidnapping, drug trafficking and firearms crimes.
The defendants face maximum sentences of life imprisonment. The court had not set sentencing dates when the verdicts were announced, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Ohio. [1] [2]
Kidnapping and killings formed part of the case
Trial evidence established that the defendants and other gang members kidnapped and killed a woman in July 2022 after suspecting that she was sharing information with a rival gang member. Prosecutors proved that she was held in an apartment before Brooks, Florence and others took her to Cleveland's west side and killed her with Mullins' approval.
The jury also heard evidence that Mullins and other members kidnapped and assaulted a second woman in 2022 after she gave police information about a robbery. She was released. Evidence connected Mullins and two other members to a separate robbery and murder on Cleveland's west side in September 2023, including Mullins' DNA on a knife sheath recovered at the scene. [1] [2]
Twenty-five members convicted in federal case
The Justice Department said the gang had operated in Ohio since about 2012, principally in Cleveland, Akron and Youngstown, and within the state prison system. Prosecutors presented evidence that Mullins oversaw the gang's governing body and that members used violence to enforce internal rules and protect the organization.
Twenty-five members have now been charged and convicted of federal offenses arising from the indictment, including racketeering conspiracy, murder, kidnapping, drug and firearm crimes. The case followed a multiyear investigation led by the FBI with Cleveland police and other federal, state and local agencies. [1] [2]
How the federal racketeering case was proved
The convictions followed a federal racketeering prosecution rather than a single-state homicide case. The government had to prove both the charged violent acts and their relationship to the gang enterprise. According to the Justice Department, trial evidence included witness testimony, physical evidence and records developed during the multiagency investigation. The jury’s verdicts establish criminal liability for the specific counts returned; they do not convert every allegation made during the wider investigation into a finding against these three defendants.
The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio following work by the FBI, Cleveland Division of Police and partner agencies. The public announcement did not identify any post-verdict motions filed by the defense. [1] [2]
Sentencing remains the next court stage
Mullins, Brooks and Florence remain convicted but not yet sentenced. Federal judges will determine their penalties after reviewing the statutory ranges, the advisory sentencing guidelines and submissions from prosecutors and defense lawyers. The Justice Department said each defendant faces a maximum of life imprisonment, but it did not announce a sentencing date in the November 5 release.
Any defense request for acquittal or a new trial, and any later appeal, would be handled separately from the jury’s verdict. Until the district court enters judgments and sentences, the confirmed outcome is the guilty verdicts returned after the three-week trial. [1] [2]
Sources & further reading
- Cleveland Gang Members Convicted of Racketeering, Murder, Kidnapping, Drug Trafficking, and Firearms Offenses ↗U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Ohio · 2026-11-05 · Primary source
- 3 gang members convicted of murder, kidnapping, drug crimes ↗Cleveland 19 News · 2026-11-05
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