Five Highs Gang Members Convicted by Jury of RICO Conspiracy, Drug Trafficking, and Firearms Offenses

Following a three-week trial, a federal jury in Minneapolis convicted five Minnesota men today for their involvement in the Highs — a violent Minneapolis street gang — and in gang-related murders, shootings, and narcotics distribution.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, defendants Tyreese Giles, 24, Josiah Taylor, 31, Trevaun Robinson, 29, William Banks, 35, and Gregory Brown, 35, all of Minneapolis, were members of various “cliques,” or subsets, of the Highs — a criminal enterprise that controlled territory north of West Broadway Avenue in Minneapolis. Members of the Highs committed murders, narcotics trafficking, weapons violations, burglaries, assaults, and robberies on behalf of the enterprise. As part of their Highs membership, the defendants were expected to retaliate against their rivals, the Lows gang, which operated south of West Broadway Avenue. These two gangs had been in a gang war that spanned years and alleged members of the Lows gang have been separately charged with federal crimes, including racketeering charges.

“This is the second successful trial against members and associates of the Highs gang in this case in the last three weeks,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This case and these trials show the Department’s relentless determination to hold accountable criminal enterprises that use murder and intimidation to exert power and control narcotics territory. We will continue to dismantle violent gangs and secure justice for victims and their loved ones in communities around the country.”

“The Highs have long terrorized north Minneapolis, bringing drugs, violence, and murder,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson for the District of Minnesota. “This verdict represents yet another step in our fight against gang violence. I want to thank the coalition of federal, state, and local law enforcement partners who joined together to bring down this violent criminal street gang. I also want to thank the Justice Department’s Violent Crime & Racketeering Section for lending their expertise and partnering with the U.S. Attorney’s Office on our RICO cases.”

“This case is a powerful example of how we use federal racketeering laws to take down violent gangs at the center of community violence,” said Acting Director Daniel Driscoll of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. “These individuals relied on firearms, retaliation, and drug trafficking to fuel chaos and assert fear and dominance over their neighborhoods. ATF special agents worked closely with our partners to map the gang’s structure and document their vicious acts of violence, to bring the full weight of the law against its members. We will continue to use every tool available to protect the public and hold violent offenders accountable.”

“The verdict today reflects the United States Postal Inspection Service’s (USPIS) dedication to building great partnerships with other federal agencies, as well as state and county law enforcement, to bring violent criminals in our communities to justice,” said Acting Inspector in Charge Steve Hodge of USPIS.

“As financial investigators, IRS Criminal Investigation brings a unique skill set to dismantling violent criminal enterprises,” said Special Agent in Charge Ramsey E. Covington of the IRS Criminal Investigation Chicago Field Office. “Our special agents are experts in exposing how criminal organizations move and hide their illicit funds. By following the money, we developed critical financial evidence on significant fentanyl suppliers. As an agency on the RICO task force to combat violent crime, IRS-CI will continue to collaborate with our federal, state, and local partners to make a noticeable impact in our community. These convictions are a critical step in restoring safety and stability to the streets of Minneapolis and maintaining the marked decrease in violence in our community.”

As proven at trial, the gang war escalated when, on Sept. 9, 2021, a prominent Highs member was shot and killed at a barbershop in Minneapolis. About two hours later, suspecting that the Lows were responsible for the killing, defendant Giles traveled to Pennwood Market in Lows territory. Once there, Giles, who was dressed in black and wearing a mask covering his face, shot and killed a Lows member. He fired the fatal shot into the victim’s back before he attempted to flee from the scene.

Evidence at trial tied defendant Robinson to two shootings — one into a crowd of individuals in downtown Minneapolis on July 7, 2019, and another in the parking lot of Merwin Liquors, a Highs hangout, on April 2, 2022.

Defendants Taylor and Banks trafficked drugs, including fentanyl, on behalf of the Highs. Evidence proved that Brown was a high-level narcotics supplier for the Highs and coordinated trips to and from Arizona for Highs members to obtain tens of thousands of fentanyl pills to sell on the streets of Minneapolis. Each defendant was arrested in possession of narcotics, including fentanyl, methamphetamine, and oxycodone, and one possessed a firearm in furtherance of their narcotics trafficking.

The jury convicted defendants Giles, Robinson, Banks, And Brown of Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Conspiracy. Defendants Taylor and Banks were also convicted of drug trafficking conspiracy. The jury convicted Taylor of the separate crime of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

This is the second of several trials in this case, which charged over 40 defendants with RICO conspiracy, narcotics trafficking, firearms offenses, and other charges related to their activities as members and associates of the Highs gang. Nine defendants are awaiting trial.

The ATF, FBI, Minneapolis Police Department, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and Minnesota Department of Corrections are investigating the case, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, Dakota County Sheriff’s Office, St. Paul Police Department, and numerous other law enforcement agencies contributed to the investigation.

Trial Attorneys Brian Lynch and Alyssa Levey-Weinstein of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime & Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Lopez-Calhoun and Carla Baumel of the District of Minnesota are prosecuting the case.