The U.S. Department of Justice announced the indictment of a St. Louis gang member on Wednesday, accused of a range of violent crimes, including a murder in aid of racketeering. Travis Santel Jones, 21, allegedly a part of the Cochran Crips, faces charges for his involvement in the slayings of three individuals, as well as RICO conspiracy and firearm-related offenses. According to a press release from the Justice Department, the gang is blamed for terrorizing the St. Louis area with drug trafficking and violent acts, which have now led to serious federal consequences.
"There is no place in our communities for groups that terrorize their neighbors," indicated Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department's Criminal Division. This indictment implicates Jones in the tragic loss of three lives. Court documents suggest that, in July 2020, Jones and fellow gang members roamed the streets armed, looking for retaliation against rival gangs. The search resulted in the mistaken identity murders of two innocent people. A day after the murders, it's alleged the gang celebrated the killings with a rap song.
In a separate incident in 2022, prosecutors claim Jones took part in the murder of another Cochran Crips member over a perceived slight to a fellow gang member. According to allegations, the gang acquired a vehicle, armed themselves, and committed the murder at the victim's house. Chief of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, Robert J. Tracy, stated on Justice Department, "Violence has no place in our community, and this indictment sends a clear message: we will always be a voice for victims, and we will not stop pursuing justice until there is accountability."
The case underscores the ongoing efforts of a Violent Crime Initiative conducted in partnership with the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of Missouri, local, state, and federal law enforcement. The initiative is tasked with leveraging federal laws against gang members and their affiliates. Special Agent in Charge Ashley Johnson of the FBI St. Louis Field Office said on the Department of Justice, "The FBI and our law enforcement partners will not stop until we bring all those involved in the murders to justice." If found guilty of murder in aid of racketeering, Jones stands to face a mandatory minimum penalty of life in prison or the death penalty, with the other charges also carrying a possible life sentence.
The FBI and St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department are investigating the case, with Trial Attorneys Jared A. Hernandez and Matthew Mattis from the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nino Przulj for the Eastern District of Missouri leading the prosecution.
