An Athol, Massachusetts gang member affiliated with the Vice Lords has been taken into custody in Smyrna, Georgia, after eluding the authorities for two months, confirmed the U.S. Attorney's Office. Keith Harlow, known on the streets as "Lord Savage," faces an array of serious charges including conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, illegal gun possession, robbery, and operating a firearms business without a license.
Harlow's alleged criminal activities came to a head while on parole, despite previously serving six to ten years for multiple armed robberies; he was photographed with firearms, discussed manufacturing and selling weapons, and supposedly distributed both guns and drugs through a network that extended across the state, according to evidence gathered from cellphones and surveillance during his time as a fugitive, the press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office detailed.
In federal court, Harlow is scheduled for extradition to Massachusetts following his appearance before a Georgia State Court concerning existing parole warrant and state charges. His alleged accomplices, Jonathan Perry, Andrew Poor, and Dante Machuca, were already apprehended earlier this year, with each facing their own set of federal charges in connection to the same criminal operation.
Harlow's indictment shines a light on a purported January home invasion where he, Poor, and Machuca allegedly aimed to rob a drug dealer at gunpoint, an act betrayed by the singe of hot metal on skin as a round was discharged, only to intimidate, according to the charging documents. In a search conducted on May 29, authorities recovered firearms, parts, and around 100 grams of suspected cocaine from Harlow's property.
Authorities such as United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and officials from federal and state agencies collaborated to bring Harlow and his associates to justice; Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard is leading the prosecution for the Organized Crime & Gang Unit. Despite the weight of allegations Harlow faces, justice aligns with the presumption of innocence until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
