In St. Louis, a string of guilty pleas have recently tightened the legal noose around members of the "55 Boyz," a drug gang once notorious for flooding south St. Louis with fentanyl. U.S. Attorney Tom Albus announced that seven more individuals affiliated with the gang have admitted their roles in drug and gun crimes, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Missouri.
Among them, 47-year-old Michelle Harris pleaded guilty to maintaining a drug-involved premises. The six others racked up a variety of charges from conspiracy to distribute fentanyl to firearms offenses. They’ve already entered their pleas and await sentencing in the upcoming months, the DOJ report elaborated.
Significant details emerged from the case of Talito "Scoot" Amos, a 32-year-old from Beverly Hills, Missouri, not only pleaded guilty to several felonies on August 6, including intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl; he also confessed to his extensive involvement in the gang's operations. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Amos acknowledged selling drugs directly to an undercover officer and instructed other members to deal with customer transactions for the drugs.
On January 23, 2024, after Amos sold 312 capsules of fentanyl to an undercover agent and negotiated the sale of a significant quantity of meth, authorities executed a court-approved search. At a residence on Castilon Avenue, they found not only hundreds of fentanyl capsules but also an AK-style pistol, meth, a pill press, and various other incriminating items, the DOJ release described. In Florissant at another location Amos frequented, officials discovered parts of an AR-style rifle and more fentanyl capsules.
The Amos family is central to this case, with Talito Amos, Xavier Amos, Norey Amos, and Jayvaughn Taylor all being half-brothers and involved to varying degrees; Carlos "Los Bandz" Amos, their cousin and Michelle Harris the mother of Taylor and Talito Amos, has her own share of legal troubles.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives led the investigation, with the prosecution handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski.
