22 indicted after investigation of south Phoenix criminal street gang

PHOENIX — An investigation of a criminal street gang operating in south Phoenix resulted in 22 indictments for various drug charges, authorities said Wednesday.

Each of those indicted was charged with either conspiracy to distribute cocaine or fentanyl, or both, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona said in a press release.

A few people were also charged with possession of a firearm as a felon, with one person facing additional charges for transferring or possessing a machine gun, authorities said.

The list of individuals indicted by a federal grand jury is below:

• Marcus Wayne Wesley, 35, of Phoenix
• Jesus Salazar, 24, of Avondale
• Philip Nathaneal Austin, 42, of Phoenix
• Alfred Wayne Wesley, 61, of Phoenix
• Lequisha Shantai Jack, 36, of Phoenix
• Rayvontae Virshon Hampton, 28, of Phoenix
• Edward Jewel Norwood, 28, of Phoenix
• Michael Dewanz Gibson, 26, of Florence
• Joshua Jordaun Jackson, 31, of Buckeye
• David Andrew Connelly, 59, of Phoenix
• Terry Lee King II, 40, of Phoenix
• Lancer Edward Williams Jr., 36, of Phoenix
• Tyrell Ann Gray, 53, of Phoenix
• Donald Eugene Reed, 60, of Phoenix
• Quincy Lamar Davis, 38, of Phoenix
• Joseph Kizzee, 36, of Phoenix
• Christopher Duane Guy, 30, of Phoenix
• James Donald Estell, 41, of Phoenix
• Terry Lee King, Sr., 62, of Phoenix
• Christopher Marcus Mitchell, 35, of Goodyear

The Arizona Department of Public Safety in January 2020 began an investigation targeting a drug and firearms supplier in south Phoenix, according to criminal complaints filed last week.

The FBI’s Violent Street Gang Task Force, in conjunction with the DPS investigation, a year later began investigating the Lindo Park Crips criminal street gang and its numerous members, associates and drug suppliers, authorities said.

Law enforcement over the course of the investigation seized more than 2,430 grams of cocaine, 35,000 counterfeit M30 pills suspected to contain fentanyl, 26 grams of methamphetamine, 4.5 grams of crack cocaine, 32 doses of MDMA, eight glock conversion devices and 17 firearms, authorities said.

Additional ammunition, narcotics and 62 firearms were also seized from over a dozen search warrants executed by the FBI on June 23, authorities said.

A conviction for the cocaine charges hold a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and a $5 million fine, according to the release, while a conviction for the fentanyl charges has a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine.

Charges related to illegally possessing a firearm carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, authorities said.

Investigation of the case was headed by the FBI, Phoenix Police Department and DPS with significant contributions from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Marshals Service, according to the release.

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