NINE INDICTED ON DRUG, CONSPIRACY CHARGES

The gang started with a few members in Avondale who sold heroin and
called themselves "A-1 Darkside," police say.

Soon, they say, the gang evolved into something much bigger: A
network of drug dealers and thugs who imported heroin from New York,
intimidated or killed potential rivals and expanded their business
throughout Cincinnati.

Police say members vowed they weren't afraid to "get grimy" - to rob
or harm others if necessary - and renamed the group the Grimy Gang.
They even printed T-shirts bearing the gang's misspelled name: "Grimmie."

A federal indictment unsealed Friday charged nine accused gang
members with conspiracy and drug charges that could send all of them
to prison for life if convicted.

One accused member, [Name redacted], is charged with shooting one
man and killing another. She faces a potential death sentence.

"What set them apart from other drug organizations was the violence,"
said Lt. Col. James Whalen of Cincinnati Police. "Any competitor was
very quickly threatened, hurt or killed."

Whalen said as many as "a few dozen people" are under suspicion of
having connections to the gang, and some of those could be charged
later as the investigation continues.

Police worked with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and
Explosives on the case and sought federal charges because the
penalties could be greater given the size of the alleged conspiracy.

"These arrests are great news for Cincinnati," Mayor Mark Mallory
said Friday. "They have been terrorizing Cincinnati streets."

Unlike other gangs in Cincinnati, Whalen said, the Grimy (or Grimmie)
Gang was not based on members' neighborhood or school affiliations.
He said it was based on a mutual desire to make money.

"They are forsaking the traditional gang boundaries," Whalen said.
"They are crossing those boundaries in the name of profit. They're
saying, 'We'll fight later; let's make money now.'"

The indictment identifies [Name redacted], 34, and [Name redacted],
26, as leaders of the gang and accuses them of obtaining
"multi-kilogram quantities of heroin from sources in New York."

Others named in the indictment include: [Name redacted], 29; J [Name
redacted], 24; [Name redacted], 24; [Name redacted], 24; [Name
redacted]27; [Name redacted], 25 and [Name redacted], 22.

In addition to the drug and conspiracy charges, [Name redacted]
and [Name redacted]are charged in the Jan. 7, 2005 shooting of
Darrick Boston. [Name redacted] also is accused of robbing and
killing Gregory Ellis on July 24, 2005.

The potential death penalty against [Name redacted] is rare in
federal cases and requires the approval of the U.S. Attorney General
before a grand jury may consider it.

"This is a serious charge," said Fred Alverson, spokesman for U.S.
Attorney Gregory Lockhart. "This is one of the big hammers that the
Justice Department has, and it only uses it in instances where the
violence is a threat to the entire community."

[Name redacted] has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and to related
charges in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court. Her attorney, Kelly
Johnson, declined to discuss the case but said the federal charges
were expected.

Whalen said [Name redacted] role with the gang was to lure men into
vulnerable positions so they could be robbed or harmed.