Following a two-week trial, a federal jury in Minneapolis convicted William Johnson of his involvement in a violent Minneapolis street gang and a gang-related murder in August 2021.
Court documents say that William Johnson, 35, of Minneapolis, was a member of the Highs — a criminal gang that controlled territory north of West Broadway Avenue in Minneapolis. Highs members committed murders, firearms crimes, burglaries, assaults, and robberies on behalf of the gang. As part of his membership, the gang expected Johnson to retaliate against their rivals, namely, the Lows gang, which operated south of West Broadway Avenue.
The gang war between the Highs and Lows escalated when on Aug. 7, 2021, a prominent Highs member was shot and killed by a Lows member at a gas station — a notorious High’s hangout. The next day, Highs members organized a memorial for the deceased member at the gas station. During the memorial, they distributed firearms and told one another to retaliate against the Lows members for the murder. Defendant Johnson and other Highs conspirators all attended.
“This is the Criminal Division’s fifth successful trial against members of this violent Minneapolis gang,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Department’s firm resolve to stop violent crime in Minneapolis and around the country remains a top priority of this Administration. We will continue to obtain justice for crime victims in Minneapolis and around the country to halt senseless gang killings wherever they occur.”
Later that day, Johnson and two other Highs members went looking for Lows members to shoot and kill. Johnson drove himself and others to Skyline Market, a well-known favorite Lows’ hangout. Seeing the victim and mistakenly believing him to be a Lows member, they shot at him inside the store. The victim ran from the store and into the street, where another Highs member was driving two juveniles in a stolen Porsche. The juveniles exited the vehicle and chased the victim into a nearby alley, where they fired additional shots at him.
He died at the scene.
Johnson drove the two Highs members away and back to the memorial site.
“This conviction reflects sustained effort by investigators and prosecutors,” said Special Agent in Charge Travis Riddle of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) St. Paul Field Division. “These cases do not end with a single verdict. ATF and our partners will continue holding every individual involved in this RICO conspiracy accountable for their actions.”
The defendant faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. His sentencing date has yet to be set by the court. Two other defendants in prior trials in this case, Dantrell Johnson and Gregory Hamilton, have already been sentenced to life in prison. A third co-defendant, Keon Pruitt, was sentenced to over 37 years in prison. Numerous other Highs members have been sentenced to penalties in excess of ten years.
“Criminal gangs who threaten and terrorize our communities will be tracked down and held accountable by the FBI and our partners,” said Acting Assistant Director Mark Remily of the FBI’s Criminal Division. “The danger the Highs have brought onto our streets will not be tolerated. Today’s conviction is another step in dismantling these criminal enterprises and stopping their acts of violence.”
To date, 42 Highs members or associates have been convicted of federal charges.
“William Johnson and the Lows criminal street gang did not simply commit isolated acts of violence — they imposed control through killings, robberies, and assaults, leaving the entire community to live under threat,” said Special Agent in Charge Adam Jobes of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Chicago Field Office. “This conviction holds Johnson accountable for a murder carried out to advance a violent criminal enterprise that treated fear as a tool and human life as disposable. IRS-CI will continue working alongside our federal, state and local partners to dismantle these organizations at every level. We will follow the money, expose the structure behind the violence, and help ensure that gangs that terrorize communities in Minnesota are brought to justice.”
The ATF, FBI, Minneapolis Police Department, IRS Criminal Investigation, U. S. Postal Inspection Service, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and Minnesota Department of Corrections are investigating the case, with assistance from the U. S. Marshals Service, DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, Dakota County Sheriff’s Office, St. Paul Police Department, and numerous other law enforcement agencies contributed to the investigation.
“Today’s conviction should put violent gang members on notice. The U. S. Postal Inspection Service will target anyone who uses the U. S. Mail to conduct and fund illegal criminal enterprises,” said Inspector in Charge Bryan Musgrove of the U. S. Postal Inspection Service Denver Division. “Residents deserve to feel safe in their communities. We remain dedicated to tracking criminals down and bringing them to justice, no matter their affiliation.”
Trial Attorneys Brian Lynch and Alyssa Levey-Weinstein of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime & Racketeering Section and Assistant U. S. Attorneys Albania Concepcion, Carla J. Baumel, and Rebecca E. Kline of the District of Minnesota are prosecuting the case.
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