BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – A yearslong investigation led by the Broward Sheriff’s Office has resulted in the recent arrests of 10 people described as “suspected senior members” of the Sex, Money, Murder Blood gang, according to a news release.
Detectives with the sheriff’s office’s Gang Investigations Task Force spent the last three years investigating the gang, the release states.
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After learning that two alleged “command-level” members of the gang resided in Broward, the task force was able to identify the gang’s leadership statewide, as well as financial accounts linked to it, the sheriff’s office said.
They also uncovered numerous contributing crimes, including the unlawful trafficking of firearms, trafficking of narcotics (cannabis, methamphetamine and fentanyl), fraud, planning or directing activities related to a criminal gang and conspiracy to commit homicide. The crimes took place across the state of Florida. Additionally, detectives discovered a kill list of the gang members’ intended victims and notified them before the crimes occurred. Ultimately, saving their lives.
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Anyone with information on this criminal organization or crimes committed by them is urged to contact Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS or online at browardcrimestoppers.org.
Broward Sheriff’s Office: "BSO INVESTIGATION TOPPLES LEADERSHIP OF NOTORIOUS SEX, MONEY, MURDER BLOOD GANG" (excerpts)
Arrest warrants were filed in March and carried out in April in what the release described as “a coordinated and sweeping statewide operation” that resulted in the following arrests:
- Damian Thompson, 31, 10/14/1993, male, Pembroke Pines, (arrested in Broward County)
- Ridge Wietsma, 33, 02/29/1992, male, Lauderhill, (arrested in Broward County)
- Quam’ani Floyd, 30, 10/02/1994, male, Dania Beach, (arrested in Broward County)
- Hank Edwards, 30, 08/28/1994, male, Lauderdale Lakes (charged while in custody in Miami-Dade County)
- Gene Rowe Jr, 27, 06/11/1997, male, Gainesville (arrested in Alachua County)
- Bruce Garniss, 21, 03/08/2004, male, Gainesville, (charged while in custody in Alachua County)
- Deaunte Boyd, 31, 12/29/1993, male, Winter Haven, (charged while in custody in Polk County)
- Richard Rivera, 28, 12/18/1996, male, Winter Haven, (arrested in Polk County)
- Darling Siplin III, 26, 01/17/1999, male, DeBary, (charged while in custody in Seminole County)
- Andrew Mariano, 23, 09/07/2001, male, Hastings, (arrested in St. Johns County)
Those arrested face charges “related to racketeering that include underlying offenses of conspiracy to commit homicide, directing activities of a criminal gang and money laundering‚" the sheriff’s office said.
The investigation is ongoing, the release states.