MINNEAPOLIS — Six weeks after federal prosecutors announced a major bust of alleged gang members on weapons charges, two of the men named have now entered guilty pleas. However, their attorneys say neither man is connected to gangs.
When the 45 alleged gang members from the Bloods and Highs were announced, Dennis Mobley was one name on the list.
He was indicted on one count of felon in possession of a firearm, and his indictment listed him as "a member and associate of the North Minneapolis street gang known as the "Highs."
"He's not. He's from the south side of Minneapolis and really has no connection to the north side," said defense attorney Dan Guerrero.
Guerrero said his client, who pleaded guilty to his single charge of Felon in Possession of a Firearm, should not have been included in the big press conference.
"Whether he knows people, I think the government believes he knows people in the Bloods or the Highs or the Lows, but I don't have any information to support that. I didn't see it in the discovery," said Guerrero. "They kind of wanted to put it in the plea agreement. And I told them it wouldn't fly."
The same thing happened last week in Deon Williams' case. His indictment claimed he was a member of the Highs, but that wasn't included when he pleaded guilty to his illegal gun charge, his lawyer said.
"There's no agreement to testify in any of the other cases," Guerrero said.
Neither Williams nor Mobley faced the organized crime charge called RICO -- and rest of the 43 alleged gang cases are still pending.
A U.S. Attorney's Office spokesperson said they do not comment on plea agreements.
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