03/29/2024
Spread the love
By: Erin Smith
GangPresser2Columbus County Sheriff Lewis Hatcher, Bladen County Sheriff Jim McVicker and US Attorney Leslie Cooley held a briefing on Thursday afternoon to discuss the recent sentencing of eight violent gang members.
“I really, really welcome the working relationship I have with Jim McVicker,” said Hatcher.
He added he apprecaited the cooperation of everyone with this case. Agencies that assisted with the investigation included the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office; and the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff Hatcher said the investigation started from citizen complaints received in both counties.
“As a result we started an investigation,” said Hatcher.
He said investigators from the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office and the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office had worked in cooperation with each other and began an investigation.
Sheriff Hatcher said the two agencies started an investigation and looked into incidents that were reported. He said investigaotrs perfomred an undercover operation at the Holiday Hotel just north of Whiteville and a location on Peach Street.
Sheriff Hatcher said that he and Sheriff McVicker put the resources together and as officers worked they stated an undercover investigation that revealed large amounts of drugs coming into the Clarkton area including cocaine and heroine.
At one point officers traveled to Kannapolis where a large amoutn of drugs were to be purchased and while they were there officers found out that a man was to accompany the group back to the county to perform a hit.
Officers moved in and arrested them before the hit could be carried out. Accoridng to Sheriff Hatcher, later someone from New Jersey moved into the home on Peach Street to assume the duties of the person arrested.
The Peach Street investigation showed individuals from out of state were living there and were here to carry out hits on certain indivduals. Two of the suspects left North Carolina and arrested on federal indictments.
Sheriff Jim McVicker said, “Sheriff Hatcher and I have a very good relationship. I’m voery proud of what each agnecy did.”
US Attorney Leslie Cooley thanked both Sheriff Hatcher and Sheriff McVicker.
“It’s a perfect example of what powerful results we can achieve when we work together,” said Cooley.
She said the case was brought to the US Attorney’s Office by the Federal Buruea of Investigation.
“These individuals have been operating for a long time. When we became involved we thought we were going to be able to work a long drug investigation,” said Cooley.
She said that once investigaotrs leanred of the ordered hit on an individual who was a member of a rival gang, they felt they had to wrap up the investigation quickly to prevent the hit.
Cooley said several individuals were arrested on federal charges. The sentences amount to about 72 years among 8 individuals, explained Cooley.
She said this operation and the cooperation among the agencies involved shows what can be done to keep our citizens safe.
Cooley said the investigation revealed that heroine, cocaine and prescription opiates were coming into North Carolina from California and New Jersey
She said that no arrests have been made in Kannapplis related to this investigation.
The gang operating as Piru Mob is part of the United Blood Nation.
Cooley said the hit man was a triple OG of the gang and he came in and took over an already organized gang.
When asked about the length of the investigation, Cooley answered that the initial investigation had proceeded for some time before the US Attorney’s Office learned about it in 2014.
“We began a federal investigation on 2014,” said Cooley.
She added that local authorities were investigating the Piru Mob prior to that.
When asked if there has been a change in the level of violence since the arrests have been made, Sheriff Hatcher that shootings that were being reported, are down.
When asked about how prevalent gang activity is Bladen and Columbus counties, Sheriff Hatcher said there are gangs in Columbus County but not the turf wars tht ocurr in other areas.
Sheriff McVicker siad, “We do have gang affiliation in Bladen County but it is not a huge problem, but it is a problem.”
Cooley added tht gang activity is prevalent in all of the 44 counties that are served by the Eastern Division of the US Attorney’s Office.
Sheriff Hatcher said, “As the investigation continued, we as sheriffs wanted a bigger bang for our buck. We talked to our officers here and the US Attorney’s Office agreed to adopt this case.”
Cooley said that the one person was shot and investigators believe that individual was the intended target. She said they also prevented two other hits.
A large amount of investigation was conducted on Peach Street all thos arrested lived near each other, according to Cooley.
Hatcher said, “Between the two sheriff’s in these counties, gang violence will not be tolerated in Bladen and Columbus counties.”

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