Law enforcement from across Acadiana join forces to try and take down a gang.
An investigation into the Gremlins Gang was launched a year and a half ago by Abbeville Police. Ten accused gang members are already under arrest, but 7 are still wanted. Updated March 23: Four more alleged gang members have been arrested, leaving three wanted.
Our investigative team has been looking into the their criminal history. They've been accused of murder charges, theft, and drug related crimes. But we found, in many cases, the victims wouldn't cooperate with investigators.
Now, the gang is apparently on the move. As KATC's Travis Guillory reports, they've caught the attention of law enforcement elsewhere, including the outspoken, suspect shaming Capt. Clay Higgins.
Higgins rallied more than a dozen law enforcement agencies to send a strong message to the Gremlins Gang and people of Acadiana. He said, "I'm hopeful that the Acadiana community can make a strong stand, and by extension, perhaps the country, will hear this message and make a strong, unified stand when a community comes together and draws a bold line in the sand and says we're not going to tolerate that kind of violence in our area."
Accused gang members were most recently spotted in St. Landry Parish. Capt. Higgins said, "The Gremlin street gang is all bad. And the fact that they're so extremely violent, every day that they're lose is a danger to the community."
And they aren't hiding their violent crimes, often posting music videos, rapping about the crimes they've committed.
Capt. Higgins hopes his strong message and law enforcement presence will encourage residents of Acadiana to turn in the remaining seven suspects and put them behind bars, saying, "During that time, maybe they'll find redemption. Right now, that's between them and God. They're not getting it from me."
If you know the whereabouts of any of these suspects, please contact Louisiana State Police Troop I at (337) 262-5880 or Louisiana State Police Detectives at (337) 332-8055.
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More information on the gang's criminal history:
The members of the Grimlyn Gang have racked up dozens of arrests between them. They're accused of dealing drugs, posting photos with weapons on Facebook, Instagram and You Tube, obstructing justice by threatening with witnesses and victims and using their families to cover up their crimes, according to the indictment. In particular, the Nakia Zenon and her sons, Darron Carter and Aaron Carter, were all indicted.
Zenon owns TOPS Auto Sales and Rental in Lafayette, which was also named in the indictment because members allegedly used vehicles from the company for transportation during crimes and in an attempt to conceal their identities from law enforcement, according to the indictment. Zenon is the only member who's bonded out of jail. She remains under house arrest.
The members are accused of committing violent crimes, according to the indictment, according to the indictment. However, most of their violent crimes were dismissed, most of the time because victims refuse to cooperate.
Two of them have been accused of murder -- Roland Bernard and Kendall Breaux. Bernard was found not guilty in a drive-by shooting that killed a Vermilion man in 2009 after the murder weapon was never found. Breaux is accused of killing a man in Acadia Parish in April. He remains in jail.
The member's crimes date back to 1997, and the indicted people range in age from 41 to 17 and span from Acadia, Vermilion, Iberia and Lafayette parishes:
WANTED:
Travis Cooper, aka, "Ya," 26
Arrested at least 10 times since 2008 on mostly drug charges. He was arrested for attempted first degree murder in 2009 when he allegedly shot at two people, but it was dismissed after the victims refused to cooperate. He's spent a little over 12 months in jail and a few years on probation after pleading guilty to possession of xanax, cocaine and marijuana.
Jonathan Landry, aka "Johnny Five," 29
Landry has been arrested five times, mostly on drug charges. He was accused of intimidation of a witness set to testify in a murder case against Jamaal Diggs, the brother of Jerran Diggs, one of the Grimlyns members. (Jamaal Diggs was later convicted and is serving life in prison.) Landry spent two years in jail after pleading no contest to possession with intent to distribute cocaine in 2012.
Jerran Diggs, aka "Bubbie," 39
Arrested at least 14 times since 1995, half the time on drug charges. He served 8 years in prison from 1999 to 2000 for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana. Most recently, just two days before the racketeering indictment, he pleaded guilty to illegal carrying of a weapon by a convicted felon and was set to serve six months in jail starting, Jan. 16, but he never turned himself in.
ARRESTED:
Nakia Zenon, 41
Mother of Aaron and Darron Carter and owner of TOPS Auto Sales. She's the only member who bonded out and is under house arrest. She's been arrested twice -- illegally carrying of weapon in 1997 and possession with intent to distribute marijuana in 2006. She served five years probation for the latter and received a first offender pardon in 2012.
Kendall Breaux, 20
Arrested four times since 2014, including murder in April. He's accused of killing a man in Acadia Parish. He's never been convicted of any of the crimes, which include attempted murder, attempted robbery, possession of cocaine and possession of a stolen firearm.
Kavan Broussard, 19 aka Young KB
Broussard was already in the Vermilion Parish Correctional Center when he was indicted for racketeering in December. He's been arrested eight times on drugs and weapons charges, but only convicted once for resisting arrest for which he served four months in jail. In April 2014, he was arrested for attempted murder after a drive-by shooting, but that charge was dismissed.
Xzavier Dyson, 17
Arrested three months after his 17th birthday in October for possession of marijuana and possession of a firearm with a controlled dangerous substance. He escaped before booking and was again arrested in December for simple escape, theft and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
Gene Williams III, 19 aka Li Gene
Arrested six times since 2012, including drive-by shooting, possession of marijuana, possession of a firearm in the presence of a controlled dangerous substance, and most recently, aggravated assault in October. He's never been convicted because most of the cases are still pending, and he was acquitted for attempted murder at one point.
Gregory Bessard, 21
Arrested three time beginning in 2011, including drug charges and intimidation of a witness. He served two years for possession with intent to distribute cocaine in 2013.
Westley Laviolette, 35
Arrested on a dozen times since 1999, including multiple drug charges, battery and unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling. Spent five years in jail in 1999 after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana.
Andrew Granger, 21
He was already in jail when he was indicted. He's been arrested three times, including attempted first degree murder in February, criminal damage to property and burglary, He received two years in jail after pleading no contest to 2014 attempted burglary, illegal carrying of a weapon and carrying a firearm in a firearm-free zone.
Roland Bernard III, 23
He was already in jail when he was indicted. He's been arrested five times since 2009, including second degree murder in 2009 for a drive-by shooting. He went to trial and was found not guilty. The murder weapon was never found. He's also been arrested for multiple drug charges, aggravated assault with a firearm, battery, and most recently in September 2014 for attempted murder, illegal carrying of weapons and illegal possession of a firearm in a firearm free zone.
Stephen Walker, 23
Arrested three times since 2011, and served time in jail for possession with intent to distribute cocaine, home invasion and burglary. He most recently was arrested in January 2015 for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and crystal methamphetamine.
Aaron Carter, 21, aka "Boolin" Arrested Feb. 21.
Arrested seven times since 2012, including principle to second degree murder. He's accused of helping Kendall Breaux kill an Acadia Parish man in March. He was also arrested for simple kidnapping an aggravated assault with a firearm in August, aggravated criminal damage to property in September and illegally carrying firearms with a controlled dangerous substance in November. His earlier arrests include theft and resisting arrest. He served one year of probation in 2014 for theft and resisting arrest.
Cody Guidry, 21 Turned himself in on March 3.
Arrested once in May 2013 for possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
Darron Carter, aka "Deeda," 19 Turned himself in on March 7.
Arrested at least nine times since 2014 on nearly 30 different charges, including six counts of attempted murder stemming from a drive by shooting in March. Six of his charges were drug charges, three presence of a controlled dangerous substance in the presence of a firearm, three burglary charges, an aggravated assault with a firearm charge, and two armed robbery charges. All the cases are still pending.
Kirkland Demouchet, aka "Bruh Bruh," 20 Arrested in March
Arrested three times, all in 2015, once for possession of crack cocaine another in July for illegal discharging a firearm and a third time in September for aggravated assault with a firearm.
Acadiana Law Enforcement
