Crime & Safety

Criminal Charges Filed on 11 Lakewood Gang Members

Lakewood Police and South Sound Gang Task Force work to reduce crime in Tillicum.

The Pierce County Prosecutor's Office has charged 11 alleged criminal gang members with drug dealing and other felony crimes today in Lakewood.

The Lakewood Police Department and the South Sound Gang Task Force have been investigating these cases, which allegedly have occurred since October, the prosecutors office said in a statement Thursday, May 12. The gang being investigated is allegedly the Tillicum Park Gangsters, which represents Folk Nation, according to an anonymous source.

The Folk Nation—an alliance of street gangs based out of Chicago—is mostly  an African-American male gang but it does accept females who are not African-American, the source told Patch.

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The 11 defendants are charged with Unlawful Delivery of a Controlled Substance and two are also charged with Robbery in the First Degree with firearm enhancements, according to the prosecutor's statement. Eight of the 11 are in custody, and the police are searching for the other three.

Lakewood Police Department Chief Farrar said the gang sweep was successful because of the combined efforts of local and federal law enforcement and the Prosecutor's Office.

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"The investigation was effective and well-managed because of a dedicated Gang Unit in the Prosecutor’s Office that worked closely with law enforcement," Farrar said.

The source, a Tillicum resident, told Patch that Tillicum Park Gangsters has been in decline regarding street activity but that they are still involved in drug sales and distribution.

"They've been the dominant gang since the '90s," the source said. "TPG aren't living the thug life on the street but they're still selling drugs. For the most part, they are aging out."

"They've  been looking for ways to take these guys down for a long time."

Outside of Lakewood, the Prosecutor's Office has worked with law enforcement on other large-scale gang sweeps. They successfully prosecuted 34 members of the Hilltop Crips, resulting in 34 convictions, and 19 members of the Eastside Lokotes Sureños. The cases against the Eastide Lokotes and Sureños are still pending, according to the Prosecutor's Office.

Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Lindquist said the deputy prosecutors in the Gang Unit are committed to using every tool at their disposal to reduce gang violence in their community.

"I commend the Lakewood Police Department and the South Sound Task Force for their thorough investigations and their commitment to making our community safer."

Arraignments for the TPG begin at 1:30 p.m. today in the County-City Building in Tacoma.

Check back later for an update.


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