Two men who are described by federal prosecutors as the highest ranking members of the Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation Bloods have been convicted of racketeering and other offenses, making them eligible for life in prison.
Dwight Reid, aka "Dick Wolf," and Christopher Erskine, aka "Beagle," were convicted Nov. 16 of racketeering and a conspiracy to possess and distribute drugs. But the jury acquitted both men of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, court records show.
Despite the partial acquittal, both Reid and Erskine are eligible for life sentences in federal prison, prosecutors said. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
Reid and Erskine were among 13 alleged Gorilla Stone members and associates charged in 2021 with a multitude of violent and nonviolent federal offenses. Among their co-defendants was Casanova, who in June was sentenced to 188 months in prison after renouncing his ties to the gang.
The indictment against Reid and Erskine accused them of leading Gorilla Stone and blamed the gang for "multiple acts involving murder" since 2004, as well as a conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine. Included in the violent offenses was an Oct. 24, 2020, nonfatal shooting at a Miami strip club, where Casanova allegedly threatened a rival gang member before a Gorilla Stone member, Jarrett "Jayecee" Chrisler Jr., shot the man in the stomach.
Prosecutors described Reid as the "gang's founder and prison leader" and Erskine as the "street leader" who holds the second-highest position under Reid. The duo's trial lasted three weeks. VladTV is working to get a full list of witnesses and details of testimony, which was not available at the time of publication.
Meanwhile, Casanova is awaiting the result of a compassionate release motion he filed last August to get out of prison early from his 188-month term. The motion, filed by Casanova himself, argues that a robbery charge that factored into his sentencing was actually a lesser offense, larceny, because he returned the victim's cellphone after deleting a video from it.
In their response to Casanova's motion, prosecutors cast doubt on his claims of remorse and argue that Casanova hasn't followed the proper legal channels for a compassionate release petition.
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Written by: Nate Gartrell
