Three Lincoln gang members receive over 10 years in prison

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Three men, who are part of a Lincoln gang, were sentenced to prison for more than 10 years each.

U.S. Attorney Steven Russell said 21-year-old Edward Williams, 21-year-old Antonio Shannon, and 21-year-old Emmanuel Kuot, all of Lincoln, were all sentenced in federal court in Lincoln on Tuesday. All three pled guilty to a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy. Williams will serve a term of 180 months in prison, Shannon a term of 150 months in prison, and Kuot a term of 120 months in prison. All three will also have a three-year term of supervised release after their initial sentences. There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, the three men conspired to violate the racketeering laws of the U.S. Each man was either a member or an associate of the Day One Brothers (or “D1B”) gang in Lincoln. The D1B gang was an organization that took part in a pattern of racketeering activity, including acts involving murder or attempted murder, robbery, and the selling of controlled substances, like marijuana.

Officials said a group of D1B members and associates feuded with a rival gang on March 26, 2018. The confrontation ended with a D1B member shooting and killing a rival. The Lincoln Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation found out the extent of the gang’s criminal activities.

Authorities said the three men were each charged with committing acts as part of the conspiracy. All three were alleged to have been part of a shooting on Oct. 26, 2019, targeting a rival gang member. The three men were at a home in the 3400 block of Portia St. in Lincoln, a location which the D1B gang claimed as under their control. They learned that a rival gang member, referred to as “Victim 7,” was in a nearby apartment building.

According to court documents, the three tried to lure the victim out of the apartment using social media. Williams and Shannon had firearms. The three men saw a person near the apartment as they got closer on foot. Williams and Shannon each fired several shots in the direction of the apartment unit where they suspected Victim 7 was. Some of the shots went into the apartment, where people were inside the apartment but was not hit.

Officials said Williams admitted that he has assaulted people on a couple of occasions. The gang would use threats, intimidation, and violence to keep others afraid of the gang. Shannon said he used Snapchat and Facebook to sell illegal drugs, mainly marijuana. The transactions would take place in a neighborhood that D1B claimed as under their control. Kuot admitted to being part of an attempted robbery of a UNL fraternity member who was collecting an entry fee to a party in Lincoln.

This case was primarily investigated by the Lincoln Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The United States Marshals also assisted during the investigation of this case.