Down Below Gang Member Sentenced to 496 Months

SAN FRANCISCO—Emile Fort was sentenced yesterday to 496 months in prison, five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $2,000 fine to the Victim’s of Crime Fund, United States Attorney Joseph P. Russoniello announced.

Yesterday’s sentence was the result of a plea agreement that was entered into by Fort and the United States on March 3, when Fort pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to conduct the affairs of a racketeering influenced corrupt organization in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1962(d).

Fort, 28, admitted to being an associate of the Down Below Gang - a violent street gang based in the Sunnydale Public Housing Project in San Francisco's Visitation Valley neighborhood. He also admitted to committing various acts of violence including murder, attempted murder, and conspiracy to commit murder. Specifically, Fort admitted to participating in acts involving the murders of Glenn Maurice “Timmy” Molex, Jr., Jovanie Banks, and Michael Hill.

Fort admitted that he began associating with members of the Down Below Gang in early September 2003. At that time, he was a member of a gang called Osceola, which became associated with the Down Below Gang at approximately the same time. Fort admitted that he committed various acts of violence in furtherance of the Down Below Gang/Osceola association and to maintain and increase his position within the gang.

Fort further admitted that : The Down Below Gang, also referred to as “Down the Hill”, “Swamp Boys”, “Sunnydale”, and “3-2-4", is a criminal street gang that operates in the Sunnydale Housing Projects located in the Visitation Valley of the City and County of San Francisco in the Northern District of California;  the Down Below Gang engaged in the sale and distribution of cocaine base and procuring and using of firearms that had traveled in interstate commerce;  the Down Below Gang exercised control over the portion of the Sunnydale Housing Projects that they deemed their “territory;”  the Down Below Gang reinforced its power through violence and intimidation and obtained finances for its members (both incarcerated and those on the streets) through an array of criminal activities, including but not limited to, drug trafficking and armed robbery. 

 This matter was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys C. David Hall and William Frentzen, and Trial Attorney Krista Tongring of the U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Organized Crime and Racketeering Section. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable William H. Alsup. The conviction and sentence is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the San Francisco Police Department.

Further Information:

Case #: CR 05-00167 WHA

A copy of this press release may be found on the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Web site at www.usdoj.gov/usao/can. 

Electronic court filings and further procedural and docket information are available at https://ecf.cand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

Judges’ calendars with schedules for upcoming court hearings can be viewed on the court’s Web site at www.cand.uscourts.gov. 

All press inquiries to the U.S. Attorney’s Office should be directed to Jack Gillund at (415) 436-6599 or by email at Jack.Gillund@usdoj.gov.