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WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Florida officials on Monday announced the conviction of the top leader of the “Sex, Money, Murder” gang in the Sunshine State, capping a multi-year racketeering investigation that authorities say exposed a violent criminal enterprise.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, joined by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier and other state officials, said that case dismantled the Florida hierarchy of the gang, a subset of the Bloods.
“If you want to engage in dangerous, violent, gang-related activity, do not do it in Florida,” Judd said. “Most importantly, do not do it in Polk County. Are you nuts?”
Authorities said the defendant, identified as Hernando Thompson, known as T. Murda, was convicted on 17 felony counts, including racketeering and conspiracy, and now faces up to five life sentences.
During a news conference Monday morning, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd and Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the arrest of Hernando Thompson Jr., who they said is the head of the “Sex, Money, Murder” gang. (Sarah Rumpf-Whitten/Fox News Digital)
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Prosecutors said Thompson directed gang activity ranging from robberies and drug trafficking to shootings and attempted murders while insulating himself from direct involvement.
“He managed it like a business crime syndicate,” Uthmeier said. “This was a bad dude, a violent guy, and we’re going to do what needs to be done to protect our communities at all costs.”
Investigators said that the case relied on a court-authorized wiretap that intercepted more than 4,700 communications discussing criminal activity, along with search warrants that led to the seizures of firearms, ballistic armor and roughly $1.5 million worth of drugs.
Hernando Thompson Jr. was arrested following a wiretap investigation, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a Monday news conference in Winter Haven, Florida. (Polk County Sheriff’s Office)
Officials also discussed violent incidents during the investigations, including where gang members allegedly pointed guns at young children during home invasions, including an 8-year-old and a 3-month-old infant.
“The only reason the victim wasn’t murdered is that he got away in the middle of the night,” Judd said. “We locked him up on other charges to keep him alive until the investigation was complete.”
During the news conference on Monday, Jan. 1, Florida state officials and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office discussed the dismantling of the “Sex, Money, Murder” gang. (Sarah Rumpf-Whitten/Fox News Digital)
During the news conference, Judd displayed boards showing the suspect’s lengthy criminal history, which authorities said dated back more than two decades and included 14 prior felony charges, 10 misdemeanors and two prison terms. Thompson is in custody at the Polk County Jail, awaiting sentencing, which is scheduled for Feb. 20.
Judd criticized the criminal justice system for allowing Thompson to be released on bail while the investigation was ongoing.
“I don’t know who the harebrained judge was that let him out,” Judd said. “When he’s not in jail, he’s out committing crime.”
Florida Attorney General Uthmeier said Thompson faces five life sentences. He is booked in the Polk County jail on charges of conspiracy to racketeer and directing criminal gang activity. (Sarah Rumpf-Whitten/Fox News Digital)
Officials said the investigation extended beyond Florida, identifying leaders and associates in North Carolina and South Carolina, and that additional cases could follow.
Uthmeier framed the prosecution as part of Florida’s tough-on-crime approach, including long prison sentences for violent offenders.
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“We want him behind bars for the rest of his life,” Uthmeier said. “If you run drugs, guns and violence into our communities, you are going to pay the price.”
Judd ended with a blunt message aimed at criminals watching the case: “If you really want to commit crime unabated, there’s California, New York, New Jersey. Just get out of Florida.”