Executive Summary
- Twenty-one alleged members of the ‘Kiccdoe’ street gang, ages 18 to 22, have been charged in a federal indictment in Arlington, Texas.
- Charges include violations of the RICO Act, murder, robbery, and drug trafficking, following a joint FBI and Arlington Police investigation.
- The investigation escalated after an April 2024 high school shooting allegedly involving gang members, which led to retaliation violence.
- Authorities reportedly used evidence from Instagram group chats to build their case against the alleged criminal enterprise.
Federal and local authorities announced Wednesday that 21 alleged members and associates of a violent Arlington street gang have been charged in a sweeping federal indictment. The gang, known as ‘Kiccdoe’ or ‘600’, is accused of engaging in a racketeering conspiracy that includes murder, robbery, and drug trafficking, according to an 85-page indictment unsealed in North Texas.
Details of the Indictment
The 21 defendants, ranging in age from 18 to 22, were arrested in a multi-agency operation last week. Seventeen of the individuals face charges under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, a statute designed to combat organized crime. The remaining four face charges of Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering (VICAR), with various defendants also facing charges for drug trafficking, murder, and firearms offenses. “Do not let the ages distract from the havoc they’ve inflicted on the community,” said Jeremy Wright, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of FBI Dallas, during a news conference.
Investigation Triggered by School Shooting
The joint investigation between the Arlington Police Department and the FBI intensified following a fatal shooting at Bowie High School in April 2024. Authorities allege the victim, 18-year-old Etavion Barnes, was a member of Kiccdoe, and his death led to a series of retaliation shootings. A search warrant for Barnes’ Instagram account revealed that gang members allegedly used the app’s group chat function to plan and discuss criminal activities. According to the indictment, federal agents later obtained warrants for more than a dozen other Instagram accounts, which allegedly contained further evidence of the gang’s operations.
Summary of Charges
The arrests were the culmination of an investigation into the gang’s activities, which authorities say have been ongoing since at least August 2021 and originated in the 600 block of East Arkansas Lane in Arlington. The indictment details a pattern of violence used to protect the gang’s power, territory, and profits. It is important to note that all individuals named in the indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.