CHARLOTTE, NC — Gang members accused of endangering families across the Carolinas had their first day of trial Wednesday.
An Eyewitness News crew was inside the courtroom as attorneys worked to pick a jury from a pool of roughly 80 people for the trial of three alleged United Blood Nation gang members. The judge let prospective jurors know that due to the nature of the massive case, the trial will last twice as long as an average trial.
Last May, 600 federal agents spread out across the Carolinas rounding up 83 men and women accused of robbing, killing, and selling drugs across the area.
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- IMAGES: Dozens of Blood gang members taken into custody
Wednesday, marshals escorted the first three to stand trial inside the federal courthouse. Cynthia Gilmore from North Carolina, along with James Baxton, and Pedro Gutierrez face racketeering charges.
In the trial brief, prosecutors accuse the trio of being leaders of the United Blood Nation from at least 2009 to March of 2018. Baxton and Guiterrez were known as the “Godfathers”. Investigators say that from New York they were able to dispatch lower-ranking members to commit crimes in North Carolina and send them monthly dues. Prosecutors plan to present Facebook messages, jail house phone calls, and letters as evidence of their far-reaching criminal enterprise.
Members are accused in an array of crimes including six murders and nine attempted murders.
As of March, roughly 35 of the other defendants arrested in the roundup had pleaded guilty to fraud, racketeering, and other crimes.
The judge says this trial for Gilmore, Baxton, and Gutierrez is expected to last roughly two weeks. The jury in this case will be anonymous and only referred to by juror numbers
The judge told them they didn’t want anyone connected to the case trying to identify or contact them.
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