Latest news with #ChavezL.Allen
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Yahoo
Peoria teen indicted for RICO and attempted murder charges
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — An 18-year-old Peoria man has been indicted after his case was transferred from juvenile to adult court for allegedly violating the state's RICO laws. Marshawn L. Smith had been charged last fall in the juvenile division of Peoria County Circuit Court for RICO violations, attempted first-degree murder and aggravated discharge of a firearm. Prosecutors allege he was a member of a group known as the Snakes which alleged to have committed several violent acts on Peoria's streets. He had been 17 at the time and prosecutors almost immediately sought to move the case to the adult felony division. Transfer hearings are akin to a mini-trial in that a judge must weigh many factors, including a youth's childhood, what services he might have already received from juvenile probation officers as a way to rehabilitate himself, and the actual nature of the crime itself. The transfer to adult court mirrors another youth, Chavez L. Allen, also 18, whose case was transferred last week. He too faces a RICO violation count as well as an unlawful use of a weapon charge. During a brief hearing Tuesday, Allen was ordered held pending the outcome of his case. For both, the RICO allegations state they were involved with the group from July 2022 until June 2024 and that people died as a result of the group's interactions. Last October, State's Attorney Jodi Hoos charged 10 people, four adults and six minors, under the state's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. The charges allege the 10 were members of the 'Snakes' street gang, which her office said is linked to a 'rash of violence that has plagued the area.' The other four juveniles still have their transfer petitions pending in juvenile court, which is closed to the general public. Police allege the gang was linked to at least three murders and 12 shootings. Also, 18 guns were seized, four of which were equipped with a 'switch' that converts the gun into a fully automatic weapon. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Yahoo
Judge transfers alleged teen gang member's RICO case to adult court
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — A judge has granted Peoria County prosecutors' request to move the case of a Peoria teenager involved in a notorious street gang out of juvenile court. The move means that Chavez L. Allen, who was 16 when he was charged, will now have his case tried in the felony division of Peoria County Circuit Court for violating the state's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act statute. He was also charged with Unlawful Use of a Weapon. UPDATED: 'Snakes' street gang hit with RICO allegations by Peoria County state's attorney Allen is now 18 but was a minor when he was involved with the gang known as the 'Snakes.' Prosecutors have also asked the judge to hold him pending the outcome of his case. A hearing on that will be held on Monday. He appeared in court on Friday afternoon after the case was transferred for a brief hearing. State's Attorney Jodi Hoos filed the RICO counts under the state's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act against the four adults and six minors. The charges allege the 10 were members of the 'Snakes' street gang, which her office says is linked to a 'rash of violence that has plagued the area.' The six minors are either 16 or 17, Hoos' office said. They have been charged in juvenile court with RICO allegations and counts of aggravated battery and aggravated discharge. Hoos said she plans to transfer them to adult court if possible. The dispositions of those hearings were not immediately known. Through this investigation, detectives have linked these individuals to at least three murders and 12 shootings. Police also recovered 18 guns. Four of those guns were equipped with a 'switch' that converts the gun into a fully automatic weapon. Before a case can be moved to adult court, a judge must consider several factors before making a decision. Among those factors are his childhood, what services he might have already received from juvenile probation officers as a way to rehabilitate himself, and the actual nature of the crime itself. Judges in juvenile court must weigh all those factors and decide if it's appropriate to move a case out of juvenile court, where the emphasis is on helping a child, to adult court, where there is more focus on punishment. The stakes are high, as a move to adult court could mean a possible prison sentence of several decades, and some of that could have been served in an adult facility. Staying in the juvenile system means the case is sealed to the general public, and any imprisonment would end on the boy's 21st birthday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
