Gang members sentenced for attempted murder, shootings, drugs, fraud

FLORIDA – Two members of an alleged racketeering gang have been sentenced for their roles in attempted murder, shootings, drug trafficking, and multi-million-dollar fraud.

Keaujay Hornsby, 26, of Tampa, also known as “Plug”, and Kareem Spann, 27, of Tampa, also known as “Reem,” have been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven for their involvement in the criminal activities of the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) group known as the “Robles Park Enterprise.”

Hornsby received a prison sentence of 16 years and 9 months, while Spann was sentenced to 10 years and 10 months in federal prison, said the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida (USAO).

The crimes committed by the organization included a series of shootings, attempted murder, drug trafficking, fraud, and identity theft, said the USAO.

Spann pleaded guilty on February 7, 2023, and Hornsby pleaded guilty on July 1, 2023.

According to court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, in the early morning of July 19, 2020, Hornsby and other members of the Enterprise congregated outside the Truth Lounge club in Tampa. Reportedly, the streets and sidewalks were flooded with people, including rival gang members in the parking lot outside the club.

Spann was driving while Hornsby occupied the front passenger seat, with a loaded gun resting on his lap. Spann drove a black Infinity through the crowd, while Hornsby engaged in a verbal altercation with rival gang members.

Suddenly, Hornsby and the rival gang members are said to have ignited a mass shooting in which Hornsby pulled out his gun and unleashed a barrage of gunfire into the crowd. Panic ensued, with surveillance video capturing the immediate chaos as the crowd scattered for safety.

Law enforcement later recovered dozens of ammunition casings. The shooting resulted in the injury of at least eight people, including minors, some of whom were shot in the jaw, shoulder, elbow, wrist, finger, foot, arms, and legs.

Six days later, on Saturday, July 25, 2020, and reportedly in retaliation for the Truth Lounge shooting, three rival gang members reportedly ambushed Hornsby and Spann as they exited the International Plaza in Tampa. Three individuals allegedly surrounded the defendants and opened fire.

According to court documents, Hornsby took Spann’s gun and returned fire. In total, seven vehicles were struck by gunfire, including two occupied by bystanders. Law enforcement later determined that at least 25 bullets had been fired from three different firearms.

Two days later, on July 27, 2020, while driving east on Columbus Drive, Hornsby and Spann reportedly spotted a rival gang member who was driving south on Rome Street. They allegedly followed the individual and waited to get close to him before Hornsby lowered his window, and is said to have opened fire on a residential street, unleashing dozens of shots at his target.

In addition to acts of violence, the Robles Park Enterprise also trafficked in cocaine, marijuana, and firearms, the USAO said.

Finally, members of the Robles Park Enterprise, including Hornsby and Spann, allegedly worked with one another to unlawfully obtain the personal identifying information (PII) of other persons. They reportedly used this PII to submit false applications via interstate wire communications and claim unemployment benefits to which they were not entitled.

In total, the defendants reportedly submitted over 200 fraudulent claims, in 20 different states, with an intended loss of approximately $2.8 million dollars.

For many of those claims, a bank card was issued from the state in which the claim was filed, loaded with Unemployment Insurance funds from financial institutions and sent to the Middle District of Florida, the USAO said. According to the USAO, the defendants later used these cards to withdraw cash from ATMs in Tampa and Hollywood.

On June 10, 2022, a third member of this conspiracy, Tywon Spann was sentenced to six years and nine months imprisonment.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tampa Police Department, and the Department of Labor, with substantial assistance from the United States Secret Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes and former Assistant United States attorney Natalie H. Adams.