POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Polk County deputies are on the hunt for an Orlando man they say is the leader of a violent gang.
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On Wednesday, the sheriff announced more than three dozen accused gang members are under arrest.
It comes after a yearlong gang task force uncovered a string of violent crimes and accusations of racketeering.
“They’re so ruthless, they’re so dangerous,” Sheriff Grady Judd said.
There are 41 members of the gang called Sex, Money, Murder who are now facing more than 120 felony charges in Central Florida, including racketeering and a shocking list of violent crimes to carry out an elaborate level of illegal drug deals. Many of the alleged activities are shown openly on social media.
“They pistol-whipped an 8-year-old child … and placed the gun to a three-month-old’s head,” Judd said.
Investigators said its Orlando leader, 36-year-old Hernando Thompson, has an active warrant along with dozens of others from Florida to North Carolina.
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So far, the Joint Gang Task Force, area agencies and Florida Department of Law Enforcement has seized guns, cash and a laundry list of illegal drugs with a street value of $1.5 million.
The criminal gang is believed to be the local arm of a nationwide gang.
The national leader, who is believed to have started in the 1990s is serving a life sentence in prison.
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