Federal authorities have arrested a reputed member of the Pasadena Denver Lanes Bloods street gang, alleging that he and two others took part in a shooting spree in Lancaster last summer that claimed two lives and prompted the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to deploy more deputies to the city.
Jerry Wimbley III, a.k.a. “Baby Poppa Ckrab,” of Lancaster, was arrested Tuesday. The 20-year-old is charged with two counts of murder in aid of racketeering, according to the U.S. attorney’s office in L.A. He is accused of participating in the murder of two victims.
His attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Two other alleged members of the gang were also charged in the federal indictment.
Vionnie Richardson, 37, a.k.a. “Big Poppa Ckrab,” is charged with one count of attempted murder in aid of racketeering, two counts of murder in aid of racketeering and one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition. He is in state custody in Nevada in a separate case.
Wimbley’s brother, Jerry Wimbley Jr., 22, a.k.a. “Poppa Ckrab” and “Little Poppa Ckrab,” is charged with two counts of murder in aid of racketeering. He’s been in custody on unrelated federal robbery and money laundering charges since September 2024.
The murders and attempted murder were allegedly committed to enhance the power and influence of the PDL Bloods street gang, according to the indictment. The gang has existed since the 1970s and operates in and around Pasadena and the Antelope Valley.
If convicted, the men would face a mandatory sentence of life in prison and a possible death sentence, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
“As alleged in the indictment, these defendants engaged in violent and senseless acts,” said U.S. Atty. Bill Essayli. “Their alleged shooting spree is intolerable.”
According to the indictment, the shootings unfolded on June 25, 2024, in Lancaster.
That night at about 7:15 p.m., Richardson allegedly attempted to murder a victim — identified only as W.S. — firing at him at least 12 times, according to the indictment. The victim, who suffered multiple gunshot wounds but survived, was a member of a rival gang called the Hoover Crips, prosecutors said.
After the shooting, prosecutors allege that Richardson went to the Joshua Memorial Park and Mortuary, where the gravesite of a dead gang member authorities referred to as T.B. was located. There, he, Wimbley Jr. and Wimbley III took part in a vigil on the two-year anniversary of T.B.’s death.
Afterward, prosecutors allege, the three men drove to the area of Whit Carter Park, where a victim — identified only as E.G. — was working under the hood of a car. E.G.’s Washington Nationals hat was visible; the ballcap was blue, a color commonly associated with rival Crip gangs, according to the indictment.
According to the indictment, shortly before 9 p.m., Richardson, Wimbley Jr. and Wimbley III “each aiding and abetting the other,” fired at least 20 gunshots from a 9mm automatic firearm at E.G. The victim died of multiple gunshot wounds. It is unclear whether the three men used the same gun.
After the killing, the men returned to T.B.’s gravesite, where prosecutors allege that they stated, among other things, that they killed victim E.G. in memory of T.B.
According to the indictment, the men then drove to a gas station in Lancaster and were captured on surveillance footage shooting a victim identified only as D.M. According to prosecutors, D.M. was a member of the Broadway Gangster Crips. D.M. died in the street of multiple gunshot wounds.
The men made a final visit to T.B.’s gravesite. Hours later, at 2:18 a.m., Richardson allegedly posted a story on his Instagram account playing a song in the background with the sound of gunshots and lyrics that said, “he tried to run for his life.”
Prosecutors allege Richardson was referring to the murder of D.M., who attempted to run after they opened fire.
Wimbley Jr. has separately been charged in connection with an armed heist of a couple cashing out a $200,000 check at a Chase Bank in Palmdale. A private security guard at the bank allegedly tipped off Wimbley Jr.
Lancaster, with a population of roughly 188,000, contracts with the Sheriff’s Department for services.
“The brutality of these alleged crimes reflects a complete disregard for human life and public safety,” said Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert G. Luna. “Gang violence has no place in our communities. The individuals that engage in ruthless crimes that endanger our residents will be pursued and held accountable.”
The fatal shootings unfolded in a particularly bloody 24-hour period in Lancaster.
The following day, seven other people were shot in what the Sheriff’s Department described in a news release as a gang-related attack. Two men were killed.
The attack was a retaliation gang shooting carried out by people from outside the city who were armed with “assault weapons,” Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris previously told The Times.
“It was a bloodbath,” he said. “They were shooting into homes. It was a war zone.”
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