Former police officer among 32 arrested in racketeering sting

ATLANTA — A former DeKalb County police officer is among dozens of alleged gang members arrested in lightning raids across metro Atlanta.  %

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A grand jury indicted 32 alleged members of the Gangster Disciples on racketeering charges.

The FBI had raids in Cobb and Paulding counties and involved police in Macon and Valdosta counties and in the city of Atlanta.

DeKalb County's police chief is disappointed it also involves one of his former officers.

Former Officer Vacinto Gumbs is facing charges of being part of a vast criminal conspiracy involving a notorious street gang, the Gangster Disciples.

“I was saddened and disappointed to find out that one of our former officers was one of the members that was indicted,” Chief James Conroy said.

[READ: Indictments filed for Gangster Disciples 1]
[READ: Indictments filed for Gangster Disciples 2]

Conroy talked with Channel 2’s Richard Elliot and said Gumbs resigned last October after investigators said he lied to them about his involvement in using some illegal drugs.

“So as we were preparing to terminate him for that, he went ahead and resigned and left before the investigation was complete,” Conroy said.

Only Channel 2 Action News was there as the FBI raided a Marietta apartment complex as they picked up 30 of 32 alleged gang members.

Venice Hanshaw told Channel 2’s Carl Willis she had no idea she was living among accused gang members suspected in a wide web of organized crime.

"When you're up and about you don't realize what's going on around you," Hanshaw said. "It's a little bit scary because we have never seen anything like that before."

[PHOTOS: Dozens arrested in multi-state racketeering sting] 

Neighbor Tyler Hall told Willis nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary in the neighborhood.

"Nothing ever looked too suspicious or anything," Hall said. "We don't get involved in it we just go about our business."

The U.S. attorney's office says the Gangster Disciples used charitable organizations as fronts for their illegal activity and, according to the indictment, Gumbs bragged that he was a hit man for the organization.

DeKalb County District Attorney Robert James said gang members pretended to mentor young men but really just led them into a life of crime.

“They recruit our young men, and so they don't just bring futures to a violent end, but they also lure these young men away from a path of the straight and narrow,” James said.

The U.S. attorney said the Gangster Disciples are responsible for 10 murders and 12 attempted murders in Georgia alone.

Cox Media Group