On February 26, 2025, the last defendant in a case involving the Only My Brothers (OMB) street gang was sentenced to federal prison. This concluded a multi-indictment investigation of 17 defendants who had either pled guilty or been found guilty by a jury. The charges included RICO conspiracy, fentanyl distribution, possession of machineguns, straw purchasing firearms, firearms trafficking, and illegal possession of firearms.
Court documents revealed that OMB was a criminal organization active since early- to mid-2021. Its members were involved in numerous criminal activities such as attempted murders and over 30 gang-related shootings. They also distributed more than 22 kilograms of fentanyl and committed several armed robberies in Des Moines.
Notable incidents attributed to OMB include multiple shootings throughout Des Moines between November 2021 and August 2022. These events involved numerous gunshots fired at various locations including residences and public spaces.
The gang obtained firearms through straw purchasers who were often drug customers or relatives of OMB members. Dawn Ellease Robinson purchased guns for her son Santiz Langford, an OMB member who used them for gang activities or trafficked them to others. One such firearm was linked to a January 2023 double homicide in Des Moines.
Law enforcement identified over 90 guns related to OMB's activities during their investigation and seized more than 70 of these weapons. The defendants received sentences ranging from 18 months to over three decades in prison for their roles in the crimes.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal announced the sentences with Assistant United States Attorneys Kristin Herrera and Mallory Weiser prosecuting the case. The investigation involved multiple agencies including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Des Moines Police Department, United States Postal Inspection Service, Iowa Department of Public Safety-Division of Narcotics Enforcement (DNE), Iowa State Patrol, and Iowa Division of Intelligence and Fusion Center.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation aimed at dismantling high-level criminal organizations using a coordinated approach among various agencies. It also falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which seeks to reduce violent crime through community engagement and strategic law enforcement efforts.
