San Francisco, California - Alfonzo Williams (a/k/a “Fonz” or “Relly”), Antonio Gilton (a/k/a “TG” or “Tone”), and Reginald Elmore (a/k/a “Fat Reg”), were each sentenced to 22 or more years in prison for their respective roles in a racketeering conspiracy, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and FBI Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett.  Williams was sentenced to 25 years in prison, Gilton was sentenced to 22 years, and Elmore was sentenced to 22 years.  

The sentences were handed down by the Honorable William H. Orrick, U.S. District Judge, in a case in which a total of eleven defendants have been charged for crimes committed by a San Francisco gang known as Central Divisadero Players, aka “Central Divis Playas,” aka “CDP.”

The eleven-defendant, 22-count second superseding indictment filed on August 14, 2014, in this case described CDP as a racketeering organization that worked collectively with other gangs in the Western Addition of San Francisco to preserve and protect power, territory, reputation, and profits of the enterprise through the use of intimidation, violence, assaults, and murder.

The three defendants sentenced today pleaded guilty in May 2019.  As part of their guilty pleas, Williams, 42, and Gilton, 33, admitted that they were active members of CDP from at least 2000 through July 2012, when they were arrested for murder.  They belonged to CDP knowing that its members and associates committed numerous crimes, including murder, attempted murder, pimping, robbery, firearms offenses, witness intimidation, drug trafficking, and the enticement of individuals to travel in interstate commerce for prostitution.

In addition, Williams and Gilton admitted their involvement in the murder of Calvin Sneed.  Sneed, 22 at the time of his death, was a resident of Los Angeles who visited San Francisco in June 2012.  Williams and Gilton had plotted with others in advance to kill Sneed.  In the early morning hours of June 4, 2012, they found Sneed driving near the intersection of Le Conte and Meade Avenues in San Francisco.  One of them shot Sneed.  Sneed died from his gunshot wounds.  Williams and Gilton admitted that a substantial purpose of this murder was to maintain and increase their position in CDP.

Elmore, 30, admitted that he, too, was a member of CDP, and that he joined CDP understanding that its members engaged in acts of racketeering, including murder.  Elmore also admitted that he was liable, through principles of co-conspirator liability, for the use of a firearm in the double-homicide of Andre Helton and Isiah Turner that took place by the University of San Francisco on August 14, 2008.

Williams, Gilton, and Elmore were each convicted of conspiring to conduct the affairs of an enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d), and using and possessing a firearm in murder, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(j). 

In addition to the prison terms, Judge Orrick sentenced Williams, Gilton, and Elmore each to serve five years of supervised release following their terms of incarceration.

The defendants are already in custody and will begin serving their sentences immediately.

Six defendants have previously been convicted and sentenced in this case.  Charles Heard (a/k/a “Cheese”) was sentenced to four life sentences.  Jaquain Young (a/k/a “Loc”) was sentenced to four life sentences, plus additional terms of years.  Adrian Gordon (a/k/a “Tit”) was sentenced to 27 years in prison.  Esau Ferdinand (a/k/a “Sauce”) was sentenced to 20 years in prison.  Monzell Harding, Jr. was sentenced to 12 years in prison.  Paul Robeson (a/k/a “P World”) was sentenced to six years in prison.

Two defendants, Barry Gilton (a/k/a “Prell”) and Lupe Mercado, remain in the case.  They have pleaded not guilty and are set to stand trial beginning on February 3, 2020.  They are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The prosecution is the result of joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the San Francisco Police Department’s Gang Task Force, Homicide Detail, Robbery Detail, Special Victims Unit, and the Northern, Park, and Bayview Stations; the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office; and the San Pablo Police Department.