Six members of the so-called Show Out crew pleaded guilty Tuesday to various gang-related crimes, including beatings that police said targeted homeless people.
Police said the group targeted vulnerable people in Chinatown, U Street and Adams Morgan and also engaged in "flash mob" style robberies at drug stores, convenience stores and gas stations in which multiple people flooded the businesses at the same time to steal items.
One of the men posted audio recordings to his Facebook page, in which he is rapping, and accuses a Show Out member of "snitching," prosecutors said. The songs carried a threat that the person would be shot on-site.
Those pleading guilty included 19-year-old Bernard "McLovin'" Trowell, "self-styled president" of the group. Others included Deandre M. Williams, 19; Quayshawn L. Leggett, 20; James D. Matheny, 19; Ricardo J. Williams, 20; and Travis L. Morris, 20.
