STORY YOUMISSED
U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey sentences 30-year-old Goonie Boss leader Romeo Blackman to life in federal prison following his racketeering conviction for multiple murders and violent crimes in Englewood.
A leader of a violent South Side street gang will spend the rest of his natural life behind federal prison bars.
U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey sentenced 30-year-old Romeo Blackman to life in federal prison at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse.
Blackman served as a top leader of the Goonie Boss street gang that terrorized the Englewood neighborhood.
A federal jury previously convicted Blackman in July 2023 of racketeering conspiracy and violence in aid of racketeering.
Federal prosecutors proved Blackman personally committed four murders and three attempted murders during his leadership of the enterprise.
Court records show Blackman directed and encouraged juvenile gang members to carry out violent acts across the South Side.
Blackman instructed a teenager to carry out a May 2016 barbershop shooting that resulted in the death of Gerald Sias.
Jurors also found Blackman responsible for the fatal shootings of Stanley Bobo, Krystal Jackson, and Andre Donner.
Prosecutors documented that Blackman publicly bragged about the gang’s violent actions across social media platforms.
Blackman also engaged in narcotics distribution, illegal firearm trafficking, and witness intimidation tactics to protect the gang.
A federal investigation by the FBI and Chicago police disrupted the gang’s operations through a series of indictments.
Defense attorneys argued against the mandatory life sentence by citing Blackman’s troubled childhood and fractured upbringing.
Judge Blakey stated during sentencing that Blackman owed a significant debt to society for taking lives and corrupting youth.
Blackman remained largely stoic during the court proceedings and declined to make a statement before sentencing.
Co-defendants Terrance Smith and Jolicious Turman await their formal sentencing hearings in connection with the federal racketeering case.
