Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Highs gang member Dantrell Johnson was sentenced today to life imprisonment for his role in a racketeering conspiracy and gang-related murder. On Dec. 16, Highs gang member Gregory Hamilton was also sentenced to life imprisonment.
Following a federal jury trial, both defendants were convicted of Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy and using a firearm to cause death.
“The defendants orchestrated a calculated campaign of violence that included ruthless shootings and murders,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “They armed themselves, enlisted others – including juveniles – and hunted down perceived rivals, demonstrating the extreme danger posed by violent gangs. These life sentences reflect the Criminal Division’s unwavering commitment to holding gang leaders accountable and restoring safety to communities terrorized by gang violence.”
“These life sentences reflect our unwavering commitment to hold the most dangerous offenders accountable and remove violent gang networks from our communities,” said Assistant Director of Field Operations Brent Beavers of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) “ATF dedicated hundreds of hours to this investigation alongside our law enforcement partners. We are proud of the meticulous work that brought this ruthless gang to justice.”
“The people of Minneapolis deserve to feel safe and protected in their neighborhoods. The defendants took that right away from them by unleashing violence and terror in their streets,” said Acting Assistant Director Rebecca Day of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates that those who threaten and terrorize innocent community members with violence will be held accountable by the FBI and our partners.”
After a two-week trial in April, a federal jury found Gregory Hamilton, 29, and Dantrell Johnson, 32, both of Minneapolis, guilty for their roles in the Highs, a violent Minneapolis street gang, and for a gang-related murder on Aug. 8, 2021.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Hamilton and Johnson were members of the Highs, a criminal enterprise that controlled territory north of West Broadway Avenue in Minneapolis. The evidence established that Hamilton, Johnson, and other Highs members committed murders, narcotics trafficking, weapons violations, burglaries, assaults, and robberies to further the enterprise. As a member of the Highs, the defendant was expected to retaliate against the rival Lows gang, which operated south of West Broadway Avenue.
Trial evidence showed that, on Aug. 7, 2021, a prominent Highs member was shot and killed by a Lows member at the Winner gas station, a known Highs hangout. The following day, Aug. 8, 2021, Highs members organized a memorial at the gas station, where firearms were distributed and members encouraged one another to retaliate against Lows members for the murder. Hamilton, Johnson, and other Highs members were present at the memorial.
Later that same day, Hamilton and Johnson drove to a Lows hangout, Wally’s Foods, and shot a Lows associate (Victim 1), who survived his injuries. Approximately two hours later, Hamilton, Johnson, and other Highs members drove to Skyline Market, another known Lows hangout, intending to shoot another Lows member.
Hamilton and Johnson followed Victim 2 into the store, where surveillance cameras captured them shooting him. The defendants mistakenly believed Victim 2 was a member of the Lows. Victim 2 fled the store and into the street, where another Highs member, Keon Pruitt, who was driving a stolen Porsche with two juvenile Highs members inside, stopped the vehicle and let the juveniles out. The juveniles chased Victim 2 into a nearby alley and fired additional shots. Victim 2 was shot at least eight times and died at the scene.
On Nov. 16, 2025, Highs gang member Keon Pruitt was sentenced to a 451-month term of imprisonment after a federal jury trial found him guilty of Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Conspiracy and using a firearm to cause death.
These cases against the Highs resulted from an investigation conducted by the ATF; the FBI; the Minneapolis Police Department; IRS Criminal Investigation; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office; the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension; and the Minnesota Department of Corrections, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, the DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, Dakota County Sheriff’s Office, St. Paul Police Department, and numerous other law enforcement agencies contributed to this investigation through reports or evidence control.
Trial Attorney Brian W. Lynch of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Lopez-Calhoun, Albania Concepcion, and Rebecca Kline for the District of Minnesota prosecuted the case.