12 Members of Crown Hill Drug Gang Indicted by Federal Grand Jury

INDIANAPOLIS — 12 members of a criminal group known as the Crown Hill Enterprise are facing federal charges following a 28-count indictment by a grand jury.

Prosecutors said that the violent drug gang was responsible for orchestrating numerous crimes, including murder. Court records filed in 2024 detailed how a deadly shooting on West 30th Street stemmed from a $20 drug deal.

The deadly shooting took place on a rainy November morning in 2024. Matthew Stevens, 47, was shot in the middle of 30th Street following an argument over the price of fentanyl.

Prosecutors believe Tre Dunn killed Stevens simply because the victim slammed a door during the drug deal, which Dunn and another man thought was disrespectful.

That shooting was just one of many violent crimes, including kidnapping, assault and witness intimidation, allegedly committed by 12 members of the Crown Hill Enterprise.

“It was no secret. The group was known to be operating in the neighborhood,” said Reverend Charles Harrison, whose group, the Ten Point Coalition, patrols Crown Hill.

According to the federal indictment, between 2019 and 2024, the Crown Hill Enterprise used 11 trap houses to deal large amounts of heroin, fentanyl, meth and crack cocaine. The gang also allegedly created fictitious business entities to conceal the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of its drug proceeds.

“The residents were complaining about it. We were aware of it and so were law enforcement. So I’m happy to hear they’ve all been arrested and will be brought to justice,” said Harrison.

Following the murder in 2024, federal investigators searched an apartment building on Capitol Hill where they believe Dunn shot and wounded another man for a $40 drug debt.

According to a federal news release, on multiple occasions, Dunn and 40-year-old Tanesha M. Turner beat and shot individuals they believed had stolen drug proceeds, were associated with rival drug dealers or owed a drug debt to the gang.

The news release claims the enterprise sought to preserve, expand, and protect its power, territory, reputation, and profits through intimidation and acts of violence, including murder, kidnapping, assault, arson, threats of violence, and the display of firearms.

Over the course of multiple raids, police seized 35 firearms, along with drugs and cash.

Also in 2024, members of the group allegedly fired gunshots and threw Molotov cocktails at a home on Kenwood, where they believed an individual had provided information to the police that led to a search warrant at one of the organization’s trap houses.

“The superseding indictment in this case alleges, among other things, that these defendants shot and killed a man for slamming the door of a drug house, shot another man in the leg for a $40 drug debt, pistol-whipped at least two other people, and dealt all manner of drugs, including heroin, fentanyl, crack cocaine, and methamphetamine,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This type of alleged drug dealing and violence ruins communities, people, and their families. Drugs and gang violence are a scourge. These groups will be dismantled and prosecuted.”

“The allegations in this indictment describe a criminal organization that maintained a grip on Indianapolis neighborhoods for years through fear, violence, and devastation,” said U.S. Attorney Tom Wheeler for the Southern District of Indiana. “We will not allow groups that traffic deadly drugs, terrorize residents, and retaliate against witnesses to operate with impunity. We are grateful for the outstanding work of our federal, state, and local partners whose collaboration made today’s charges possible.”

“Violent criminal organizations that use fear, intimidation, and physical violence to further their operations have no place in our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. O’Malley of the FBI Indianapolis Field Office. “This case reflects the FBI’s commitment to working alongside our law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, and hold accountable those responsible for fueling violence and organized criminal activity. We will continue using every available resource to protect the public and pursue those who believe they can operate above the law.”

“This gang used firearms, arson and violence to intimidate the public and protect their criminal activities,” said Director Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “Working with our law enforcement partners, we brought the full weight of our investigative capabilities to bear. We are proud of our work on this case, and we will continue to dismantle violent gangs like Crown Hill, hold their members accountable and bring them to justice for the American communities they threaten.”

Reverend Harrison believes the bust will make the neighborhood safer and can serve as a warning for others.

“I think this sends a message to those involved in this kind of activity that people are tired of it and in Crown Hill, they’re not going to accept it anymore,” said Harrison.

In addition to the federal charges, the murder case against Dunn in Marion County is still pending.