Nine men allegedly tied to a violent Akron street gang were taken into custody Wednesday after a coordinated sweep by U.S. Marshals and Akron police, capping a multiyear investigation into what authorities describe as a long‑running criminal enterprise.
Officials said the arrests follow a Summit County grand jury’s decision earlier this month to indict nine suspected members of the “Down the Way,” or DTW, gang on charges of participating in a criminal gang and conspiring to engage in gang activity spanning from 2019 to 2024. Detectives from the Akron Police Department’s Anti‑Violence Bureau worked with the U.S. Marshals Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force on Wednesday to execute five arrest warrants, while four other defendants were already jailed on unrelated cases.
The defendants were identified by authorities as Isaiah Lillie, Eric Cosey, Jimmie McCully, Ronald Jones, Jordan Davis, Rausheen Rivers, Tyrus Toney, Javeon Wright and Michael Morale Jr. Each is charged under Ohio’s criminal gang statutes, which can carry enhanced penalties if prosecutors prove the alleged crimes were committed to further a gang’s interests.
Investigators said they relied heavily on data from the Akron Crime Gun Intelligence Center to link the nine men to what they characterized as a “continuous course of criminal conduct,” though they did not immediately detail specific incidents or shootings tied to the case. The case was developed in partnership with the Summit County Prosecutor’s Office, which presented the findings to the grand jury.
Akron Police Chief Brian Harding called the operation the result of a “coordinated effort” between local detectives and federal partners. “Long‑term investigations like this require a tremendous amount of patience and commitment to protecting our community,” Harding said in a written statement, adding that police remain focused on dismantling groups they view as drivers of gun violence in city neighborhoods.
Summit County Prosecutor Elliot Kolkovich said his office intends to pursue the gang charges aggressively. “Organized crime has no place in Summit County and my office will prosecute these individuals to the fullest extent of the law,” Kolkovich said.
Akron Mayor Shammas Malik credited the arrests to years of investigative work and framed the case as a message to others involved in violent crime. “These individuals were responsible for criminal activity in our community over a period of many years,” Malik said. “These arrests reinforce that those committing crimes in our city will be held accountable for their actions.”
Authorities did not announce any injuries during Wednesday’s operation and did not disclose where the arrests occurred, citing ongoing safety concerns and the continuing nature of the investigation. Additional details about potential future charges or related suspects were not immediately available, and officials emphasized that the nine men are presumed innocent unless and until they are convicted in court.
