Thirteen alleged members and associates of a Jacksonville-area street gang known as “Slime” are facing federal charges including racketeering conspiracy, drug trafficking, murder-for-hire, and witness retaliation, according to a newly unsealed federal indictment announced by U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe.
Federal prosecutors allege the group operated primarily in the Northside and Oceanway neighborhoods of Jacksonville. Over time, the organization operated under various names, including Pearl World, BB4L (Block Burners for Life), K4T (Killers for Telly), and Slime World.
According to the court documents, the gang was led by Brian Gregory Brightman and funded its operations through drug trafficking.
From roughly 2019 through August 5, 2026, the group allegedly ran multiple trap houses to distribute marijuana, crack cocaine, and methamphetamine, relying on armed violence, shootings, and intimidation to protect its territory and expand into rival areas.
The indictment outlines a series of violent incidents and drug operations tied to group members:
- August 2021: Brightman, Raymond Cash, and Devin McFadden allegedly solicited the murder of a rival gang member.
- October 2022: Brightman allegedly solicited a Slime member and associate to kill another rival gang member.
- Late 2022: Prosecutors allege Brightman transported about 70 pounds of marijuana from California to Florida between late November and early December. On Dec. 19, 2022, Brightman set up a fake drug deal at a trap house where Cash and Gary Harris robbed the victims at gunpoint.
- 2023–2024 Violent Acts: The indictment alleges Brightman and Jacob Goodman carried out a murder-for-hire scheme that resulted in the death of an individual identified as D.S.S. in November 2023. Brightman, Devonne Rivers, and Tarvares Watson Jr. are also charged with the April 7, 2024, murders of two individuals identified as A.B. and T.W.
- Debt Enforcement and Retaliation: In January 2024, Brightman and another member allegedly assaulted a lower-level drug dealer over an unpaid debt. In a separate incident, Blake Baker allegedly entered a drug dealer’s home, pointed a firearm at her, and assaulted her partner to enforce a drug debt. In December 2024, Rivers and Terrance Williams allegedly shot at an individual to intimidate rival groups. Additionally, Andre Drinks is accused of soliciting a physical attack against a person believed to be cooperating with law enforcement.
Three additional defendants—Roderick Leon, Rashawn Rankin, and Da’Veon Smith—were also named in the indictment.
If convicted, the defendants face sentences ranging from 20 years to life in federal prison. Several defendants face the death penalty due to charges involving murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and firearms offenses resulting in death. Federal prosecutors are also seeking the forfeiture of assets linked to the alleged criminal activities.
The multi-agency investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the North Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, alongside numerous local, state, and federal law enforcement partners.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel Lasry and Kelli A. Swaney for the Middle District of Florida.
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