POLK COUNTY, Fla. – It took a Polk County jury just sixty minutes to seal the fate of Hernando Thompson, Jr. The 36-year-old Orlando man, identified by state prosecutors as the Florida leader of the “Sex Money Murder” gang, was convicted on all counts last week following a four-day trial.
Thompson now faces a maximum penalty of five consecutive life sentences. The charges—ranging from Racketeering and Conspiracy to three separate counts of Directing Criminal Gang Activities—stem from what authorities described as a brutal and highly organized criminal enterprise operating under the Bloods affiliation.
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Attorney General James Uthmeier did not mince words regarding the verdict, describing the organization as a corporate-style operation built on bloodshed.
“This criminal led a violent, Bloods-affiliated gang that treated crime like a business—a business of robberies, drive-by shootings, and violence against children,” Uthmeier stated. “A jury delivered justice, and he is looking at spending the rest of his life behind bars.”
The conviction marks the conclusion of a sprawling investigation that began in 2022. The operation was a collaborative effort involving the Office of Statewide Prosecution, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Corrections, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). While twelve other members of the gang had already been prosecuted, Thompson was the final defendant outstanding. He surrendered to authorities last year on an active warrant.
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According to evidence presented during the trial, which ran from January 5 through January 8, Thompson exercised control over gang operations across Florida while carefully distancing himself from the physical crimes to evade law enforcement.
Statewide Prosecutor Brad McVay noted that this layer of protection made the case particularly challenging.
“Our prosecutors were able to pull back the insulation he tried to wrap around himself,” McVay said, crediting the partnership with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office for the successful outcome.
Investigators linked the group to a wide array of criminal activities, including illegal drug sales, conspiracies to commit murder, and smuggling contraband into state prisons.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd hailed the swift verdict as a victory for public safety.
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“The conviction of gang leader Hernando Thompson is a perfect example of Florida’s tough-on-crime criminal justice system at work,” Judd said. “We hope to see him sentenced to life in prison for his orchestration of violent criminal gang activities.”
Thompson remains in custody at the Polk County Jail. He is scheduled to appear for sentencing on February 20, 2026.
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