Falcons receiver Calvin Ridley, who is currently serving a minimum suspension of one year for violating the league’s gambling policy, has had a very different issue to deal with.
Via ESPN.com, a new indictment alleges that a violent street gang targeted Ridley and other entertainers and athletes in Atlanta.
In all, 26 people were charged for violating Georgia’s anti-gang and racketeering laws. The specific misconduct allegedly includes carjacking, kidnapping, armed robbery, home invasions and more. The Drug Rich gang allegedly targeted celebrities and social-media influencers.
The homes of Ridley, singer Mariah Carey, Atlanta United goalkeeper Brad Guzan, and Marlo Hampton of The Real Housewives of Atlanta were broken into, per the indictment.
“What they do is target people who show their wealth on social media,” Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said. “So I do have a message for the public: Where it is kind of fun to put your things on social media and show off, unfortunately these gangs are becoming more savvy, more sophisticated in the way that they target you.”
Willis has made it clear that she will be aggressive in her efforts to enforce the law.
“I am not going to negotiate with gang members,” Willis said. “I am not going to allow pleas. We are going to find you, we are going to convict you and we’re going to send you to the prison for the rest of your days, and I’m not apologizing for that.”
Good. At a time when law and order seems more like a punchline than a basic truth to which our society adheres, it’s a strong reminder that there are indeed consequences when basic standards are violated.
