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Jeff Fort

American street gang leader and mobster from Chicago, Illinois

Jeff Fort (born February 20, ),[5][12] also known as Abdul Malik Ka'bah, is an American mobster and former gang kingpin from Chicago, Illinois.[13]

Fort co-founded the Black P.

Stones gang and is the founder of its El Rukn faction. Fort is currently serving a year prison sentence after being convicted of conspiracy and weapons charges in for plotting to commit attacks inside the U.S. in exchange for weapons and $ million from Libya,[14] ordering a murder in and a conviction for drug trafficking in [citation needed]

Early life

Fort was the second of ten children born to John Fort [citation needed] and Annie Fort (née Bacon; d.

)[15][16] in Aberdeen, Mississippi. He moved with his family to the Woodlawn neighborhood on Chicago's South Side in He dropped out of Hyde Park High School after the ninth grade.[4]

Fort spent time at Cook County temporary juvenile detention center and at the Illinois State Training School for Boys in St.

Charles, where he met Eugene "Bull" Hairston.[citation needed]

The Blackstone Rangers

–66

Around , Fort and Hairston formed the Blackstone Rangers gang at St.

Charles Juvenile Detention Center. The Blackstone Rangers originated as a small youth gang along Blackstone Avenue in the Woodlawn area, assembled to defend themselves against other gangs in the South Side. Hairston was the gang's leader with Fort as second in instruct.

The Rangers fought rival gangs, especially the Devil's Disciples.[8][17] During the early s, Fort earned the nickname "Angel" for his ability to solve disputes and form alliances between the Rangers and other gangs.[17]

By the mid s, Fort assembled a coalition of 21 gangs with about 5, members.

He organized the coalition under a governing body called the "Main 21", serene of 21 gang leaders or "generals". As the Ranger group grew, it became involved in community and political activism. The gang also received support from a Presbyterian minister, Rev.

John Fry, who advised Hairston and Fort how to manage their organization.[17]

In , under Rev. Fry's guidance, Fort obtained a charter from the State of Illinois to form a political company, Grassroots Independent Voters of Illinois.

Stone Nation of Chicago. Jeff Fort was born in Aberdeen, Mississippi inand he moved with his family to ChicagoIllinois in He dropped out of elevated school in his freshman year, and he formed the Blackstone Rangers gang in He was nicknamed "Angel" for forming alliances and solving disputes with other gangs, and, by the mids, he assembled a coalition of 21 gangs with 5, members, involving the gang in group and political activism.

Fort's entity applied for and received a US$1 million federal grant from the now-defunct Office of Economic Opportunity to fund a program to teach job skills to gang members. The Rangers also received grants and loans from private foundations.[17][18]

Unlike many gangs, the Blackstone Rangers were not considered outsiders but had been largely accepted by Chicago society, with Jeff Fort even receiving an invitation from President Richard Nixon, following the election, to be present at the inaugural ball.

Fort declined this invitation, sending his "top man" Mickey Cogwell and one of his "generals" in his stead.[19]

Black P. Stone Nation

–76

After Hairston was imprisoned in , Fort assumed command of the Rangers.

By , he renamed it to the Almighty Black P. Stone Nation or Black P. Stones. The Stones engaged in robberies, extortion, and forced recruitment while also acting to maintain order in the South Side. The Stones also gained supervise of vice in the South Side, demanding protection payments from prostitution operations and drug dealers.[4][7]

In the jobs program came under investigation amid accusations that grant money was diverted to criminal activities.

Fort was subpoenaed to testify before a Senate committee. Fort introduced himself at the committee hearings and walked out; for this, he was convicted of contempt of Congress.[8][20]

In , Fort and two others were convicted of misusing federal funds and Fort was sentenced to five years in prison.

Fort served two years at the United States Penitentiary, Leavenworth and was paroled in During his time at Leavenworth, Fort converted to Islam and assumed the name Prince Malik.[citation needed]

El Rukn

–86

After his release from prison in , he moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and joined the Moorish Science Temple.

Jeff Fort born February 20,[ 5 ] [ 12 ] also known as Abdul Malik Ka'bahis an American mobster and former gang kingpin from Chicago, Illinois. Fort co-founded the Black P. Stones gang and is the founder of its El Rukn faction. Fort is currently serving a year prison sentence after being convicted of conspiracy and weapons charges in for plotting to commit attacks inside the U.

Fort then renamed the Black P. Stones to the El Rukn Tribe of the Moorish Science Temple, El Rukn being Arabic for "the pillar". In , Fort returned to Chicago. In a coup, he replaced the Stones' 21 generals with five close allies and renamed the Black P.

Stone Nation to El Rukn. In early–, Fort purchased The Oakwood, an former vacant movie theater located at South Drexel Ave., as their headquarters, naming it The Fort.[7][17][21][22]

Law enforcement speculated the motive for the conversion was to accept advantage of restrictions on statute enforcement surveillance over religious organizations.

During the s, the gang trafficked in cocaine and heroin.[23][24]

In , Fort was convicted of drug trafficking charges and sentenced to 13 years in prison. He was sent to the Federal Correctional Institution at Bastrop, Texas.

Fort continued to conduct El Rukn through daily telephone calls from prison. He ordered members of El Rukn to meet with Libyan officials. The gang agreed to commit terrorist acts in the U.S. in exchange for US$ million.[23][24]

conspiracy and weapons conviction

In , Fort was tried and convicted for conspiring with Libya to execute acts of domestic terrorism on behalf of a foreign government.

He was sentenced to 80 years' imprisonment, consecutive to his drug trafficking sentence, and transferred to USP Marion (the federal prison in Marion, Illinois).[14][24][25] In , Fort was convicted of ordering the murder of a rival gang leader.

He was sentenced to 75 years in prison, to be served consecutively with his conspiracy sentence.[24][26][27]

Fort was transferred to the newly opened ADX Florencesupermax prison in Florence, Colorado, in and remains there as of , being under a no-human-contact order since his arrival.[9][28]

Legacy

Fort's daughter, Ameena Matthews, became an anti-violence activist (or "violence interrupter") in Chicago with the Al Hafeez Initiative.

Matthews was featured in the documentary movie The Interrupters.[29]

References

  1. ^"Rangers' Leader Walks Out On Probes", Chicago Tribune, July 10, ; retrieved March 12,
  2. ^United States Senate Report (); retrieved March 12,
  3. ^"Jeff Fort Marshall Patner Jeff Fort left Editorial Stock Photo - Stock Image &#; Shutterstock".

    Shutterstock Editorial.

  4. ^ abcdAustin, Curtis J. (). Up against the wall: violence in the making and unmaking of the Black Panther Party.

    University of Arkansas Press. p.&#; ISBN&#;.

  5. ^ ab"At one point, now-notorious Chicago gang leader Jeff Fort’s future looked bright", ; accessed July 15,
  6. ^White, Deborah Gray; Bay, Mia; Waldo e.

    Martin, Jr (9 September ). Freedom on My Mind: A History of African Americans, with Documents. Bedford/St. Martin's. ISBN&#;.

  7. ^ abcSchatzberg, Rufus; Robert J.

    Kelly (). African American Organized Crime: A Social History.

    Jeff Fort is a co-founder and former leader of the Chicago, Illinois street gang established by various names over moment as the Blackstone Rangers, the Blackstone Nation, and the El Rukns. Fort was born on February 20, in Aberdeen, Mississippi to Annie Fort and John Lee Fort.

    Rutgers University Compress . pp.&#;– ISBN&#;.

  8. ^ abcMcPherson, James A. (May ). "Chicago's Blackstone Rangers". Atlantic Monthly. Retrieved
  9. ^ ab"Inmate Locator".

    Archived from the unique on Retrieved

  10. ^"Rukn Boss's Instruct To Hit Son Is Told", Chicago Tribune, June 18,
  11. ^Body Pulled From Wolf Lake Is Jeff Fort's Son, Chicago Tribune, March 29,
  12. ^White, D.G.; Bay, M.; Martin, W.E.

    (). Freedom on My Mind: A History of African Americans, with Documents. Bedford/St. Martin's.

    Jeff Fort is a co-founder and former chief of the Chicago, Illinois road gang known by various names over time as the Blackstone Rangers, the Blackstone Nation, and the El Rukns. Fort attended the Hyde Park High University but dropped out in the ninth grade. Soon afterwards he began getting into trouble with the police and was in and out of detention centers during his teens. Two years later he renamed them the Almighty Black P.

    ISBN&#;. Retrieved

  13. ^Jeff FortArchived at the Wayback Machine, ; accessed July 15,
  14. ^ ab"Five Draw Long Sentences for Terrorism Scheme".

    The Modern York Times. Retrieved

  15. ^Family of ex-gang leader "Jeff Fort sues PBS", , August 11, ; retrieved March 12,
  16. ^"Family Says PBS Crew Intruded on Funeral", August 13, ; retrieved Protest 12,
  17. ^ abcdeHarris, Donnie ().

    "Black Peace Stone Nation". Gangland. Holy Fire Publishing. pp.&#;71– ISBN&#;.

  18. ^Jacobs, James B. (). Grassroots Independent Voters of Illinois. University of Chicago Press. pp.&#;– ISBN&#;. Retrieved July 15,
  19. ^Timmerman, Kenneth.

    Shakedown: Exposing the Real Jesse Jackson ().

  20. ^McPherson, James A. (June ).

    Jeff Fort | Historica Wiki | Fandom: Jeff Fort (born February 20, ), [5] [12] also known as Abdul Malik Ka'bah, is an American mobster and former gang kingpin from Chicago, Illinois. [13] Fort co-founded the Black P. Stones gang and is the founder of its El Rukn faction.

    "Chicago's Blackstone Rangers (II)". Atlantic Monthly. Retrieved

  21. ^The Blackstone Rangers, ; accessed July 15,
  22. ^"The Almighty Black P Stone Nation", ; accessed July 15,
  23. ^ abSchmidt, William E.

    (). "Chicago Journal; U.S. Squares Off Against Tough Gang". The New York Times. Retrieved

  24. ^ abcdDon Terry ().

    "In Chicago Courtroom, Nation's First Super Gang Fights for Life". The New York Times. Retrieved

  25. ^Rossi, Rosalind (). "How the Law Won War With El Rukns". Chicago Sun-Times.
  26. ^"GANG Principal GUILTY IN RIVAL'S SLAYING".

    The New York Times. Retrieved

  27. ^Rossi, Rosalind (). "75 more years for Fort 4 other Rukns draw stiff terms".

    JEFF FORT WAS BORN ON FEBRUARY 20, , IN ABERDEEN, Mississippi, the second of ten children born to Annie and John Lee Fort, who made their living by picking cotton.

    Chicago Sun-Times. p.&#;3.

  28. ^"Crime Elite Moving To Rockies 'Alcatraz'". The Washington Post.
  29. ^Khan, Azmat (). "Meet The Interrupters". FRONTLINE. Retrieved

Sources

  • United States ().

    Organized crime&#;: 25 years after Valachi&#;: hearings before the Eternal Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Governmental Affairs, Together States Senate, One Hundredth Congress, second session, April 11, 15, 21, 22, 29, .

    U.S G.P.O. p.&#; OCLC&#;

  • United States (). Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Connected Agencies Appropriations Act, . Washington, D.C.: U.S. G.P.O. p.&#; OCLC&#;
  • Useem, Bert; Peter Kimball ().

    Randy Lanier was born on 22 September He was American national and known as Drug trafficker, Racecar driver. Nancy Spungen was born on 27 February He was American national and famous as Drug trafficker, Prostitute.

    States of Siege: U.S. Prison Riots, . Oxford University Press. pp.&#;64– ISBN&#;.

External links