DETROIT – The leader of the Seven Mile Bloods (SMB) gang was sentenced to life in prison after having been convicted in December 2023 of 22 counts, including racketeering conspiracy, murder, attempted murder, and related firearms offenses.
Billy Arnold, 37, was convicted of RICO Conspiracy, two counts of murder in aid of racketeering, 10 counts of attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and multiple firearm counts on Wednesday (April 10).
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The conviction came after a six-week trial held inside the Eastern District of Michigan.
Court documents revealed evidence that the Seven Mile Bloods operated of the east side of Detroit between Gratiot Avenue and Kelly Road between 7 and 8 Mile roads.
SMB members claimed the area as their territory and referred to it as the “Red Zone.” With the zip code 48205, members referred to it as “4-8-2-0-Die.”
Read: Members of Seven Mile Bloods Street Gang convicted of criminal activity
Court documents say the 37-year-old man and his group had an ongoing gang war with an alliance of other gangs operating on Detroit’s east side stemming from a murder that he committed in July of 2014.
Officials say Arnold encountered two rival gang members during a meeting at a parole office in Detroit. After the meeting, the 37-year-old parole waited outside the parole office until the rival gang member left.
Arnold followed the rival and their two companions a short distance before opening fire, killing one of the victims and seriously injuring another.
Court documents say Arnold and members of the SMB began violently attacking one another and posted respective “Hit Lists” on social media following the murder.
During one month in 2015, Arnold murdered one rival gang member and shot numerous others, officials say as tensions boiled over.
Arnold paralyzed one victim who was walking his two daughters to school, according to court documents. He shot another victim during his first day of work, who was 15 years old at the time, at a banquet hall in Roseville.
The teen was shot while Arnold was attempting to murder a rival gang member who was standing near the victim in a parking lot. Both victims survived the shooting.
More: Detroit gangs using social media to post hit lists that lead to murders, investigators say
Officials say the 37-year-old and another member of SMB were arrested following a high-speed chase in Detroit on Sept. 26, 2015.
After the chase, police said they recovered an assault rifle from the vehicle that was used in one murder and several other shootings.
Further investigation resulted in the seizure of more than 20 guns, including several high-powered assault rifles.
“The harshest sentences are reserved for the most serious crimes and criminals. They are reserved for people like Billy Arnold, who killed multiple people, tried to kill many others, and terrorized an entire community.”
“With this sentence, Arnold’s victims received some small measure of justice. This sentence should also send a message to others. To those who commit acts of violence: We will not stand for it any longer. And, to the vast majority of the residents of the “Red Zone” and all over Detroit and the Eastern District of Michigan, who want nothing more than to live in peace: We have your back.
“We will be by your side, working every day to prevent violence from occurring. But when it does, we will stand with you then, too. And we will use all of our resources to bring to justice those who don’t stop shooting.”
U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison
“Local gangs such as the Seven Mile Bloods utilize violence and firearm threats to spread fear within the community.
“This sentencing sends a message that the Violent Gang Task Force of the FBI will continue to take a stand against those who engage in street violence and retaliation to safeguard the citizens of Detroit. I would like to recognize and thank the men and women of our task force for their dedication and tireless work during this investigation.”
Cheyvoryea Gibson, the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan
