OPERATION 438 CHICAGO POLICE POURING KOOLAID & HIS GANG DOWN THE DRAIN

Koolaid also owns this restaurant at Laramie & Lake, which authorities may seek to seize as fruit of an illegal enterprise.

    On March 15, Chicago Police Gang Investigations Unit officers, High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area agents, and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office climaxed a 14-month ongoing Criminal Drug conspiracy investigation with the arrest of notorious druglord Kevin Shorter, aka Koolaid, and 14 members of his gang. Police called the mission OPERATION 438 for the numeric abbreviation for the 4 Corner Hustlers Street Gang – 4CH. Shorter and his henchmen are allegedly active members of the 4 Corner Hustlers.
    During the course of this investigation, undercover officers conducted numerous purchases of cocaine and marijuana in the area of North Avenue to Bloomingdale Avenue and Long Avenue to Leclaire Avenue in North Austin. Police used a variety of investigative techniques to gather evidence substantiating charges of Felony Criminal Drug Conspiracy, Delivery of a Controlled Substance, Delivery of Cannabis, and Unlawful Use of a Weapon against arrested offenders.    OPERATION 438 targeted the cocaine distribution network run predominantly by members of the 4 Corner Hustlers on Chicago’s West Side. During the course of the investigation, police officers learned that Kevin Shorter used a source of supply for the cocaine and marijuana – Lekendrick Richards – a California resident. Richards frequently shipped quantities of cocaine and marijuana to Shorter via UPS and the U.S. Postal Service. The bulk quantities of the drugs were sold to individuals who then repackaged them in smaller street-level quantities and sold them throughout Chicago neighborhoods.
    During this 14-month ongoing investigation, police executed four search warrants seizing 594 grams of powder cocaine with an estimated street value of $74,250; 570 grams of crack cocaine worth $70,048; 1,477 grams of cannabis with an estimated street value of $23,641; and four firearms.
    On March 15, police officers executed four additional search warrants, recovering 1,010.6 grams of cannabis with an estimated street value of $15,136; approximately 16 grams of heroin with an estimated value of $2,400; four more handguns; seized four vehicles; and arrested 15 individuals, including Shorter.
    Conducting OPERATION 438 for the Chicago Police Department Gang Investigations Unit are officers under the command of Lieutenant Scott Dedore, Lieutenant Eric Washington (now interim 11th District Commander), Commander Joe Gorman, and Sergeant Joseph Brennan.
    Shorter grew up on the 1600-block of Latrobe Avenue and recruited teenagers in the neighborhood to his drug enterprise. He purchased a building on the south side of North Avenue, opening a beauty salon called Hype Hair and using the apartments above it to house his drug dealers. Recently, he took ownership of a fast-food restaurant at Lake Street & Laramie Avenue called Season N Salt. Authorities tell THE VOICE they may take action to seize these under the Gang & Drug House Ordinance as being part of his criminal enterprise. Several years ago, when THE VOICE reported that Drug Enforcement agents and Chicago Police were investigating Shorter, he and his henchmen threatened to kill the staff of THE VOICE Newspapers.



OFFENDERS CHARGED AS PART OF OPERATION 438 
(AND POTENTIAL SENTENCES IF CONVICTED)

 •    KEVIN Koolaid SHORTER, 3748 W. Eastwood Avenue,
    Criminal Drug Conspiracy (9-40 years – IDOC)
 •    SAM Black CAIN, 1754 N. Lorel Avenue,
    Criminal Drug Conspiracy (9-40 years – IDOC)
 •    DARYL D4 HARRIS, 5160 W. Wabansia Avenue,
    Criminal Drug Conspiracy (9-40 years – IDOC)
 •    LEKENDRICK RICHARDS, Los Angeles, California,
    Criminal Drug Conspiracy (9-40 years – IDOC)
 •    RON HARRIS, 5160 W. Wabansia Avenue,
    Delivery of Cannabis (2-5 years – IDOC)
 •    EDDIE KNIGHTEN, 906 N. Kildare Avenue, Possession of
    Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute (6-30 years – IDOC)
 •    ANTAVIOUS Tavi MURPH, 5500 W. Gladys Avenue,
    Delivery of Controlled Substance (9-40 years – IDOC)
 •    DAVID FLEMING, Green Bay, Wisconsin, Possession of
    Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute (9-40 years – IDOC)
 •    SHAWN SHERMAN, Franklin Park, Illinois, Possession of
    Controlled Substance (1-3 years – IDOC)
 •    ANTUAN Scotty ALMON, 2834 W. Walnut Street,
    Possession of Controlled Substance (4-15 years – IDOC)
 •    JOHN MACON 18 N. Lockwood Avenue, Possession of
    Controlled Substance (1-3 years – IDOC)
 •    DERICK MITCHELL, 4333 W. Cortez Avenue, Possession of
    Controlled Substance (6-30 years – IDOC)
 •    A. WILKERSON, 5013 W. Bloomingdale Avenue,
    Unlawful Use of a Weapon by a Felon (2-4 years – IDOC)
 •    LASHAWN CAIN, 1754 N. Lorel Avenue,
    Unlawful Use of a Weapon by a Felon (2-4 years – IDOC)
 •    WILLIE WILLIAMS, 1748 N. Lorel Avenue,
    Unlawful Use of a Weapon, No FOID (Up to 1 year – IDOC)

Kevin Shorter, aka Koolaid, owns this building on North Ave., and police say he is still housing his drug dealing crew in the apartments. Authorities say they may seek to seize the building under the Gang & Drug House Ordinance.