Thirteen alleged members of a Hartford organized crime group have been arrested, law enforcement officials announced Wednesday.
The “Get Money Steppas” operated throughout New England, but were based in Hartford's south end, according to police.
The group was responsible for murders, auto thefts, arson, drug dealing and crimes involving heavy firepower, officials said.
“Altered weapons, fully automatic weapons, ghost guns, hundred-rounds-plus fired per incident," Hartford Police Chief Jason Thody said. "Those are dangerous situations in a city like Hartford.”
The suspects face organized crime and racketeering charges.
The arrests were the result of an 11-month investigation involving local, state and federal law enforcement, Thody said.
“These are some uniquely violent individuals that were responsible for creating dangerous conditions in the city, and that required a specific response from us,” Thody said.
Eight of the 13 suspects were already in custody on other charges, officials said. The remaining five were taken into custody by both Hartford police and U.S. Marshals.
The suspects are being charged under Connecticut’s organized crime and racketeering statute.
More charges and arrests are expected in the investigation, which began in May of last year, police said.
