U.S. Attorney David Metcalf announced that Kelvin “Nip” Jimenez, 34, and Dominique Parker, 33, both of Philadelphia, were convicted at trial of crimes arising from their membership in a violent drug trafficking organization known by several names, including “SG1700” and “L-Block,” which operated in Frankford.
As proven at trial, defendants Jimenez and Parker, as part of SG1700, sold large quantities of narcotics over a multi-year period, using violence and threats of violence to protect their reputation and drug territory. Both were convicted of all charges against them, including racketeering conspiracy, drug trafficking conspiracy, maintaining a drug-involved premises, assaults in aid of racketeering, firearms offenses and related crimes. Jimenez was also convicted of the murder of Kaseem Rogers, and Parker of the murder of Dontae Walker.
Jimenez and Parker, along with Hassan Elliott, 26, and Khalif Sears, 23, both also of Philadelphia, were charged in March 2023 with conspiracy to engage in a racketeer influenced corrupt organization, violent crimes in aid of racketeering, to include murder, stemming from the killings of victims Rogers, Walker, Tyrone Tyree and Philadelphia Police Sgt. James O’Connor, and numerous related offenses.
On March 13, 2020, Elliott, Sears and others previously indicted were inside a stash house on the 1600 block of Bridge St., when O’Connor and other members of the Philadelphia Police Department SWAT team arrived with an arrest warrant for Elliott for the March 2019 murder of Tyrone Tyree. As O’Connor and his fellow officers ascended the staircase to the second floor of the residence and repeatedly announced their presence, Elliott fired a semiautomatic assault rifle 16 times, striking and killing O’Connor.
Elliott and Sears pleaded guilty this January to RICO conspiracy, drug trafficking conspiracy, causing the death of O’Connor by firearm and multiple drug, gun and violent offenses. Elliott is scheduled to be sentenced on April 29 and Sears on April 30; both face maximum possible sentences of life in prison.
Jimenez is scheduled to be sentenced on July 7 and Parker on July 9; both also face maximum possible sentences of life in prison.
“Jimenez and Parker led the gang that killed Sgt. James O’Connor. These defendants also committed murder themselves,” Metcalf said. “Today, however, the Department of Justice put an end to SG1700 and their campaign of violence and destruction. We cannot bring back the lives that have been lost. But we have sent an unambiguous message that everyone involved in a criminal organization that attacks our brave law enforcement officers will be held accountable through federal prosecution.”
“By direction of these gang leaders, Philadelphia’s Frankford neighborhood was subjected to deadly shootouts targeting rivals,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “This conviction brings some justice for the murder of Philadelphia Police Sgt. James O’Connor, for his family and colleagues, and for the three others murdered and more than a dozen wounded by this brutal criminal enterprise. Through our ATF agents’ hard work in cooperation with the Philadelphia Police Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Office successfully prosecuted this series of cases to take down this lethal enterprise and make Philadelphia’s streets safer.”
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashley Martin, Christopher Diviny and Lauren Stram. ••
