A 40-year-old gang leader convicted of running a criminal organization that included robberies, home invasions, and attempted murder now faces five life sentences.
Hernando Thompson, also known as “T-Murda,” served Florida’s Sex Money Murder Gang, according to Attorney General James Huthmire and Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.
The conviction stemmed from a wiretap investigation known as “Catch and Stain” that targeted the gang’s hierarchy. Law enforcement intercepted 4,787 communications discussing criminal activity, served six search warrants, and confiscated $1.5 million in drugs, 18 firearms, and ballistic armor.
During the inquiry, suspects obtained approval from gang leadership to commit murder and chased their targeted victim. The victim fled during the night, and investigators apprehended and arrested him on additional counts to keep him alive until the investigation was complete.
“The only reason he was not murdered was because the victim got away from them during the middle of the night,” according to Judd.
According to officials, during one house invasion in Eagle Lake, gang members threatened an 8-year-old boy and a 3-month-old infant with weapons.
The case required collaboration among the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Office of Statewide Prosecution, and the Department of Corrections.
“It is difficult to prosecute gangs. “They require a collaborative effort between law enforcement and prosecution,” said Brad McVeigh, the statewide prosecutor. “The higher up you go in the hierarchy, the more difficult it becomes.”
The inquiry also led to the arrest of Jonathan Fleming, who was designated as the top leader for Sex Money Murder in North Carolina and had traveled to Florida for a gang function.
Thompson’s criminal record goes back to 2003. He was detained in 2022 as part of the first investigation but was released on bail before being apprehended again in 2024 as a fugitive.
The charge documents in this instance totaled 250 pages and comprised more than 17 counts.