Third World Mob gang members convicted in Columbus drug trafficking operation

Two members of a gang federal prosecutors said have operated as a violent organization in Columbus, trafficking drugs and intimidating witnesses, have been found guilty of multiple charges.

Klegewerges Abate, 35, and Abubakarr Savage, 34, were each convicted Monday of drug trafficking and firearms charges in U.S. District Court in Columbus. They will be sentenced at a later date yet to be scheduled.

Abate, who went by the street names "Bells," "Robell" and "Sosa," and Savage, who was known as "Sav" and "Savdripp," are members of the Third World Mob gang, federal prosecutors said.

Court records say Savage, Abate and at least four other people have been charged in connection with the gang's activities, including trafficking marijuana, cocaine and methamphetamine in Columbus starting in 2015, importing the drugs from other states.

Members of the gang would bring hundreds of pounds of marijuana into Ohio in U-Haul trucks and rental cars, using rental houses or homes owned in other people's names to store the drugs and money gained from selling the drugs.

Court records say in August 2019, Abate and others had a suitcase with about $940,000 in cash at a home on the Far East Side. A search of a home in the same area in November 2022 found Abate at the home with two other members of the gang. Detectives found more than 700 kilograms of marijuana and three guns at the home as well.

According to court records, the gang would deal in hundreds of pounds of marijuana a month and would often use violence or intimidation to try to maintain control of their operation.

Other stories: Here's what a Department of Justice review of Columbus police's use of force found

During a trial in federal court that began earlier this month, jurors viewed video of Abate shooting at a man who was at a restaurant. Jurors also heard testimony about other shootings, a pistol-whipping and acts of intimidation designed to keep associates from providing information about the gang's activities to police or others.

In addition to the drug trafficking and gun charges, Abate was also convicted at trial of falsely applying for unemployment assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Federal prosecutors said Abate had said he was a self-employed landscaper while he was actually selling drugs.

Other members of the gang have already pleaded guilty to their involvement, including one person scheduled to go to trial with Abate and Savage who pleaded guilty before trial began.

bbruner@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Third World Mob gang members convicted in Columbus drug trafficking operation