A judge on Friday set bail at $750,000 for the alleged founder of north Minneapolis' "Beat-Down Posse," and the judge ruled that the defendant's father's bail bond business could not spring the accused racketeer from jail.
Joseph Duane "Little Joe" Gustafson Jr., 36, appeared before Hennepin County District Judge Kerry Meyer wearing an orange jumpsuit with his hair in a braid that hung to the middle of his back.
His father, Joseph "Big Joe" Gustafson Sr., sat in the front row with two other supporters.
Charges say Beat-Down Posse (BDP) members for years robbed, assaulted and intimidated drug dealers and others on the North Side while using ex-Hell's Angel Gustafson Sr.'s business, Gustafson's Bail Bonds, as a front.
The gang also is alleged to have committed mortgage fraud that netted $300,000 for the Gustafsons through loans on houses, including some that mysteriously burned down.
Authorities say the charges are a result of a years-long investigation that could yield more arrests. Although Gustafson Sr. was named in the complaint, he is not charged.
Assistant County Attorney William Richardson emphasized the seriousness of the racketeering charges against Gustafson Jr., one of 14 felonies filed against him and his alleged bodyguard and right-hand man Troy Neuberger, 38.
Richardson said that if Gustafson is convicted, prosecutors will ask for a 20-year sentence on the racketeering count alone. He urged the judge to set bail high and described Gustafson as dangerous and a flight risk. He also asked that Gustafson's Bail Bonds not be allowed to post his bail.