POLK COUNTY, Fla. — A massive law enforcement operation conducted by the Attorney General's Office, Polk County Sheriff and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, has taken down the head of a violent gang.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said an Orlando man was convicted in Polk County for his leadership role in the “Sex Money Murder” gang.
Officials said 36-year-old Hernando Thompson Jr. was found guilty of one count of racketeering, one count of conspiracy to commit racketeering and three counts of directing criminal gang activities.
Investigators said a wiretap allowed law enforcement to seize nearly 4,800 communications that talked about criminal conduct and seize $1.5 million in drugs as well as 18 firearms.
WATCH: Man convicted in Polk Co. for leadership role in 'Sex Money Murder Gang': Florida AG
The statement from Uthmeier’s office said Thompson’s case is related to a 2022 investigation by Tampa Bay 28's Rebecca Petit, where 12 other members of the “Sex Money Murder” gang were arrested and prosecuted.
Thompson had an outstanding arrest warrant and turned himself in to the authorities in 2025, per the report.
Officials said evidence presented in the Polk County trial, which lasted from Jan. 5 to Jan. 8, showed Thompson “exercised leadership over all gang operations in Florida.”
Watch report from Rebecca Petit
Founder of Vision of Hope for Life Juvenile Jail Prison Ministries minister Irvin Mahoney said several times a month he mentors young people who are behind bars in Polk County. His mission is to help them turn away from a life of crime, something he himself struggled with.
“I see where it took me; nowhere but prison. I lost great jobs, I had a future and then all of a sudden, I ended up in prison, and I had to do my prison sentence. Now I'm trying to tell these youth that is not the way of life," said Mahoney.
He said many troubled youths turn to gangs looking for belonging and community.
“So many of our youth and young boys and girls are going astray. They are running away from home because of the situations that they’re in. They’re not in good situations in their home," said Mahoney.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said there has been a decline in gang activity since the creation of the Violent Gang Investigative Taskforce in 2023.
“We’ve seen a significant reduction in gang activity. A significant reduction in home invasions,” Judd said.
Thompson is currently in custody awaiting sentencing, and officials said he faces a maximum possible sentence of five consecutive life terms, one for each of the charges on which he was convicted.
Tampa Bay Iranians celebrate in the streets following reports of Iran's Supreme Leader's death
Iranian Americans in Tampa gathered downtown, waving flags and dancing following reports that U.S. and Israeli forces killed Iran's Supreme Leader.
