Four gang members of the Short North Posse pleaded guilty to murder charges in federal district court in Columbus Wednesday.
The four are among 20 people indicted in 2014 on charges that included murder, attempted murder, drug trafficking, extortion and robbery. 31-year old Joseph Hill, 25-year old Christopher Wharton, 24-year old Troy Patterson and 33-year old Ishmael Bowers all pleaded guilty to one count of murder in aid of racketeering. Hill also pleaded guilty to a second count of murder, and Wharton pleaded guilty to counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana. All four face a potential sentence of life in prison. The indictments were the result of a two-year, multi-jurisdictional investigation.
