Macon — On Monday, the Bibb County Sheriff's and District Attorney's offices announced the results of Operation Blueprint, a sting on a Macon gang called the "Blacc Team."
The sting resulted in over 30 arrests, confiscation of money, drugs, weaponry and gang paraphernalia.
It also revealed the drug operation was using shoes as a trafficking vehicle.
The Blacc Team, a branch of the national gang the Gangster Disciples, utilized local tailor Mallory McClendon to adapt and modify their shoes.
"What you want to do is try to separate the top of the shoe to the bottom of the shoe," said gang unit investigator Cedric Pinson. "I believe that this is why Mr. McClendon came in handy because this is what he did every day."
The shoes of choice were ones with a thick sole, like the popular Air Force One from Nike.
Pinson said McClendon would hollow out the sole to make room for contraband.
"Once it gets hollow, they’ll take all the stuff out the middle, pack it with vacuum sealed containers or vacuum sealed bags, then re-glue this stitching, and put it right back in the shoe." Pinson said. "And then pack it in such a way that you wouldn’t even know the shoe came apart."
The shoes would then get picked up from McClenson's shop and worn by gang members with weekend sentences.
The members would be stripped down like normal inmates and have their shoes removed.
Inmates inside the jail with special privileges would then have access to the shoes filled with contraband.
Pinson said the gang sting has put the minds of people affected by gang violence at ease.
"I can remember a mother and father who lost their kid on Bloomfield," Pinson said. "Mr. Rodd lost his daughter, Tutti, Mr. Hogan lost his son, Ms. Glover lost her son on Eisenhower. We can think back historically and think of a couple of cases that come to heart where we think gang violence played an integral role."
Pinson said this operation was just "phase one" and that people should be very excited for phase two.