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Vaun Mayes. Photo taken April 20, 2021 by Graham Kilmer.
A long-pending federal criminal case against a community activist Vaun Mayes seems to be coming to an end.
On Wednesday, Mayes pleaded guilty to one of seven charges stemming from the 2016 Sherman Park riots that followed a fatal police shooting in Milwaukee Sylville Smith.
A sentencing hearing before a federal judge is scheduled for Jan. 22 Pamela Pepper. He faces up to five years in prison and $250,000 on one remaining felony charge, although the plea agreement states that both sides will stand for time already served, with no fine and no additional supervised release. Pepper will make the final decision.
Mayes, who heads an organization called the Community Task Force, has been an outspoken advocate for peace and violence prevention in the years following the events in Sherman Park. He routinely uses Facebook’s live streaming feature to reach thousands of audiences and draw attention to issues in Milwaukee.
The livestream also comes with the only fee that will remain on Sherman Park. On Wednesday, he pleaded guilty to using a cellphone to encourage others to participate in the riots.
Mayes was a key figure in the 2020 civil rights marches in Milwaukee, and as such, she is one of several figures honored in a large mural painted at N. 14th and W. Vliet streets. He was arrested in June 2020 for his involvement in a largely unexplained house fire on 40th and Lloyd streets, a flashpoint of summer protests, but was released the next day and was never charged with a crime. Video footage from the day of the fire shows Mayes trying to calm the situation and leading a cleanup effort the next day.
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In the following years, he continued to engage in violence prevention programs and worked to find emergency housing for individuals.
However, in the face of his current activities, the issue of Sherman Park came up. He has been open about his belief that the allegations have prevented his efforts from receiving government funding.
Mayes, 37, was charged in 2018 with attempting to orchestrate the Molotov cocktail bombing of the Milwaukee District Seven police station at 3626 W. Fond du Lac Ave. and teaching others, including minors, how to make explosive cocktails. He has been free on bail since his indictment, and the case has been quiet for years, although Mayes has already told Urban Milwaukee that his lawyer is working to resolve the case. Many documents related to the case are sealed.
In 2019, he was additionally charged with witness intimidation, allegedly encouraging witnesses to tell a similar, false story, and using a mobile phone to incite others to riot.
The plea agreement drops all charges except illegal use of a cell phone to encourage others to riot.
“It doesn’t bother me that many will miss key points of this whole ordeal,” Mayes said in a Facebook post after she pleaded guilty in court. “It doesn’t bother me that some people will continue to use this allegation. I plead guilty as my “reason” or validation to maintain whatever negative attitude or disposition they have always had towards me, whether they had a reason for it or not. I’m NOT comfortable with this, but I understand that it will likely impact my future opportunities and livelihood, but this has happened to me for the last almost a decade, so I’m not sure I’ll lose everything I’ve had. beginning. I don’t mind my personal development from 2016 to the present. I AM okay that this is a chapter in the story of who I am. Our experiences and trials literally make us who we are. I AM OK with knowing that some of my “enemies” have become my friends and some “friends” have taken their place as “enemies”. I AM okay with knowing that I’ve already done this and will continue to try to mend any broken or broken relationships to improve narratives on my own terms. It doesn’t bother me that some of the people I advocated for and showed up for won’t be willing to do the same for me. I am myself without any remorse. I intend to remain a positive and productive person in this society without apology. Without apology, I intend to continue to overcome all adversities and overcome all obstacles in my life because I AM MADE TO DO SO.”
Advocate Robert LeBell defends Mayes. United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin Gregory J. Haanstadwho was promoted during the course of the case, and the deputy prosecutor general Chris Ładwiga are the lead prosecutors in this case.
More information about the 2020 racial justice protests
- Settlement Reached for Long Pending Sherman Park Riot Charges Involving Vaun Mayes – Jeramey Jannene – October 17, 2024
- Rep. Ryan Clancy reached settlement with city after 2020 curfew arrest – Jeramey Jannene – December 12, 2023
- Supervisor Clancy Applauds Resolution in Clancy vs. City of Milwaukee – Ryan Clancy – December 12, 2023
- Tosa protest attacks federal court’s decision to acquit police – Isiah Holmes – May 9, 2023
- Wauwatosa ‘Target List’ Process Begins – Isiah Holmes – May 3, 2023
- Shorewood Spitter found guilty of 2020 protest confrontation – Jeramey Jannene – April 20, 2023
- City Hall: City to pay for 2020 George Floyd protest $270,000 – Jeramey Jannene – February 14, 2023
- Tosa protest tickets rejected – Isiah Holmes – July 21, 2022
- Op Ed: “We Need More” – Charles Q. Sullivan – March 4, 2022
- Milwaukee officers distributing ‘Riot 2020’ coins? – Isiah Holmes – November 14, 2021
Read more about the 2020 racial justice protests here
More on the Sherman Park riots
- Settlement Reached for Long Pending Sherman Park Riot Charges Involving Vaun Mayes – Jeramey Jannene – October 17, 2024
- City Attorney Agrees to $4 Million Settlement with Sylville Smith Family – Madeline Fox – October 23, 2020
- Sherman Park Still “Warm and Welcoming” – Andrea Waxman – August 16, 2019
- Better police-community relations in Sherman Park? – Edgar Mendez – August 14, 2019
- Three years later Sherman Park will be built? – Allison Dikanovic – August 13, 2019
- Eyes on Milwaukee: A Sherman Park Success Story – Jeramey Jannene – July 23, 2019
- Eyes on Milwaukee: Incubator Kitchen Planned for Sherman Park – Jeramey Jannene – July 1, 2019
- Questions surround arrest of Vaun Mayes – Isiah Holmes – February 6, 2019
- Police relations in Sherman Park continue to be a problem – Areonna Dowdy – January 7, 2019
- Can Sherman Park attract more customers? – Ximena Conde – September 13, 2018
Read more about the unrest in Sherman Park here