A mural of slain One Order gangster Oliver 'Bubba' Smith is pictured at left while a photograph of the late Othneil Lobban, otherwise called ‘Thickman’, is at right.
The executive leadership of the Spanish Town-based One Order Gang is a constant revolving door of characters because of the gang’s violent activities which include extortion, killings and drug dealing. On Wednesday night, Othniel “Thickman” Lobban became the latest of its reputed dons to have their reign cut short at the hands of the police, gunmen or through the courts over the last two decades.
READ: Reputed One Order Gang leader shot dead by police
Lobban, who was fatally shot in an alleged confrontation with members of the police Joint Anti-Gang Task Force at Six Miles in St Andrew, was said to be a key figure in Jamaica’s criminal underworld with influence in several sections of the island. His killing sparked unrest across the old capital.
The One Order Gang gained notoriety for its fierce rivalry with the Klansman gang over the lucrative extortion racket in Spanish Town, engaging in a bloody internecine battle which has claimed the lives of hundreds of people.
Observer Online has compiled a list of some of its ill-fated leaders over the last 20 years and how they met their demise.
‘BUBBA’ SHOT IN THE HEAD ON WHITEHALL AVENUE
Notorious gangster Oliver ‘Bubba’ Smith was shot and killed by gunmen in July 2004 along Festival Road, off Whitehall Avenue in St Andrew. Smith was shot in the head with a high-powered rifle.
The police seized the Honda Civic motor car that Smith was driving at the time of his death, and eventually seized more than 800 rounds of ammunition at the upscale St Andrew home he had been renting.
Smith, who was deported from the United States in 2002, was wanted by the police for various crimes, including murder.
‘BUN MAN’ MURDERED BY KHAKI-WEARING GUNMEN
Andrew ‘Bun Man’ Hope was one of Smith’s most trusted lieutenants. He reportedly inherited the mantle of leadership from Bubba Smith before he was killed on February 7, 2006, by rival criminals in Spanish Town.
Hope was shot dead on Ellis Street, in the vicinity of the Spanish Town High School, by unknown assailants dressed in khaki. He was found slumped over the steering wheel of his silver Honda Civic motor car.
Bun Man had appeared to be marked for death as months earlier he narrowly escaped when gunmen fired on a vehicle in which he and a well-known politician were travelling in after they attended a peace meeting. ‘Tickarus’, one of his associates, was killed in the attack.
When Hope was killed, a wild rumour spread that a member of the police force was responsible for his death and gang members invaded the town, and fired shots. They proceeded to block roads in several sections of the town in protest, and forced several businesses to pull their shutters early. Thugs set fire to the Spanish Town courthouse and the fire brigade was prevented from putting out the blaze.
‘PLACKA’, BUN MAN’S BROTHER, INCARCERATED AFTER SHORT REIGN
After Bun Man’s death, his younger brother Rohan ‘Placka’ Hope became the reputed leader of the One Order Gang. However, his reign was cut short by collaborative efforts of the Counter Terrorism and Organized Crime (C-TOC) Branch and United States counterparts which resulted in three “top-tier” members of the gang being convicted, including ‘Placka’.
On June 19, 2015, Hope was indicted for one count of false claim of US citizenship and one count of aggravated identity theft. During a search of his residence in Pennsylvania, police discovered 352 grams of marijuana, several weapons, cell phones, and a Jamaica driver’s license with a fraudulent name and Hope’s photograph. ‘Placka’ was eventually sentenced to five years in a US prison.
The other men convicted were deputy One Order boss Everton Minott, otherwise called ‘Rado’, and Richard Shelley, otherwise called ‘Ryda’. The police say the two have been sentenced to 12 years, and 20 years, respectively, for a range of offences.
In 2017, Rohan Hope appealed his conviction for aggravated identity theft and his 60-month-imprisonment sentence following his guilty plea to falsely claiming United States citizenship. The conviction was affirmed in part, and vacated and remanded in part. The court found that the record supported a reasonable factfinder’s conclusion that Hope was guilty of aggravated identity theft beyond a reasonable doubt and affirmed the conviction.
According to sources, the top-tier leadership continued to oversee gang activities from overseas but appointed a local don to run the Jamaican operations.
‘SCUFFLER’ DEAD OF NATURAL CAUSES
The One Order Gang leadership dominoes continued to fall with the death of Fitzroy Mathias, also called ‘Scuffler’, from an illness, reportedly cancer, on January 24, 2024.
Cops arrested Mathias in 2010 and he was charged with two counts of shooting with intent but was later released.
In 2015, Scuffler, who was later charged with the gun slaying of a man in 2013, was granted bail in the sum of $750,000 in the Home Circuit Court. He was 36 years old at the time and charged with the murder of Huntroy Patterson, otherwise called ‘Season’, of Ellerslie Pen, Spanish Town, St Catherine.
When the matter came up for trial, it was revealed that the sole eyewitness in the matter, who had been in police custody, was absent. It was further revealed that the man had not left an address and could not be reached.
A successful bail application was made by attorney-at-law Sean Kinghorn. Bail was initially opposed on the grounds that he was reportedly third in charge of the One Order gang. The court was, however, convinced to grant bail.
Once released, Scuffler continued to rise through the leadership ranks of the gang until he was declared the de facto leader. He was a crafty individual and forged a notable partnership across political party lines when he worked closely with Sheldon Lennox Walters, the gang leader known as Termite, who had led the Top Banks gang after a split with the Klansman gang. The two split up extortion spoils and formed a powerful alliance.
Just months after Scuffler’s death, Termite was killed by cops who related that he had “a notable history within organised crime, specifically with the Klansman gang”.
READ: Reputed gang leader ‘Termite’ shot dead in Spanish Town
Scuffler had ruled the top roost of the gang for about six years until his untimely death in 2024, after which ‘Thickman’ became the heir apparent.
LEADERSHIP STRUGGLE
Sources say that there was a leadership squabble between ‘Placka’ and ‘Rotu’ that spilled over in the streets of North Philadelphia in March 2024. ‘Placka’ was reportedly shot in the thigh by unknown assailants in the incident.
Police in Philadelphia reported that more than 30 shots were fired during the gun battle between two groups of people. A 45-year-old man was listed as critical after being shot in the eye while a second victim, a 42-year-old man, was stable after being shot in the thigh.
Sources say that the internal conflict has not made its way to the shores of Jamaica.
INFLUENCE OF THE ONE ORDER GANG
The One Order gang is headquartered in the Tawes Pen community with strongholds in Ellerslie Pen, Dempshire Pen, Gordon Pen, Shelter Rock, Homestead and Chambers Lane. The gang has created splinter factions in other areas of the country, including rural regions.
It has long been considered an ally of the Jamaica Labor Party, and it is believed to be one of the more powerful gangs in the island.
The One Order Gang is a fierce rival of the Klansman-One Don gang, which is considered an ally of the People’s National Party. The hostilities between the two gangs have resulted in hundreds of murders as they waged a bitter war over control of extortion activities.
In 2003 alone, 130 murders were committed in the historic town as both gangs battled for extortion rights.