RICO Pattern — The Banks Enterprise
This page presents the complainant’s analysis of documented relationships and financial flows, organized under the framework of 18 U.S.C. § 1961 (RICO). The records are public. The relationships are documented. The pattern analysis is the complainant’s inference, submitted to federal agencies for determination. Whether these facts constitute racketeering is a legal conclusion that only a court or prosecutorial authority can make.
📨 FiledEpistemic Key
| Marker | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 📋 Record | Verifiable public record |
| ✅ Corroborated | Confirmed by 2+ independent sources |
| 🔍 Inference | Analytical conclusion drawn from records — not adjudicated |
| ⚖️ Allegation | Formally alleged in complaint — awaiting determination |
Enterprise Structure Documented
graph TB
BANKS["<b>BRIAN RODERICK BANKS</b><br/>9 convictions · 3 bankruptcies · fake J.D."]
subgraph REV["💰 REVENUE STREAMS"]
PCA["Purpose Charter Academy<br/>K-8, DPSCD authorized"]
MAC["MacDowell Prep<br/>$4.9M state aid"]
BSC["Banks Strategy LLC<br/>Judge campaign payments"]
EVT["CBC Week events<br/>$50K–$150K est."]
end
subgraph EXT["🔄 EXTRACTION MECHANISM"]
TPG["Purpose Group LLC (CMO)<br/>Takes 72.67% of revenue"]
PF["Purpose Foundation (501c3)<br/>2 felons, all positions"]
SAL["Personal salary<br/>$150K+ base"]
end
subgraph POL["🏛️ POLITICAL CONNECTIONS"]
PAC1["Bank on Banks PAC<br/>Holland = Treasurer"]
PAC2["Bank on Wayne Co. PAC<br/>Banks = Treasurer"]
OFA["OFA Michigan<br/>Dark money mailers"]
CBC["CBC Week hosting<br/>4 years"]
end
subgraph JUD["⚖️ JUDICIAL CONNECTIONS"]
MILLER["Judge Miller<br/>Board Chair"]
SABREE["Judge Aliyah Sabree<br/>MSU Law classmate"]
YANCEY["Judge Yancey<br/>Paid $383.82"]
D_PERK["Judge David Perkins<br/>Family donations"]
end
HOLLAND["<b>Joseph Holland Jr.</b><br/>Felon · MDOC #443789<br/>Foundation Sec+Treas · PAC Treas<br/>Living Trust · OFA Officer"]
BANKS --> PCA & MAC & BSC & EVT
PCA & MAC --> TPG
TPG --> SAL
BANKS --> PF
BANKS --> PAC1 & PAC2 & OFA & CBC
MILLER & SABREE & YANCEY & D_PERK -.->|"documented connection"| BANKS
BANKS --- HOLLAND
classDef person fill:#991b1b,stroke:#ef4444,color:#fecaca
classDef revenue fill:#1e3a5f,stroke:#60a5fa,color:#bfdbfe
classDef extract fill:#854d0e,stroke:#facc15,color:#fef9c3
classDef political fill:#14532d,stroke:#4ade80,color:#bbf7d0
classDef judge fill:#312e81,stroke:#818cf8,color:#c7d2fe
class BANKS,HOLLAND person
class PCA,MAC,BSC,EVT revenue
class TPG,PF,SAL extract
class PAC1,PAC2,OFA,CBC political
class MILLER,SABREE,YANCEY,D_PERK judge
See: Enterprise Principals, Entity Profiles, Judicial Cover.
Revenue Streams
| Stream | Entity | Annual Value | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charter school A | MacDowell Preparatory Academy | $4.9M/yr state aid | School budget transparency |
| Charter school B | Purpose Charter Academy | State aid (finances pending) | DPSCD authorization |
| Consulting | Banks Strategy & Consultants LLC | Judge campaign payments | TransparencyUSA |
| Events | CBC Week parties | $50K–$150K est. (4 years) | Eventbrite |
Extraction Mechanism
| Layer | Entity | Mechanism |
|---|---|---|
| CMO shell | The Purpose Group, LLC | Takes 72.67% of school revenue; sole member: Banks |
| Management gap | Purpose Group LLC | $348,489 unaccounted “management fee” |
| Private foundation | Purpose Foundation | 2 felons hold all 4 officer positions |
| Personal extraction | Brian Roderick Banks | $150K base salary + control of all entities |
Political Connections 📋 Record
| Entity | Role | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Bank on Banks for Michigan PAC | Treasurer | Joseph Holland Jr. — convicted drug trafficker |
| Bank on Wayne County PAC | Treasurer | Brian Roderick Banks |
| Opportunities For All Michigan | Officer | Holland; dark money mailers |
| CBC Week events | Host | 4 years of Congressional Black Caucus networking |
See: Political Action Committees, Political Enablers.
Judicial Connections 📋 Record
Nine judges have documented connections to the enterprise. Whether these connections required recusal or constitute a pattern is submitted for agency determination.
| Judge | Court | Documented Connection | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Judge Cylenthia Miller | Wayne 3rd Circuit | PCA Board Chair 📋 Record | Active — ballot Nov 2026 |
| Judge Aliyah Sabree | Wayne 3rd Circuit | MSU Law classmate (~2010); father = Treasurer 📋 Record | Active |
| Judge Tenisha Yancey | 36th District | Paid $383.82 to Banks Strategy — sole expenditure 📋 Record | Active |
| Judge David Perkins | Wayne Probate | Family donations to network campaigns 📋 Record | Active |
See: Institutional Capture.
graph TB
ENT["<b>Banks Enterprise</b><br/>14+ years · $4.9M+/yr"]
subgraph FRAUD["📄 Fraud Predicates"]
MAIL["<b>Mail Fraud</b><br/>§1341<br/>Fake J.D. on school<br/>websites + conference bios"]
WIRE["<b>Wire Fraud</b><br/>§1343<br/>False credentials on<br/>DOE + grant applications"]
end
subgraph MONEY["💰 Financial Predicates"]
LAUNDER["<b>Money Laundering</b><br/>§1956<br/>$4.28M through LLC shell<br/>$348K unaccounted gap"]
BANK_FR["<b>Financial Fraud</b><br/>§1344<br/>3 bankruptcies<br/>PAC irregularities"]
end
subgraph CORRUPT["⚖️ Potential Corruption Predicates"]
BRIBE["<b>§201 Question</b><br/>Campaign payments from<br/>judges to enterprise LLC"]
OBSTRUCT["<b>§1503 Question</b><br/>Connected judges<br/>presiding without recusal"]
end
MAIL -->|"credential claims<br/>on school filings"| ENT
WIRE -->|"federal reporting<br/>with disputed credentials"| ENT
LAUNDER -->|"LLC extraction<br/>72.67% of revenue"| ENT
BANK_FR -->|"financial opacity<br/>$348K unaccounted"| ENT
BRIBE -->|"campaign payments<br/>$383.82 documented"| ENT
OBSTRUCT -->|"connections documented<br/>recusal not filed"| ENT
ENT -->|"revenue"| LAUNDER
ENT -->|"authority"| MAIL
ENT -->|"payments"| BRIBE
classDef enterprise fill:#991b1b,stroke:#ef4444,color:#fecaca
classDef fraud fill:#713f12,stroke:#f59e0b,color:#fef3c7
classDef money fill:#14532d,stroke:#4ade80,color:#bbf7d0
classDef corrupt fill:#312e81,stroke:#818cf8,color:#c7d2fe
class ENT enterprise
class MAIL,WIRE fraud
class LAUNDER,BANK_FR money
class BRIBE,OBSTRUCT corrupt
Each predicate act reinforces the others. Credential fraud enables school authorization → authorization enables revenue → revenue enables campaign payments → payments enable judicial protection → judicial protection prevents accountability → the cycle continues.
Potential Predicate Acts (18 U.S.C. § 1961) ⚖️ Allegation
The following are submitted as potential predicates for agency evaluation. Whether each constitutes a federal offense is a determination for prosecutors and courts, not this publication.
| # | Potential Act | Statute | Documented Evidence | Epistemic Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mail Fraud | § 1341 | False J.D. credential on school websites, bios, published materials ✅ Corroborated | Credential claim: 📋 Record . Whether it constitutes fraud: ⚖️ Allegation |
| 2 | Wire Fraud | § 1343 | False credential on DOE applications, grant filings 🔍 Inference | Application filings: 📋 Record . Intent: ⚖️ Allegation |
| 3 | Money Laundering | § 1956 | $4.28M/yr through Purpose Group LLC; $348K unaccounted 📋 Record | Financial flow: ✅ Corroborated . Laundering characterization: ⚖️ Allegation |
| 4 | Financial Fraud | § 1344 | Three bankruptcies; PAC irregularities 📋 Record | Records: 📋 Record . Pattern: 🔍 Inference |
| 5 | Bribery concern | § 201 | Judge campaign → Banks Strategy LLC ($383.82) 📋 Record | Payment: 📋 Record . Bribery characterization: ⚖️ Allegation |
| 6 | Recusal question | § 1503 | Connected judges presiding over enterprise-related cases 🔍 Inference | Connections: 📋 Record . Obstruction characterization: ⚖️ Allegation |
The Continuity Test
The enterprise has operated continuously for 14+ years (2010–present):
| Phase | Period | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Street | Pre-2005 | BMF drug distribution network (father OD Banks = Defendant #22) |
| Political | 2014–2016 | MI State House using fake credentials |
| Educational | 2017–present | Charter school superintendent using fake credentials |
| Financial | 2017–present | CMO extraction of public school funds |
| Nonprofit | 2024–present | Purpose Foundation — private foundation, 2 felon officers |
See: Timeline for chronological documentation.
Independent Reporting
Primary Analytical Reference
- 📰 Clutch Justice : MacDowell: $15,217/student, 3% math proficiency — Documents financial extraction pattern: 73% to Purpose Group LLC, 3% math proficiency, gift-card-labeled payments
Secondary Sources
- 📰 Free Press : Back to Fool — Brian Banks — Original investigation into Banks’ criminal history
Verify (Source Data)
| Claim | Verify At |
|---|---|
| Criminal record | MI ICHAT — SID 2029469K |
| No bar admission | State Bar of MI — ⚖️ State Bar of MI |
| Entity records | LARA — IDs 803294855, 803295082, 802070120 |
| School finances | macdowellprep.com (budget transparency) |
| Campaign payments | transparencyusa.org |
| Bankruptcies | PACER — Cases 97-45020, 98-49073, 06-55281 |
| BMF connection | PACER — Case 2:05-cr-80955 |
| Judicial connections | MI campaign finance — 🏛️ MI Campaign Finance |
| PCA Board | purposecharteracademy.com/boardofdirectors |
All sources are public records.