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A man authorities said is a member of a multi-state drug ring called the Black Mafia Family is to be sentenced Thursday, a day after nine other members were sentenced in Atlanta. One by one, for nearly nine hours Wednesday, members of the Atlanta branch of the Black Mafia Family stood before U.S. District Judge Orinda Evans to hear their sentence. All got prison time ranging from four years to more than 16 years for drug conspiracy. They also got probation once they're released. Franklin Nash is to be sentenced Thursday. Authorities said the Black Mafia Family began with two brothers, Demetrius Flenory and Terry Flenory, selling crack cocaine in Detroit high schools in the mid-1980s. Within a few years, their Black Mafia Family had moved into 11 states.
Daniel James Rodd's jail term increased from nine to 10 years. Under Queensland legislation, a 10-year sentence automatically carries with it a serious violent offender declaration. This means Rodd - who was 34 in June when he was sentenced for a string of offences including trafficking and producing methylamphetamine - will serve at least eight years behind bars before he is eligible for parole. During the original sentence hearing, the Supreme Court in Brisbane was told Rodd was the head of a large-scale drug ring in south-east Queensland between 2002 and 2004. The court was told Rodd ran his business through the use of "gangster-style violence''.
"Rodd used violence and threats of violence to control and manipulate his minions,'' reads a written judgment handed down today in the Court of Appeal. "During the trafficking he used violence to make others confess to crimes they had not committed to absolve him of responsibility... "He always carried a gun and fired guns in close proximity to others to intimidate purchasers and assert his power over his associates and customers.'' Queensland Attorney-General Kerry Shine appealed Rodd's original nine-year sentence, claiming it did not reflect the seriousness of the offending. The Court of Appeal agreed, saying it was a "clear case for a serious violent offence declaration''.
"Rodd used violence and threats of violence to control and manipulate his minions,'' reads a written judgment handed down today in the Court of Appeal. "During the trafficking he used violence to make others confess to crimes they had not committed to absolve him of responsibility... "He always carried a gun and fired guns in close proximity to others to intimidate purchasers and assert his power over his associates and customers.'' Queensland Attorney-General Kerry Shine appealed Rodd's original nine-year sentence, claiming it did not reflect the seriousness of the offending. The Court of Appeal agreed, saying it was a "clear case for a serious violent offence declaration''.
At a detention review on Thursday, the IRB said that Tran will stay at the Calgary Remand Centre because he broke his release conditions and is considered a flight risk. The bonds posted for someone's release is forfeited to the Canadian government if release conditions are not met, according to the Canada Border Services Agency.
The Calgary police and the CBSA supported keeping Tran in custody. Calgary gang investigators said previous attempts on Tran's life and his gang involvement created security risks for both him and the public if he was freed. A permanent resident who moved to Canada in 1993, Tran racked up a criminal record in Calgary that includes two convictions for drug trafficking and one for assault with a weapon, so immigration officials issued a removal order for him on April 20, 2004. Earlier this month, Tran's appeals of the removal order led to a federal court ruling that granted him a new deportation appeal hearing. That review began late Thursday afternoon. At previous IRB hearings, Tran has pleaded his case as a hard-working glass cutter who earns $26,000 a year and has been paying taxes for the past seven years. Nguyen-Tran, known as Jackie Tran, listened by phone as proceedings took place to determine whether he breached release conditions set by Immigration and Refugee Board officials. Const. Scott Bertrand told the hearing he was looking for an offender behind a fight in Kensington about 1 a.m. on Oct. 25 -- just days after Tran was released -- when he noticed three men hurrying to an SUV. He said he pushed past a man he believes was trying to prevent him from approaching the SUV to question the men inside -- a Caucasian man bleeding from his hand in a rear seat, the driver and another man in the passenger seat who appeared drunk and didn't acknowledge police. He said he received driver's licences from the two more lucid men but made no arrests, as none of the SUV's occupants matched the description of the suspect.
While later running computer checks to confirm identities of the two men, Bertrand found they were in high-profile gangs while the intoxicated man with them matched a police photo of Tran. "I am 100% confident the person I dealt with in the vehicle was the same individual I reviewed in the photographs," Bertrand told the hearing. Tran was consequently arrested at his mother's home Tuesday night for breaching curfew. Jolene Fairbrother, one of Tran's lawyers, said Bertrand's evidence did not prove her 26-year-old client was caught in a breach. "We have a police officer in a dark alley who apparently saw a person with his eyes closed, his chin on his chest and then three days later going to Mr. (Tran) and saying 'that's you,' " she said. Immigration division member Otto Nupponen disagreed, ruling to keep Tran in custody until a Nov. 6 detention review hearing on grounds he's a flight risk and public danger. "He was in the midst of another violent-type situation or very close at hand, and found to be with known gang members," said Nupponen. CBSA hearing officer Dan Davidson suggested Tran's lack of commitment to the appeal process has seen him avoid deportation for four years.
The Calgary police and the CBSA supported keeping Tran in custody. Calgary gang investigators said previous attempts on Tran's life and his gang involvement created security risks for both him and the public if he was freed. A permanent resident who moved to Canada in 1993, Tran racked up a criminal record in Calgary that includes two convictions for drug trafficking and one for assault with a weapon, so immigration officials issued a removal order for him on April 20, 2004. Earlier this month, Tran's appeals of the removal order led to a federal court ruling that granted him a new deportation appeal hearing. That review began late Thursday afternoon. At previous IRB hearings, Tran has pleaded his case as a hard-working glass cutter who earns $26,000 a year and has been paying taxes for the past seven years. Nguyen-Tran, known as Jackie Tran, listened by phone as proceedings took place to determine whether he breached release conditions set by Immigration and Refugee Board officials. Const. Scott Bertrand told the hearing he was looking for an offender behind a fight in Kensington about 1 a.m. on Oct. 25 -- just days after Tran was released -- when he noticed three men hurrying to an SUV. He said he pushed past a man he believes was trying to prevent him from approaching the SUV to question the men inside -- a Caucasian man bleeding from his hand in a rear seat, the driver and another man in the passenger seat who appeared drunk and didn't acknowledge police. He said he received driver's licences from the two more lucid men but made no arrests, as none of the SUV's occupants matched the description of the suspect.
While later running computer checks to confirm identities of the two men, Bertrand found they were in high-profile gangs while the intoxicated man with them matched a police photo of Tran. "I am 100% confident the person I dealt with in the vehicle was the same individual I reviewed in the photographs," Bertrand told the hearing. Tran was consequently arrested at his mother's home Tuesday night for breaching curfew. Jolene Fairbrother, one of Tran's lawyers, said Bertrand's evidence did not prove her 26-year-old client was caught in a breach. "We have a police officer in a dark alley who apparently saw a person with his eyes closed, his chin on his chest and then three days later going to Mr. (Tran) and saying 'that's you,' " she said. Immigration division member Otto Nupponen disagreed, ruling to keep Tran in custody until a Nov. 6 detention review hearing on grounds he's a flight risk and public danger. "He was in the midst of another violent-type situation or very close at hand, and found to be with known gang members," said Nupponen. CBSA hearing officer Dan Davidson suggested Tran's lack of commitment to the appeal process has seen him avoid deportation for four years.
California-based Mongols approached the Pagans Outlaw Motorcycle Club, which had dominated the East Coast and recently helped drive the Hells Angels the Mongols' archrivals out of Philadelphia.The would-be partnership between two tough biker clubs was revealed in an 86-count racketeering indictment, released last week, which charged 79 Mongols and associates in several states with murder, hate crimes and drug trafficking.The charges came after federal agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives infiltrated the Mongols for the second time in 10 years.According to the indictment, Mongols president Ruben "Doc" Cavazos talked - in code - to confidant Lawrence "Lars" Wilson about creating an alliance with the Pagans during an Aug. 1, 2007 telephone call.Cavazos, author of a recently published Mongols memoir, "Honor Few, Fear None," and Wilson wanted the Pagans to help them fight the "Sons of Silence" gang in Indiana, according to the indictment.
Six weeks later, leaders of the Mongols met the Pagans in a face-to-face encounter in Atlantic City.The indictment identified the Mongols' national officers who attended as the president, Cavazos; his son, Ruben "Little Rubes" Cavazos, Jr.; and William Michael Munz, in addition to members Al "Al the Suit" Cavazos, Jr. and Wilson. The indictment did not identify the Pagans at the Sept. 13, 2007 meeting.
The Mongols president talked to the Pagans about expanding his gang's authority on the East Coast. The Mongols already have chapters in New York, Maryland, Virginia and Florida, the indictment stated. To make an alliance enticing, Cavazos indicated that the Mongols maintained a supply of weapons - handguns, shotguns, assault rifles and machine-guns - which were stolen, unregistered or non-traceable. They also were involved in methamphetamine distribution, the indictment stated.The indictment does not indicate whether the guns and drug were offered to the Pagans, nor the Pagans' response.The Pagans, who are friendly with the Sons of Silence, did not join the Mongols in warfare against them, said a source familiar with the Sons of Silence.
Four months after the Atlantic City meeting, the Mongols were calling the Pagans a "rival," according to the indictment. In a Jan. 10 telephone call, Wilson ordered an unidentified Mongols member to beat members of the Pagans gang in Baltimore, Md., according to the indictment.Locally, however, members of the Mongols and Pagans have been observed being "friendly" by law enforcement sources at the "Roar of the Shore," a biker weekend last fall in Wildwood, in Atlantic City casinos and in the Philadelphia area.Last fall, members of the Pagans flew to California to party with the Mongols, who put them up in a high-priced hotel, said a law enforcement source.
"We believe there is an alliance," the source added.
Last weekend, law enforcement sources observed the Pagans Mother Club president David "Black Bart" Barbieto and vice president Floyd "Jesse" Moore in the area to meet with the Devils Disciples, a New England-based biker club expected to "patch over" to become Pagans.Moore later partied with California-based Mongols approached the Pagans Outlaw Motorcycle Club, which had dominated the East Coast and recently helped drive the Hells Angels - the Mongols' archrivals - out of Philadelphia.The deadly combination of Mongols and Pagans could spell trouble for the area.The would-be partnership between two tough biker clubs was revealed in an 86-count racketeering indictment, released last week, which charged 79 Mongols and associates in several states with murder, hate crimes and drug trafficking.The charges came after federal agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives infiltrated the Mongols for the second time in 10 years.According to the indictment, Mongols president Ruben "Doc" Cavazos talked - in code - to confidant Lawrence "Lars" Wilson about creating an alliance with the Pagans during an Aug. 1, 2007 telephone call.Cavazos, author of a recently published Mongols memoir, "Honor Few, Fear None," and Wilson wanted the Pagans to help them fight the "Sons of Silence" gang in Indiana, according to the indictment.Six weeks later, leaders of the Mongols met the Pagans in a face-to-face encounter in Atlantic City.The indictment identified the Mongols' national officers who attended as the president, Cavazos; his son, Ruben "Little Rubes" Cavazos, Jr.; and William Michael Munz, in addition to members Al "Al the Suit" Cavazos, Jr. and Wilson. The indictment did not identify the Pagans at the Sept. 13, 2007 meeting.The Mongols president talked to the Pagans about expanding his gang's authority on the East Coast. The Mongols already have chapters in New York, Maryland, Virginia and Florida, the indictment stated. To make an alliance enticing, Cavazos indicated that the Mongols maintained a supply of weapons - handguns, shotguns, assault rifles and machine-guns - which were stolen, unregistered or non-traceable. They also were involved in methamphetamine distribution, the indictment stated.The indictment does not indicate whether the guns and drug were offered to the Pagans, nor the Pagans' response.The Pagans, who are friendly with the Sons of Silence, did not join the Mongols in warfare against them, said a source familiar with the Sons of Silence.Four months after the Atlantic City meeting, the Mongols were calling the Pagans a "rival," according to the indictment. In a Jan. 10 telephone call, Wilson ordered an unidentified Mongols member to beat members of the Pagans gang in Baltimore, Md., according to the indictment.Locally, however, members of the Mongols and Pagans have been observed being "friendly" by law enforcement sources at the "Roar of the Shore," a biker weekend last fall in Wildwood, in Atlantic City casinos and in the Philadelphia area.
Last fall, members of the Pagans flew to California to party with the Mongols, who put them up in a high-priced hotel, said a law enforcement source.
"We believe there is an alliance," the source added.Last weekend, law enforcement sources observed the Pagans Mother Club president David "Black Bart" Barbieto and vice president Floyd "Jesse" Moore in the area to meet with the Devils Disciples, a New England-based biker club expected to "patch over" to become Pagans.Moore later partied with Pagans, a few Mongols and Disciples at a Halloween bash on Mechanicsville Road near Maureen Drive, in the Northeast, according to knowledgeable sources.
Six weeks later, leaders of the Mongols met the Pagans in a face-to-face encounter in Atlantic City.The indictment identified the Mongols' national officers who attended as the president, Cavazos; his son, Ruben "Little Rubes" Cavazos, Jr.; and William Michael Munz, in addition to members Al "Al the Suit" Cavazos, Jr. and Wilson. The indictment did not identify the Pagans at the Sept. 13, 2007 meeting.
The Mongols president talked to the Pagans about expanding his gang's authority on the East Coast. The Mongols already have chapters in New York, Maryland, Virginia and Florida, the indictment stated. To make an alliance enticing, Cavazos indicated that the Mongols maintained a supply of weapons - handguns, shotguns, assault rifles and machine-guns - which were stolen, unregistered or non-traceable. They also were involved in methamphetamine distribution, the indictment stated.The indictment does not indicate whether the guns and drug were offered to the Pagans, nor the Pagans' response.The Pagans, who are friendly with the Sons of Silence, did not join the Mongols in warfare against them, said a source familiar with the Sons of Silence.
Four months after the Atlantic City meeting, the Mongols were calling the Pagans a "rival," according to the indictment. In a Jan. 10 telephone call, Wilson ordered an unidentified Mongols member to beat members of the Pagans gang in Baltimore, Md., according to the indictment.Locally, however, members of the Mongols and Pagans have been observed being "friendly" by law enforcement sources at the "Roar of the Shore," a biker weekend last fall in Wildwood, in Atlantic City casinos and in the Philadelphia area.Last fall, members of the Pagans flew to California to party with the Mongols, who put them up in a high-priced hotel, said a law enforcement source.
"We believe there is an alliance," the source added.
Last weekend, law enforcement sources observed the Pagans Mother Club president David "Black Bart" Barbieto and vice president Floyd "Jesse" Moore in the area to meet with the Devils Disciples, a New England-based biker club expected to "patch over" to become Pagans.Moore later partied with California-based Mongols approached the Pagans Outlaw Motorcycle Club, which had dominated the East Coast and recently helped drive the Hells Angels - the Mongols' archrivals - out of Philadelphia.The deadly combination of Mongols and Pagans could spell trouble for the area.The would-be partnership between two tough biker clubs was revealed in an 86-count racketeering indictment, released last week, which charged 79 Mongols and associates in several states with murder, hate crimes and drug trafficking.The charges came after federal agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives infiltrated the Mongols for the second time in 10 years.According to the indictment, Mongols president Ruben "Doc" Cavazos talked - in code - to confidant Lawrence "Lars" Wilson about creating an alliance with the Pagans during an Aug. 1, 2007 telephone call.Cavazos, author of a recently published Mongols memoir, "Honor Few, Fear None," and Wilson wanted the Pagans to help them fight the "Sons of Silence" gang in Indiana, according to the indictment.Six weeks later, leaders of the Mongols met the Pagans in a face-to-face encounter in Atlantic City.The indictment identified the Mongols' national officers who attended as the president, Cavazos; his son, Ruben "Little Rubes" Cavazos, Jr.; and William Michael Munz, in addition to members Al "Al the Suit" Cavazos, Jr. and Wilson. The indictment did not identify the Pagans at the Sept. 13, 2007 meeting.The Mongols president talked to the Pagans about expanding his gang's authority on the East Coast. The Mongols already have chapters in New York, Maryland, Virginia and Florida, the indictment stated. To make an alliance enticing, Cavazos indicated that the Mongols maintained a supply of weapons - handguns, shotguns, assault rifles and machine-guns - which were stolen, unregistered or non-traceable. They also were involved in methamphetamine distribution, the indictment stated.The indictment does not indicate whether the guns and drug were offered to the Pagans, nor the Pagans' response.The Pagans, who are friendly with the Sons of Silence, did not join the Mongols in warfare against them, said a source familiar with the Sons of Silence.Four months after the Atlantic City meeting, the Mongols were calling the Pagans a "rival," according to the indictment. In a Jan. 10 telephone call, Wilson ordered an unidentified Mongols member to beat members of the Pagans gang in Baltimore, Md., according to the indictment.Locally, however, members of the Mongols and Pagans have been observed being "friendly" by law enforcement sources at the "Roar of the Shore," a biker weekend last fall in Wildwood, in Atlantic City casinos and in the Philadelphia area.
Last fall, members of the Pagans flew to California to party with the Mongols, who put them up in a high-priced hotel, said a law enforcement source.
"We believe there is an alliance," the source added.Last weekend, law enforcement sources observed the Pagans Mother Club president David "Black Bart" Barbieto and vice president Floyd "Jesse" Moore in the area to meet with the Devils Disciples, a New England-based biker club expected to "patch over" to become Pagans.Moore later partied with Pagans, a few Mongols and Disciples at a Halloween bash on Mechanicsville Road near Maureen Drive, in the Northeast, according to knowledgeable sources.
Tulare County Sheriff's Department, meanwhile, continued its show of force in the Orosi-Cutler area. Sheriff Bill Wittman vowed an even stronger law enforcement presence Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.Wittman also appealed for help from those who may have witnessed the shootings, one Saturday night and two Sunday night.Sheriff's deputies arrested a 17-year-old youth Tuesday night after serving a search warrant at a residence in the 13000 block of Quinto Court, Cutler.
There was no information about whether anything investigators found at the residence led to the arrest. The name of the suspect was not released because of his age. He was booked at the Tulare County Juvenile Facility. The youth is a suspect in the death of Daniel Mesa, 16, and the shooting of a 13-year-old boy. Mesa was shot Sunday night at Highway 63 and Avenue 413 in Orosi. It was the first of two shootings Sunday night.Wittman said eight detectives are working on the shootings around the clock.He said the sheriff's department's two gang units would be assigned to street duty in Cutler and Orosi over the weekend.Clashes between rival Norteño and Sureño gangs in Cutler and Orosi are what one former sheriff's gang unit supervisor, Kevin Cotton, once called "a constant struggle."Most street gangs there were once affiliated with the Norteño gang confederation. But in the last three years, Sureño gangs moved north from Southern California. Now Cutler is Norteño territory and Orosi, barely half a mile away, is Sureño country.While investigators believe the shootings are gang-related, Wittman said evidence is limited regarding the Saturday night shooting.Witnesses reported gang hand signs being flashed by occupants of a car that drove alongside a Jeep SUV as it traveled southbound on Highway 63 near El Monte Way.A gunshot fired from the car killed the Jeep's driver, James Vincent Meza, 18, of Visalia.The second shooting Sunday night, in the 37000 block of Avenue 408, killed Roci Martinez, 37, and left her domestic partner, Evaristo Enruquez Hernandez, 44, seriously wounded.They were shot as they sat on their front porch.Also wounded at the Avenue 408 location was Antionette Hernandez, 42. Wittman said investigators had not been able to determine the relationship, if any, between Antoinette Hernandez and the others.Wittman said investigators had been unable to determine whether an incident Oct. 23 in Sultana, west of Cutler, was related to the weekend shootings.In that incident, a 25-year-old man said he was attacked, kicked and beaten by 10 to 15 men. Later, deputies arrested two people, Noealdo Patino, 18, and a 15-year-old, on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.
There was no information about whether anything investigators found at the residence led to the arrest. The name of the suspect was not released because of his age. He was booked at the Tulare County Juvenile Facility. The youth is a suspect in the death of Daniel Mesa, 16, and the shooting of a 13-year-old boy. Mesa was shot Sunday night at Highway 63 and Avenue 413 in Orosi. It was the first of two shootings Sunday night.Wittman said eight detectives are working on the shootings around the clock.He said the sheriff's department's two gang units would be assigned to street duty in Cutler and Orosi over the weekend.Clashes between rival Norteño and Sureño gangs in Cutler and Orosi are what one former sheriff's gang unit supervisor, Kevin Cotton, once called "a constant struggle."Most street gangs there were once affiliated with the Norteño gang confederation. But in the last three years, Sureño gangs moved north from Southern California. Now Cutler is Norteño territory and Orosi, barely half a mile away, is Sureño country.While investigators believe the shootings are gang-related, Wittman said evidence is limited regarding the Saturday night shooting.Witnesses reported gang hand signs being flashed by occupants of a car that drove alongside a Jeep SUV as it traveled southbound on Highway 63 near El Monte Way.A gunshot fired from the car killed the Jeep's driver, James Vincent Meza, 18, of Visalia.The second shooting Sunday night, in the 37000 block of Avenue 408, killed Roci Martinez, 37, and left her domestic partner, Evaristo Enruquez Hernandez, 44, seriously wounded.They were shot as they sat on their front porch.Also wounded at the Avenue 408 location was Antionette Hernandez, 42. Wittman said investigators had not been able to determine the relationship, if any, between Antoinette Hernandez and the others.Wittman said investigators had been unable to determine whether an incident Oct. 23 in Sultana, west of Cutler, was related to the weekend shootings.In that incident, a 25-year-old man said he was attacked, kicked and beaten by 10 to 15 men. Later, deputies arrested two people, Noealdo Patino, 18, and a 15-year-old, on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.
Thirteen members of the 9-Tek Grenades, part of the Bloods street gang, were arrested on organized crime charges.The gang made its money off armed robberies and home invasions for four years. Their crimes were spread all over Central Florida, more than 40 of them. One of them happened a few months ago when a gang member got into a fight with another customer and police found his pockets stuffed with drugs.
The suspects made no secret about their affiliation. The 9-Tek Grenades were part of the East Coast Bloods. They had amassed an arsenal of handguns and assault rifles used in home invasions and armed robberies.But with the arrest of 12 men and one woman, investigators said they've ended the gang's four-year run."The Bloods are a violent criminal gang in this community and had the potential to terrorize any community in northeast Florida," said Dominick Pape, Florida Department of Law Enforcement.The gang literally grew up in the county, with several members starting as juveniles, possibly recruited from schools. They went through initiations to get in. One may have been in Daytona Beach in April, when two men were randomly cut with knives by men wearing red bandanas."The one we arrested today, frankly, is one of the worst we have arrested in our state," said state prosecutor William Shepherd.
The sheriff's office said there would be more arrests, but they had cut the head off the organization. After some denials this year, though, about gang activity in the county, Eyewitness News asked why it took four years to take the gang apart.
"When you talk about why, it takes a long time to build a RICO case, and it shows evident when you look at the bail we're putting on all these people," said Flagler County Sheriff Don Fleming.Not only have the gang members been charged for their crimes, but also on state racketeering charges. The bail the sheriff mentioned is $1 to $2 million for each gang member.
The suspects made no secret about their affiliation. The 9-Tek Grenades were part of the East Coast Bloods. They had amassed an arsenal of handguns and assault rifles used in home invasions and armed robberies.But with the arrest of 12 men and one woman, investigators said they've ended the gang's four-year run."The Bloods are a violent criminal gang in this community and had the potential to terrorize any community in northeast Florida," said Dominick Pape, Florida Department of Law Enforcement.The gang literally grew up in the county, with several members starting as juveniles, possibly recruited from schools. They went through initiations to get in. One may have been in Daytona Beach in April, when two men were randomly cut with knives by men wearing red bandanas."The one we arrested today, frankly, is one of the worst we have arrested in our state," said state prosecutor William Shepherd.
The sheriff's office said there would be more arrests, but they had cut the head off the organization. After some denials this year, though, about gang activity in the county, Eyewitness News asked why it took four years to take the gang apart.
"When you talk about why, it takes a long time to build a RICO case, and it shows evident when you look at the bail we're putting on all these people," said Flagler County Sheriff Don Fleming.Not only have the gang members been charged for their crimes, but also on state racketeering charges. The bail the sheriff mentioned is $1 to $2 million for each gang member.
Roberta Williams,The former wife of gangland murderer Carl Williams, emerged smiling from court after the nine counts of failing to lodge a tax return were quashed.When asked by reporters if she had lodged her tax returns she replied "no, have you?".
Crown Prosecutor Linda Skoblar made an application at the Broadmeadows Magistrates Court this morning to have the nine counts of failing to lodge a tax return between June 1998 and June 2006 stamped out, meaning Ms Williams, 39, was free to go.
Outside court Ms Williams said she was happy with the decision but refused to detail how or why the charges were dropped. Ms Williams appeared in court wearing a white t-shirt with the silhouette of a woman holding a gun on the front. This week, it was reported she had launched a fashion label trading on the notoriety of former husband Carl and featuring his five-digit Victorian prisoner number.The new business has printed 1200 gangland-themed T-shirts under the label name Robya C.R.E.A.M -- standing for Cash Rules Everything Around Me. But angry crime victims' advocates say the shirts glamorise and profit from crime. Crime Victims Support Association president Noel McNamara said the line should be offensive to all reasonable people.
"Instead of trying to bludge on their disgusting pasts, they need to get off their backsides and get a real job,'' he said. But Ms Williams said she would donate some profits to homeless and domestic violence charities and needed the income for a ``getting square'' life of rent, food, supporting her children and one day getting a home loan. "I'm trying to get a real job,'' she said. Ms Williams said she would sell the T-shirts to "friends on Facebook'' and four shops had expressed interest in them. The $50 T-shirts are decorated with slogans such as ``Williams Crew'' and ``Gangland War'' and feature images including bullet holes, handcuffs, a gun, a pile of powder on a scale and a tombstone. The number 35 is shown in reference to the number of years' jail given to Williams for the murders of three underworld rivals, along with his prisoner number, 88986.
Crown Prosecutor Linda Skoblar made an application at the Broadmeadows Magistrates Court this morning to have the nine counts of failing to lodge a tax return between June 1998 and June 2006 stamped out, meaning Ms Williams, 39, was free to go.
Outside court Ms Williams said she was happy with the decision but refused to detail how or why the charges were dropped. Ms Williams appeared in court wearing a white t-shirt with the silhouette of a woman holding a gun on the front. This week, it was reported she had launched a fashion label trading on the notoriety of former husband Carl and featuring his five-digit Victorian prisoner number.The new business has printed 1200 gangland-themed T-shirts under the label name Robya C.R.E.A.M -- standing for Cash Rules Everything Around Me. But angry crime victims' advocates say the shirts glamorise and profit from crime. Crime Victims Support Association president Noel McNamara said the line should be offensive to all reasonable people.
"Instead of trying to bludge on their disgusting pasts, they need to get off their backsides and get a real job,'' he said. But Ms Williams said she would donate some profits to homeless and domestic violence charities and needed the income for a ``getting square'' life of rent, food, supporting her children and one day getting a home loan. "I'm trying to get a real job,'' she said. Ms Williams said she would sell the T-shirts to "friends on Facebook'' and four shops had expressed interest in them. The $50 T-shirts are decorated with slogans such as ``Williams Crew'' and ``Gangland War'' and feature images including bullet holes, handcuffs, a gun, a pile of powder on a scale and a tombstone. The number 35 is shown in reference to the number of years' jail given to Williams for the murders of three underworld rivals, along with his prisoner number, 88986.
Alton Dewayne "Popeye" Sanders, has been charged with shooting a man on Hoover Road in August. He was jailed in lieu of $532,500 bail.Sanders, 24, of Wabash Street, faces charges of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, discharging a firearm into an occupied dwelling and discharging a firearm within the city limits.The charges stem from a drive-by shooting at an apartment complex at 1126 South Hoover Road at 11:50 p.m. on Aug. 4. A 22-year-old male who was standing in front of an apartment building was shot in the leg and buttocks by occupants of two vehicles.
The suspects in a spectacular fire at a Hells Angels compound northeast of Montreal had no ties to organized crime, provincial police say. The Sûreté du Québec said yesterday the men allegedly torched the bunker this month for "personal motives."
The fire at the Sorel-Tracy clubhouse sparked fears of a renewal of violence among criminal biker gangs. However, a Montreal newspaper has reported that a love triangle was behind the blaze, which gutted the first Hells Angels clubhouse in Canada. Three men are in custody and face charges.
The fire at the Sorel-Tracy clubhouse sparked fears of a renewal of violence among criminal biker gangs. However, a Montreal newspaper has reported that a love triangle was behind the blaze, which gutted the first Hells Angels clubhouse in Canada. Three men are in custody and face charges.
The police are keeping a close eye on 1,800 street gangs, at least 100 of which are involved in serious crimes, report several Dutch newspapers on Tuesday. The figures come from an investigation carried out by RTL news.According to the council of chief police officers, the police cannot deal with all the gangs and need hundreds of extra police to cope with the trouble they cause.Many police forces are concerned at the age of gang members and several report that children younger than 12 are joining, and sometimes even leading, the groups.They are also unhappy that parents are not willing to cooperate with them on alternative punishment and seem happy to pay fines and take their offspring home.Eric Akerboom of the chief police officers council told Radio 1 news on Tuesday morning that arresting the gang members is not enough. 'You also have to do something with the family,' he said.The Rotterdam region has the most street gangs with 193, including 11 which are involved in crime. The Amsterdam police area has 12 criminal gangs, the highest in the country, says RTL news.
Bandidos bikie gang holds discussions with the family of murdered member Ross Brand about his funeral, messages of condolence and fury continue to flood the gang's website.Supporters from across Australia and as far afield as the US, Finland and Germany have posted their anguish after the gun slaying of enforcer Brand outside the gang's Geelong clubhouse. They include an inmate at Barwon Prison and a member of the United States Marine Corp based in Texas, who wrote "Stay cool brothers".
Some painted Brand as a hardcore bikie, but others revealed a different side.
Convicted criminal Brand, 51, shot in the head by a hitman last Wednesday night, was a father of two young boys and, apparently, a lover of antiques and gardening.
"I will miss fossil hunting, the antiques roadshow and your interpretations of Confucius," one mate wrote. Another said: "I will look after George the cactus for you. I know how much you loved him." On a less gentle note, another mate disclosed: "I met Rosco in Luxembourg 2003 and made one hell of a party that lasted eight days." A lawyer for the Bandidos, Michael Wardell, said yesterday he expected no more statements from the gang. "Now that they've set a couple of things straight from their perspective, they're hoping everything will run its course and the focus will move away from them," he said.
Police are yet to establish if Brand's killer is from rival gang the Rebels or indeed if the slaying is gang-related. But one website visitor warned his assassin: "As for the gutless f---, karma's a wonderful thing. Cut one, we all bleed."
Some painted Brand as a hardcore bikie, but others revealed a different side.
Convicted criminal Brand, 51, shot in the head by a hitman last Wednesday night, was a father of two young boys and, apparently, a lover of antiques and gardening.
"I will miss fossil hunting, the antiques roadshow and your interpretations of Confucius," one mate wrote. Another said: "I will look after George the cactus for you. I know how much you loved him." On a less gentle note, another mate disclosed: "I met Rosco in Luxembourg 2003 and made one hell of a party that lasted eight days." A lawyer for the Bandidos, Michael Wardell, said yesterday he expected no more statements from the gang. "Now that they've set a couple of things straight from their perspective, they're hoping everything will run its course and the focus will move away from them," he said.
Police are yet to establish if Brand's killer is from rival gang the Rebels or indeed if the slaying is gang-related. But one website visitor warned his assassin: "As for the gutless f---, karma's a wonderful thing. Cut one, we all bleed."
gangland-style shooting inside a Calgary restaurant early Sunday killed a man and woman who were both in their early twenties, police said. Two other young men were injured during the shootout, which occurred in a strip mall in the city's northeast end. One of the injured is in critical, but stable, condition. "It's believed one or more male persons entered the restaurant, walked directly to the table and committed the crime," said Calgary police Insp. Frank Reuser. He added that police have no suspects, but there were "numerous witnesses." Calgary Police Staff Sgt. Kevin Forsen said the killings carry some of the hallmarks of a gang hit. "Right now it appears to be very consistent with a targeted shooting that involves gangs," he told The Canadian Press. "It was very sudden and there were no precursors that we know of." Forsen added that the investigation is still in its early stages as police work to establish a motive and find out how many shooters were involved. "We're still trying to determine why this would have happened," he said, adding that the victim's identities were also unknown Sunday afternoon. About 30 officers were on the scene early Sunday, interviewing people who watched the shooting.
CTV Calgary's Shelly Makrugin said the neighbourhood has had problems with vandalism and drug dealing, but the strip mall has never seen gang violence. Earlier this month, another shooting at a city restaurant injured four men and a woman.
Local residents living near the strip mall said they were concerned about escalating violence in the community. "We're moving away," resident Jean Tremblay told CTV Calgary. "I'm in the buying process but it's not going to be in this area. I'm going to look for any 'for sale' signs but it's not going to be here. My mind is made up."
Andre Chabot, the local alderman, said the problem of violent crime is affecting the entire city. "We as a city are way understaffed (by police) on a per capita basis, compared to other large municipalities," he said.
CTV Calgary's Shelly Makrugin said the neighbourhood has had problems with vandalism and drug dealing, but the strip mall has never seen gang violence. Earlier this month, another shooting at a city restaurant injured four men and a woman.
Local residents living near the strip mall said they were concerned about escalating violence in the community. "We're moving away," resident Jean Tremblay told CTV Calgary. "I'm in the buying process but it's not going to be in this area. I'm going to look for any 'for sale' signs but it's not going to be here. My mind is made up."
Andre Chabot, the local alderman, said the problem of violent crime is affecting the entire city. "We as a city are way understaffed (by police) on a per capita basis, compared to other large municipalities," he said.
Opening statements are scheduled Monday morning in the trial of two Hells Angels officers accused of conspiring to commit murder.The trial of Remond Akleh and Mark Stephenson is set to take place in Superior Court in Whitby, following a lengthy jury selection process that concluded Thursday. Mr. Stephenson and Mr. Akleh were charged in September of 2006 of plotting with another man to murder a rival. They are also charged with counselling to commit murder.The prosecution case will be presented by Durham Region Crown Attorney John Scott and assistant Crown attorney Mitchell Flagg. Mr. Stephenson is represented by Brian Grys and Mr. Akleh is represented by Glen Orr. The trial will be presided over by Justice Bruce Glass.
Las Vegas Metro Police arrested seven Mongol motorcycle gang members on a variety of charges out of an estimated 10 to 11 gang members believed to be in Southern Nevada.
Its members and their charges include:
-- Harold Reynolds, known as "Face," 40, of Las Vegas, charged in federal warrants with racketeering influenced and corrupt organizations (RICO) conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine.
-- David Padilla, also known as "Lazy Dave," 36, of Las Vegas, charged in federal warrants with RICO conspiracy, racketeering influenced and corrupt organizations, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
-- Ismael Padilla, also known as "Milo," 33, of Las Vegas, charged in federal warrants with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine.
-- William Ramirez, also known as "Moreno," 38, of Las Vegas, charged in federal warrants with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine.
-- Jason Hull, also known as "Big Jay," 33, of Las Vegas, charged in federal warrants with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine.
-- John Babcock, also known as "Sinister," 43, of Las Vegas, charged in a state warrant with unlawful transfer of a firearm.
-- Gary Lawson, also known as "T.C.," 49, of Las Vegas was taken into custody in California as part of the operation.
"This has effectively dismantled both chapters in Southern Nevada," said Lt. David Logue, head of Metro's intelligence unit. Mongol chapters operated in Las Vegas and Henderson, he said.ro Police said at least nine motorcycles were confiscated, along with five revolvers, a chrome-plated pistol, three shotguns, numerous rifles and semi-automatic weapons. Some weapons and money were on display at a Tuesday news conference, said Bill Cassel, public information officer for Metro Police.
The federal racketeering indictment unsealed in Los Angeles also alleges the name "Mongols," which was trademarked by the gang, is subject to forfeiture.
The massive law enforcement crackdown against the Mongols, dubbed "Operation Black Rain," began three and a half years ago by various agencies, including local police, the U.S. Attorney's Office and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said Lt. David Logue, Metro Police intelligence chief.
Four agents outside of Nevada went undercover and earned a patch, becoming Mongol members, Logue said.Former national Mongol president Ruben Cavazos was arrested at his home near South Hills Country Club in West Covina, authorities said.
Law enforcement officers served a total of 110 federal arrest warrants and 160 search warrants in Southern California, Nevada, Oregon, Colorado, Washington state and Ohio. Seven of those warrants were served in Las Vegas by members of Metro Police, Henderson and North Las Vegas SWAT teams. No one resisted arrest and there were no injuries, Logue said.Mongol members have been involved in previous criminal activity in Las Vegas.Nine men, two of them Mongol members, were named in a federal grand jury indictment unsealed in April 2004 in Las Vegas on 73 counts of murder in connection with a shootout at Harrah's Laughlin casino at a 2002 gathering known as the River Run that left three people dead. Others involved were from the rival Hell's Angels motorcycle gang, authorities said. The shootout killed Salvador Barrera, Robert Tumelty and Jeremy Bell.About a half dozen people formed the gang in the 1970s because they were banned from joining the notorious Hell's Angels motorcycle group due to their Hispanic heritage. The Mongol gang began attracting members with criminal tendencies as it grew and was then labeled "outlaw" by law enforcement officials.The Mongols tend to recruit younger, more violent people from street gangs, said Thomas L. Chittum III, resident agent in charge in the Las Vegas branch of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Its members and their charges include:
-- Harold Reynolds, known as "Face," 40, of Las Vegas, charged in federal warrants with racketeering influenced and corrupt organizations (RICO) conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine.
-- David Padilla, also known as "Lazy Dave," 36, of Las Vegas, charged in federal warrants with RICO conspiracy, racketeering influenced and corrupt organizations, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
-- Ismael Padilla, also known as "Milo," 33, of Las Vegas, charged in federal warrants with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine.
-- William Ramirez, also known as "Moreno," 38, of Las Vegas, charged in federal warrants with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine.
-- Jason Hull, also known as "Big Jay," 33, of Las Vegas, charged in federal warrants with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine.
-- John Babcock, also known as "Sinister," 43, of Las Vegas, charged in a state warrant with unlawful transfer of a firearm.
-- Gary Lawson, also known as "T.C.," 49, of Las Vegas was taken into custody in California as part of the operation.
"This has effectively dismantled both chapters in Southern Nevada," said Lt. David Logue, head of Metro's intelligence unit. Mongol chapters operated in Las Vegas and Henderson, he said.ro Police said at least nine motorcycles were confiscated, along with five revolvers, a chrome-plated pistol, three shotguns, numerous rifles and semi-automatic weapons. Some weapons and money were on display at a Tuesday news conference, said Bill Cassel, public information officer for Metro Police.
The federal racketeering indictment unsealed in Los Angeles also alleges the name "Mongols," which was trademarked by the gang, is subject to forfeiture.
The massive law enforcement crackdown against the Mongols, dubbed "Operation Black Rain," began three and a half years ago by various agencies, including local police, the U.S. Attorney's Office and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said Lt. David Logue, Metro Police intelligence chief.
Four agents outside of Nevada went undercover and earned a patch, becoming Mongol members, Logue said.Former national Mongol president Ruben Cavazos was arrested at his home near South Hills Country Club in West Covina, authorities said.
Law enforcement officers served a total of 110 federal arrest warrants and 160 search warrants in Southern California, Nevada, Oregon, Colorado, Washington state and Ohio. Seven of those warrants were served in Las Vegas by members of Metro Police, Henderson and North Las Vegas SWAT teams. No one resisted arrest and there were no injuries, Logue said.Mongol members have been involved in previous criminal activity in Las Vegas.Nine men, two of them Mongol members, were named in a federal grand jury indictment unsealed in April 2004 in Las Vegas on 73 counts of murder in connection with a shootout at Harrah's Laughlin casino at a 2002 gathering known as the River Run that left three people dead. Others involved were from the rival Hell's Angels motorcycle gang, authorities said. The shootout killed Salvador Barrera, Robert Tumelty and Jeremy Bell.About a half dozen people formed the gang in the 1970s because they were banned from joining the notorious Hell's Angels motorcycle group due to their Hispanic heritage. The Mongol gang began attracting members with criminal tendencies as it grew and was then labeled "outlaw" by law enforcement officials.The Mongols tend to recruit younger, more violent people from street gangs, said Thomas L. Chittum III, resident agent in charge in the Las Vegas branch of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
"Everybody deserves a second chance," he said. "My son lost his."
Detectives believe people are reluctant to provide information about the February 14 death of Leon Huddleston, 26, because they fear retribution by the Mongol Motorcycle Club, whose members are suspected in the slaying. "Any time you have gangs involved, whether it's motorcycle gangs or rival street gangs, it's extremely difficult to get people to come forward because of the fear of retaliation," Los Angeles County sheriff's Detective Steve Lankford, the lead investigator on the case, told the Los Angeles Times in a story posted Saturday on the paper's Web site. Huddleston was shooting pool in a crowded Lancaster bar when he was cracked over the head with a pool cue and kicked repeatedly in the ribs by two men who appeared to be members of a motorcycle gang, authorities said. Huddleston's alleged killers are Norberto Jose Montes, who goes by the nickname "Villain," and Klint Austin Melcer, who goes by "Danger." Montes was arrested along with more than 60 other Mongols during a series of raids Tuesday across Southern California and in Nevada, Oregon, Colorado, Washington and Ohio. Melcer remains at large. The slaying is one of four mentioned in a federal racketeering indictment that included charges of murder, attempted murder, assault, as well as gun and drug violations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives officials said.
Lankford, the lead investigator on the Huddleston case, said Montes and Melcer were identified as suspects based on a tip implicating the two Mongols from an informant who wasn't even in the bar the evening of the killing. That information was used as leverage to persuade a couple of witnesses to cooperate, he said.
Huddleston, a high school dropout from the Central Valley, was living in Lancaster to serve his probation on a drug conviction, according to his father, who asked not to be named because he was fearful of the Mongols. Huddleston's father said the loss was particularly painful because he believed his son was beginning to turn a corner in his life.
Detectives believe people are reluctant to provide information about the February 14 death of Leon Huddleston, 26, because they fear retribution by the Mongol Motorcycle Club, whose members are suspected in the slaying. "Any time you have gangs involved, whether it's motorcycle gangs or rival street gangs, it's extremely difficult to get people to come forward because of the fear of retaliation," Los Angeles County sheriff's Detective Steve Lankford, the lead investigator on the case, told the Los Angeles Times in a story posted Saturday on the paper's Web site. Huddleston was shooting pool in a crowded Lancaster bar when he was cracked over the head with a pool cue and kicked repeatedly in the ribs by two men who appeared to be members of a motorcycle gang, authorities said. Huddleston's alleged killers are Norberto Jose Montes, who goes by the nickname "Villain," and Klint Austin Melcer, who goes by "Danger." Montes was arrested along with more than 60 other Mongols during a series of raids Tuesday across Southern California and in Nevada, Oregon, Colorado, Washington and Ohio. Melcer remains at large. The slaying is one of four mentioned in a federal racketeering indictment that included charges of murder, attempted murder, assault, as well as gun and drug violations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives officials said.
Lankford, the lead investigator on the Huddleston case, said Montes and Melcer were identified as suspects based on a tip implicating the two Mongols from an informant who wasn't even in the bar the evening of the killing. That information was used as leverage to persuade a couple of witnesses to cooperate, he said.
Huddleston, a high school dropout from the Central Valley, was living in Lancaster to serve his probation on a drug conviction, according to his father, who asked not to be named because he was fearful of the Mongols. Huddleston's father said the loss was particularly painful because he believed his son was beginning to turn a corner in his life.
Snohomish County medical examiner identified the girl found floating Tuesday in Lake Ballinger as Britney R. Galindez, 17, of Seattle.She had known links to gangs, Mountlake Terrace police said Thursday. Detectives are investigating the death as a homicide."The lifestyle she led was a lifestyle of gang activity with the attendant drugs and the criminal activity that goes along with the lifestyle," Mountlake Terrace police Sgt. Doug Hansen said.
Galindez had connections with Vatos Locos 13, a street gang that has been active in the north Seattle area, Hansen said.Her MySpace page included text that was an apparent reference to the gang.When police divers pulled her from the water Tuesday, Galindez was wearing a gold-colored belt buckle with "13" on it. The number 13 is commonly affiliated with various Hispanic gangs.The teenager also told Seattle police earlier this year she was harassed by Sarah Black, a notorious MS-13 gang member, Hansen said. Black is now behind bars for her part in a June 11 drive-by shooting in Everett.Galindez apparently told police Black was trying to recruit her to run with MS-13, a gang that has a history of violent confrontation with Vatos Locos, Hansen said.Police do not have evidence that the teenager's death was a result of a gang rivalry, he said.The cause of her death remains under investigation. Officials are waiting for toxicology results, which can take weeks.
Earlier this year, three MS-13 members, including Black, pleaded guilty to the south Everett drive-by shooting that left a rival gang member wounded. Police suspect the shooting was in retaliation for gunfire outside a Seattle mall that hit an MS-13 member.Black, who has gang tattoos on her face, admitted recruiting new members to join the ranks, court records show.Mountlake Terrace detectives are working with law enforcement agencies around the region to collect evidence in Galindez's death, Hansen said.Regional gang task force members and federal immigration agents are being tapped for information, the detective said.Detectives are trying to re-create the teen's final days and talk to anyone who may have seen her.Galindez was last seen around 7:30 p.m. Oct. 13 headed from the Northgate Transit Center to the Everett area, said Daniel Bittick, her stepfather.Relatives and friends on Monday put up signs and contacted the media, looking for the girl. Witnesses called police Tuesday to report a possible mannequin floating in the water near the Lake Ballinger boat ramp.Bittick, 34, of Bonney Lake, said his stepdaughter never talked to him about gangs."You never think your little girl would be into that," he said.
"Slow Pain," "Psycho" and "Kapone" operated in a violent, Mission District street gang that shook down drug dealers, punished suspected informants and resorted to murder to eliminate rival gang members, according to a federal indictment unsealed Thursday. The indictment filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco accuses 29 people allegedly tied to the notorious Mara Salvatrucha or MS-13 gang of engaging in murder, attempted murder, drug trafficking, witness tampering, car theft and extortion.Those indicted include alleged senior leaders in San Francisco's faction of the MS-13 gang, which originated in Los Angeles, has ties to El Salvador and is renowned for its savage tactics, federal prosecutors said.Most recently, authorities say, members of the faction, known as 20th Street clique, have been tied to at least five slayings in the city, including the June 22 killings in the Excelsior district of Tony Bologna, 48, and his sons Michael, 20, and Matthew, 16. Police say the killer was trying to avenge a gang shooting from earlier in the day and mistook the Bolognas for rivals.An alleged MS-13 member, Edwin Ramos, has been charged with three counts of murder and has pleaded not guilty.The indictment ties members of the gang to two other San Francisco slayings: the July 31 stabbing death of 14-year-old Ivan Miranda during a robbery in the Excelsior involving an iPod, and the July 11 shooting of Armando Estrada, 30, of Rodeo, at 20th and Mission streets, officials said. Guillermo Herrera, 20, was identified in the federal indictment as the gunman in that killing, which occurred on turf the gang claims as its own.Walter Chinchilla-Linar, 22, and Cesar Alvarado, 18, reputed members of the gang, face federal charges in Miranda's death. Two juveniles, ages 16 and 17, also were charged Thursday in state court with Miranda's killing, the district attorney said.The latest arrests culminated a three-year investigation dubbed "Operation Devil Horns" - a reference to MS-13's gang sign - in which federal authorities set up an export warehouse in Richmond where undercover agents bought several guns and 16 vehicles allegedly stolen by gang members and their associates, prosecutors said. U.S. Attorney Joseph Russoniello, who alternatively referred to the suspects as hoodlums and thugs, hailed the arrests as a major takedown of gang members during a press conference Thursday at which he was joined by San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris and Police Chief Heather Fong. Twenty-two of those indicted face federal racketeering charges, which carry a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole. The other seven are accused of committing 17 separate violent crimes, including one count involving murder, to assist racketeering. Prosecutors will seek "maximum possible penalties so we don't have to play cat and mouse in the future," Russoniello said.
All told, 31 people with suspected ties to the gang have been charged in the recent sweep. Two others were charged separately from the 29 suspects who were indicted. Of the total, 15 were already in custody in separate cases, while three remain at large, federal authorities said. One suspect, John Briez, was arrested in Guam after boarding a flight bound for the Philippines Tuesday evening, said Virginia Kice, spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Briez had more than $10,000 cash on him when he was arrested by federal agents, Kice said.
Most of the arrests were made in raids Wednesday in San Francisco, Richmond, South San Francisco, Reno and elsewhere. The raids were denounced as heavy-handed by immigrant rights groups. Some San Francisco supervisors and candidates for supervisor seats also were critical of the raids. Supervisor Tom Ammiano's office issued a statement saying federal agents brutally attacked a woman during one raid, "causing her to lose consciousness and require hospitalization."ICE agent Mark Wollman disputed that account, saying the woman fainted, was treated by medical personnel already on call, and released.At one Bayview home, Alexander Revelo said agents awakened him at about 6:30 a.m., handcuffed him, and marched him into his yard. Revelo, 22, a former Mervyns sales representative in the process of enrolling in City College of San Francisco, said police searched him for tattoos, seized his computer, left his room a mess and checked his criminal record, which came back clean."Being born here and growing up here, not having a criminal record at all, and I'm handcuffed outside my house in front of my family?" he said. "I don't think they had any right to handcuff me."Russoniello said he was sympathetic to innocent people embroiled in police operations, but agents are going after dangerous "gangsters" and "may not be in the most sensitive or compassionate mode."
All told, 31 people with suspected ties to the gang have been charged in the recent sweep. Two others were charged separately from the 29 suspects who were indicted. Of the total, 15 were already in custody in separate cases, while three remain at large, federal authorities said. One suspect, John Briez, was arrested in Guam after boarding a flight bound for the Philippines Tuesday evening, said Virginia Kice, spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Briez had more than $10,000 cash on him when he was arrested by federal agents, Kice said.
Most of the arrests were made in raids Wednesday in San Francisco, Richmond, South San Francisco, Reno and elsewhere. The raids were denounced as heavy-handed by immigrant rights groups. Some San Francisco supervisors and candidates for supervisor seats also were critical of the raids. Supervisor Tom Ammiano's office issued a statement saying federal agents brutally attacked a woman during one raid, "causing her to lose consciousness and require hospitalization."ICE agent Mark Wollman disputed that account, saying the woman fainted, was treated by medical personnel already on call, and released.At one Bayview home, Alexander Revelo said agents awakened him at about 6:30 a.m., handcuffed him, and marched him into his yard. Revelo, 22, a former Mervyns sales representative in the process of enrolling in City College of San Francisco, said police searched him for tattoos, seized his computer, left his room a mess and checked his criminal record, which came back clean."Being born here and growing up here, not having a criminal record at all, and I'm handcuffed outside my house in front of my family?" he said. "I don't think they had any right to handcuff me."Russoniello said he was sympathetic to innocent people embroiled in police operations, but agents are going after dangerous "gangsters" and "may not be in the most sensitive or compassionate mode."
Tran Trong Nghi Nguyen, who goes by the name Jackie Tran, was released Tuesday from the Remand Centre, prompting police to voice concerns of potential violence given his criminal past. Yesterday, Paula Faber, an Immigration and Refugee Board spokeswoman, said an application was made by Canada Border Services Agency for an admissibility hearing. It was set for today but is being rescheduled. The hearing, which applies to permanent residents or foreign nationals, basically means border officials will argue for Tran to be deemed inadmissible to Canada. Faber said it can be argued on grounds an individual is involved in crime, a security threat or contravened Immigration and Refugee laws. The case at the hearing for Tran will be based "on new allegations," presented by the CSBA, she said.
Tran, 26, is a known gang member with an assault and drug-trafficking conviction who was ordered deported to Vietnam in 2004. Sources said Tran walked away uninjured after an attempt on his life in a 2005 shooting in Calgary. He was arrested this past January, hours after failing to turn up at an appeal hearing, at the funeral of fellow-gangster Mark Kim. Tran was held in custody since then because he was deemed a flight risk.
This week, he was released under strict conditions after posting a $20,000 bond. Yesterday, federal Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day weighed in on the case he calls frustrating. "However, rules that have been put in place, again, under a former Liberal regime, along with certain rulings that have set precedent, allow for a significant number of appeals," he told QR77 radio. He said Tran's lawyer has successfully used a "series of regulations and precedents in place to delay" the deportation order. "From the point of view of public safety and our CBSA officers, in situations like this we want to see people deported quickly," Day said. "We want people to have the ability to appeal but we don't want to see our laws abused. We don't want to see Canadians put under threat and under risk."
Tran, 26, is a known gang member with an assault and drug-trafficking conviction who was ordered deported to Vietnam in 2004. Sources said Tran walked away uninjured after an attempt on his life in a 2005 shooting in Calgary. He was arrested this past January, hours after failing to turn up at an appeal hearing, at the funeral of fellow-gangster Mark Kim. Tran was held in custody since then because he was deemed a flight risk.
This week, he was released under strict conditions after posting a $20,000 bond. Yesterday, federal Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day weighed in on the case he calls frustrating. "However, rules that have been put in place, again, under a former Liberal regime, along with certain rulings that have set precedent, allow for a significant number of appeals," he told QR77 radio. He said Tran's lawyer has successfully used a "series of regulations and precedents in place to delay" the deportation order. "From the point of view of public safety and our CBSA officers, in situations like this we want to see people deported quickly," Day said. "We want people to have the ability to appeal but we don't want to see our laws abused. We don't want to see Canadians put under threat and under risk."
Alleged leader of the Blood Mafia Family street gang and who was to be deported yesterday to his native Haiti has received a last-minute reprieve from a Federal Court judge.Federal Court Chief Justice Allan Lutfy ruled late Monday that Valdano Toussaint should be allowed to stay in Canada, given the precarious humanitarian situation in the Caribbean country."We also argued that he committed crimes when he was a youth, and that his age should be taken into consideration," Toussaint's lawyer, Marie-Hélène Giroux, said in an interview.How can you know the consequences of your actions when you're 12?"Toussaint will be 22 next week. He arrived in Canada in 1997 and spent much of his youth in foster care. While he has no convictions as an adult, he pleaded guilty to weapons crimes as a youth.Lutfy ordered the stay of removal until Toussaint's lawyer can appeal the deportation order before the Federal Court.If deported, Toussaint would be imprisoned in Haiti, which has been pummelled by four tropical storms this summer and is struggling to feed its people in the wake of increasing food and gas prices. Unless he had someone bringing him food in prison, he wouldn't eat, his lawyer argued."We've heard from (non-governmental organizations) and reporters there that criminal deportees are imprisoned and forgotten there," Giroux said
fatal shooting of Gavin McCarthy may not be directly related to a local feud, gardai now believe. However, they suspect McCarthy may have been killed after he allegedly struck a young woman with links to the rival faction in a local feud.
Ballistics officers have carried out tests on a handgun which they believe was used in the shooting in Sheriff Street in Dublin's north inner city. The weapon was recovered in a search of the area by gardai. Experts are now trying to establish if the gun has been used in other shootings and this may help them determine whether members of the feuding gangs were involved in the incident. But detectives are also aware that McCarthy (21) was involved in drug dealing and are looking at the possibility that he could have upset other dealers by attempting to extend his "territory". Forensic tests have also been carried out on several bicycles recovered from the streets around the murder scene after witnesses reported that the killer made his escape by bicycle and then reappeared at the far end of Sheriff Street where he was tackled by a brother of the victim. The gunman's face was covered by a balaclava, but witnesses claim he was aged between 17 and 19 years.
One officer said last night: "Our investigation remains wide open but we are making progress and it no longer seems to be directly linked to the north inner city feud, even if there could end up being a peripheral connection."
Ballistics officers have carried out tests on a handgun which they believe was used in the shooting in Sheriff Street in Dublin's north inner city. The weapon was recovered in a search of the area by gardai. Experts are now trying to establish if the gun has been used in other shootings and this may help them determine whether members of the feuding gangs were involved in the incident. But detectives are also aware that McCarthy (21) was involved in drug dealing and are looking at the possibility that he could have upset other dealers by attempting to extend his "territory". Forensic tests have also been carried out on several bicycles recovered from the streets around the murder scene after witnesses reported that the killer made his escape by bicycle and then reappeared at the far end of Sheriff Street where he was tackled by a brother of the victim. The gunman's face was covered by a balaclava, but witnesses claim he was aged between 17 and 19 years.
One officer said last night: "Our investigation remains wide open but we are making progress and it no longer seems to be directly linked to the north inner city feud, even if there could end up being a peripheral connection."
Orlin A. Campos-Cerna, 18, was arrested last year on suspicion of fatally shooting Jose S. Avila. Avila was killed while sitting in his car with Anthony Tirado, a few blocks off Fourth Plain Boulevard. Tirado was not injured. The state and the defense have different theories as to what led to the shooting, but agree that the heart of the conflict was gang affiliation.To help jurors understand a gang member’s mentality, Deputy Prosecutor Tony Golik put Henderson, who works exclusively on Hispanic gang crimes, on the witness stand.Henderson said Sureño members increased significantly in Los Angeles in the mid-1940s, creating a crime wave that funneled Hispanics into a prison system run by white gang members who preyed on Hispanics.The “Mexican Mafia” was created in response to protect its members, Henderson said.
In the late 1960s, there was an influx of Hispanics from Northern California going to prison, and they were harassed by the Mexican Mafia, who looked down on the field workers, Henderson said. Thus, they created “Nuestra Familia,” to protect themselves.
The Sureños fall under the umbrella of the Mexican Mafia, Henderson explained, and Norteños are under the umbrella of the Nuestra Familia.They are rivals in prison and on the street, Henderson said.Within each group, there are different sets, he said. Campos-Cerna belonged to MS-13, or Mara Salvatrucha, a Salvadorian street gang that began in Los Angeles in the 1980s. Henderson said the set has become so widespread, with a presence in at least 42 states, that the FBI created a task force in 2004 just to deal with it. Campos-Cerna moved from El Salvador to L.A. when he was 13 and moved to Vancouver two years later. Court-appointed defense attorney Clark Fridley told jurors during opening statements on Monday that his client moved to Clark County to escape the gang life.But hundreds of gang members are here, Henderson told jurors. Drive around and notice graffiti from Norteños, such as Norte, XIV, or X4 (the number 14 is used because N is the 14th letter of the alphabet); or Sureño tags such as Sur, 13 or X111 (13 for the letter M). Norteños dress in red and Sureños dress in blue, he said, colors picked because they were the choices of bandanas issued decades ago in California prisons.Golik asked Henderson whether a gang member who is wearing his colors in the area of Fourth Plain Boulevard and Evergreen Park is going to get challenged.Yes, Henderson said. When Campos-Cerna was interviewed by detectives last year, he said Tirado and Avila were harassing him, calling him “scrap” and telling him he “don’t bang” and his colors “don’t mean nothing.”
“In the Sureño gang culture, what is he supposed to do?” Golik asked Henderson.
“In the gang culture, you can’t let a disrespect go,” Henderson said. Under cross-examination, Henderson said he had known of Tirado before the Oct. 11, 2007, shootings but had not heard of either Avila or Campos-Cerna.Fridley argues that his client fired in self-defense. “You have no evidence that Orlin Cerna was involved in this incident to make a name for himself?” Fridley asked.
In the late 1960s, there was an influx of Hispanics from Northern California going to prison, and they were harassed by the Mexican Mafia, who looked down on the field workers, Henderson said. Thus, they created “Nuestra Familia,” to protect themselves.
The Sureños fall under the umbrella of the Mexican Mafia, Henderson explained, and Norteños are under the umbrella of the Nuestra Familia.They are rivals in prison and on the street, Henderson said.Within each group, there are different sets, he said. Campos-Cerna belonged to MS-13, or Mara Salvatrucha, a Salvadorian street gang that began in Los Angeles in the 1980s. Henderson said the set has become so widespread, with a presence in at least 42 states, that the FBI created a task force in 2004 just to deal with it. Campos-Cerna moved from El Salvador to L.A. when he was 13 and moved to Vancouver two years later. Court-appointed defense attorney Clark Fridley told jurors during opening statements on Monday that his client moved to Clark County to escape the gang life.But hundreds of gang members are here, Henderson told jurors. Drive around and notice graffiti from Norteños, such as Norte, XIV, or X4 (the number 14 is used because N is the 14th letter of the alphabet); or Sureño tags such as Sur, 13 or X111 (13 for the letter M). Norteños dress in red and Sureños dress in blue, he said, colors picked because they were the choices of bandanas issued decades ago in California prisons.Golik asked Henderson whether a gang member who is wearing his colors in the area of Fourth Plain Boulevard and Evergreen Park is going to get challenged.Yes, Henderson said. When Campos-Cerna was interviewed by detectives last year, he said Tirado and Avila were harassing him, calling him “scrap” and telling him he “don’t bang” and his colors “don’t mean nothing.”
“In the Sureño gang culture, what is he supposed to do?” Golik asked Henderson.
“In the gang culture, you can’t let a disrespect go,” Henderson said. Under cross-examination, Henderson said he had known of Tirado before the Oct. 11, 2007, shootings but had not heard of either Avila or Campos-Cerna.Fridley argues that his client fired in self-defense. “You have no evidence that Orlin Cerna was involved in this incident to make a name for himself?” Fridley asked.
Pattaya gang member wanted by the police was shot dead while he was riding his motorbike with his girlfriend in Pattaya. Police assume his death was a revenge attack or linked to drug dealing. Banglamung police investigator Pol.Lt.Col. Pon Prasertsri was notified that Toa Naklua,otherwise known as Tao Pachajeen, had been brutally shot at the entrance of Sukhumvit Soi 22 ( Soi Susan Gao towards the old Chinese cemetery), Nongprue, Banglamung, Chonburi. Pol.Lt.Col. Pon Prasertsri and his police team together with the Sawang Boriboon rescue rushed to investigate.
At the scene they found a white Honda Wave 125 I motorbike, Red License no. 19-601, Pattaya which had fallen on top of the deceased body of Mr. Krisada Ponpaipal (22), otherwise known as "Tao Pachajeen", a notorious Naklua gang member, who was living at 260/54 Moo. 2, Naklua, Chonburi. The deceased was wearing a dark blue t-shirt and jeans. Examination the body revealed that Mr. Krisada had one shot under his nose, one to his right rib and two on his back. Police found 11 mm. bullet cases and four bullets on the ground near the body. There were two guns on the dead man's belt, a .38 Thai made model with 6 bullets and a .9 mm with 10 bullets in the magazine. Police also found 8 tablets of Yah Bah in his wallet which police kept as evidence
Family members laid flowers for Mr Brand at the clubhouse on Thursday and one website condolence from "Jamie" of the Gold Coast described him as "a true stand-up guy, a much-loved friend and brother".Bandido Ross Brand died in hospital on Thursday after being gunned down while leaving the bikie gang's Geelong clubhouse on Wednesday night with three other men.
A second man was undergoing surgery on Thursday to remove shotgun pellets in his buttocks, thigh and arms while the other two escaped injury and later gave their accounts of the ambush to police.A volley of shots was fired from a white twin-cab ute parked outside the clubhouse as the men left it just after 6pm (AEDT), near the corner of Bayldon Court and Leather Street in an industrial area of the Geelong suburb of Breakwater.Bandidos throughout Australia and around the world have sent condolences to the Geelong chapter of the global gang.Among the messages on the gang's website are several stating "God forgives, Bandidos don't."Police said they were keeping an open mind on the motive for the shooting, although it was well known the Bandidos had been in a bloody feud with rival Geelong gang the Rebels for at least two years.Detective Inspector Steve Clark said police were not assuming it was carried out by a rival gang."It's too early at this stage to determine whether the shooting was linked to any outlaw motorcycle groups," Det Insp Clark told reporters."Certainly we don't have a closed mind and have views that the shooting was necessarily done by another outlaw motorcycle gang."We need to review all the evidence we have got and see where it takes us."He said Mr Brand appeared to the victim of a "targeted shooting".Det Insp Clark said Mr Brand, 51, was a "fully-patched" member of the Bandidos and had prior convictions for violence, firearms and weapons offences.His Torquay home had been shot at earlier this year.Det Insp Clark said police were hopeful gang members would help the investigation and not hide behind a wall of silence."We're pleased with the cooperation so far and have no reason to suspect that people won't talk to us," he said.
Security cameras at the club may have captured the shooting but police are yet to view the CCTV footage.The shooting is the second on the Bandidos' clubhouse in the past 18 months and bullet holes from the previous attack are still visible in its roller door.In April, the Rebels' Geelong headquarters was firebombed and, in June, two gunmen shot four Rebels gang members at a nightclub in Adelaide.
he shooting coincides with the announcement of a new Victorian police taskforce targeting street shootings.
A second man was undergoing surgery on Thursday to remove shotgun pellets in his buttocks, thigh and arms while the other two escaped injury and later gave their accounts of the ambush to police.A volley of shots was fired from a white twin-cab ute parked outside the clubhouse as the men left it just after 6pm (AEDT), near the corner of Bayldon Court and Leather Street in an industrial area of the Geelong suburb of Breakwater.Bandidos throughout Australia and around the world have sent condolences to the Geelong chapter of the global gang.Among the messages on the gang's website are several stating "God forgives, Bandidos don't."Police said they were keeping an open mind on the motive for the shooting, although it was well known the Bandidos had been in a bloody feud with rival Geelong gang the Rebels for at least two years.Detective Inspector Steve Clark said police were not assuming it was carried out by a rival gang."It's too early at this stage to determine whether the shooting was linked to any outlaw motorcycle groups," Det Insp Clark told reporters."Certainly we don't have a closed mind and have views that the shooting was necessarily done by another outlaw motorcycle gang."We need to review all the evidence we have got and see where it takes us."He said Mr Brand appeared to the victim of a "targeted shooting".Det Insp Clark said Mr Brand, 51, was a "fully-patched" member of the Bandidos and had prior convictions for violence, firearms and weapons offences.His Torquay home had been shot at earlier this year.Det Insp Clark said police were hopeful gang members would help the investigation and not hide behind a wall of silence."We're pleased with the cooperation so far and have no reason to suspect that people won't talk to us," he said.
Security cameras at the club may have captured the shooting but police are yet to view the CCTV footage.The shooting is the second on the Bandidos' clubhouse in the past 18 months and bullet holes from the previous attack are still visible in its roller door.In April, the Rebels' Geelong headquarters was firebombed and, in June, two gunmen shot four Rebels gang members at a nightclub in Adelaide.
he shooting coincides with the announcement of a new Victorian police taskforce targeting street shootings.
Federal and local authorities in Reno and Las Vegas said Tuesday that 29 arrests had been made in Nevada as part of a multistate investigation of a motorcycle gang.
Five people arrested in Las Vegas on Tuesday were being held on federal charges of racketeering, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine, Las Vegas police said.Police Lt. Dave Logue, head of the department's intelligence section, said arrests and searches had effectively shut down the Las Vegas and Henderson chapters of the Mongols motorcycle club.Authorities said Jason "Big Jay" Hull, 33; David "Lazy Dave" Padilla, 38; Ismael "Milo" Padilla, 33; William "Moreno" Ramirez, 38; and Harold "Face" Reynolds, 40, all of Las Vegas, were in custody pending a Wednesday hearing before a federal magistrate.
Another Las Vegas man, 43-year-old John "Sinister" Babcock, was being held on state charges of unlawful transfer of a firearm.Reno authorities said 23 people had been arrested in the area as part of its undercover investigation, and 14 others had been charged with crimes.Of those, six suspects, most affiliated with the Mongols, were arrested early Tuesday, said Tom Cannon, resident agent in charge of the Reno ATF office.Authorities neither specified charges or identified those arrested in the Reno area, but said more than 6 pounds of methamphetamine and 75 weapons had been seized.The arrests and seizures were part of a multistate roundup of Mongol members arrested under a federal racketeering indictment that included charges of murder, attempted murder, assault, gun and drug violations, a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives spokesman said.U.S. Attorney Thomas O'Brien in California said he believed it to be the highest number of arrests of a motorcycle gang in the nation's history.Arrest and search warrants were being served across Southern California, Nevada, Oregon, Colorado, Washington and Ohio.Logue said none of the people arrested in Las Vegas were charged with murder. He said Las Vegas police helped the investigation in Nevada and other states by monitoring the activities of ATF agents who infiltrated the group and posed as members.Logue, head of the department's intelligence section, said leaders for the Mongols communicated using e-mail and text messaging, and met during regional and national motorcycle runs."Some would be West Coast runs, some would be national runs, and that's where the different leaders from the different states would come together and talk about business," Logue said.
Former NSW Crime Commission assistant director of investigations Mark Standen appeared via a video link in the Central Local Court before Magistrate Allan Moore.
The 51-year-old was arrested in June along with alleged co-conspirator Bakhos Jalalaty, 45, after a two-year federal investigation spanning three continents.
Standen was clean-shaven and wore a blue-green prison issue pullover as he appeared on the video link. "I appreciate that, thank you," he told Magistrate Moore when a new court date was set. Standen was remanded in custody until his next court appearance on November 19 when further legal argument will take place or a date will be set for a committal hearing. Jalalaty had appeared moments earlier, also via a videolink, but opted for his face not to appear on the screen. He was also refused bail and is also due to appear before the court again on November 19. Both men have been charged with conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of a precursor substance used to make illegal drugs, conspiracy to supply a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
The police investigation also resulted in the arrest of 12 people in the Netherlands and one man in Thailand
Amaad Thompson a/k/a "Fat-Boy" and Derek Dixon, both of Somerset, were arrested on Oct. 16.According to Somerset County Prosecutor Wayne J. Forrest, on Oct. 16 the Somerset County Gangs and Guns Task Force and the Franklin Township Crime Suppression Unit saw Thompson sell crack cocaine to Dixon outside the A&G Deli on Millstone Road in Franklin Township.Detectives approached Dixon and Thompson and discovered two baggies of crack cocaine which Dixon attempted to discard. Simultaneously, another group of detectives searched Thompson's residence and found a Smith and Wesson .357 magnum revolver and a Llama .45 automatic handgun, ammunition and controlled dangerous substance packaging materials.He also had two full-grown pit bull dogs in the bedroom.
One of the dogs, unfortunately, was shot and killed for lunging at one of the detectives.Thompson was also identified as a member of the Bounty Hunter Lot Boys, a subset of the Bloods criminal street gang as he has a tattoo on his right hand with the initials B.H.L.B. dripping blood. The pit-bull that was shot was named C.K., which is a Bloods term for Crip Killer. The Crips are a rival gang of the BloodsThe Bloods are the fastest growing criminal street gangs in New Jersey.
Thompson was charged with distribution of cocaine in the third degree, distribution within 500 feet of public housing in the second degree and two counts of possession of a weapon while committing a controlled dangerous substance offense in the second 2nd degree.His bail was set at $150,000.00 cash or bond.Dixon was charged with possession of cocaine in the third degree, loitering to obtain controlled dangerous substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.Dixon was released on he own recognizance.
One of the dogs, unfortunately, was shot and killed for lunging at one of the detectives.Thompson was also identified as a member of the Bounty Hunter Lot Boys, a subset of the Bloods criminal street gang as he has a tattoo on his right hand with the initials B.H.L.B. dripping blood. The pit-bull that was shot was named C.K., which is a Bloods term for Crip Killer. The Crips are a rival gang of the BloodsThe Bloods are the fastest growing criminal street gangs in New Jersey.
Thompson was charged with distribution of cocaine in the third degree, distribution within 500 feet of public housing in the second degree and two counts of possession of a weapon while committing a controlled dangerous substance offense in the second 2nd degree.His bail was set at $150,000.00 cash or bond.Dixon was charged with possession of cocaine in the third degree, loitering to obtain controlled dangerous substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.Dixon was released on he own recognizance.
Dozens of motorcycle gang members were arrested today by federal agents in six states, including Washington, on warrants ranging from drug sales to murder after a three-year undercover investigation in which four agents successfully infiltrated the group.At least 38 members of the Southern California-based Mongol motorcycle gang were arrested under a federal racketeering indictment that included charges of murder, attempted murder, assault, as well as gun and drug violations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives spokesman Mike Hoffman said.During some arrests, sharpshooters stood guard on surrounding rooftops and motorcycles were lined up and confiscated."It's going to be a large hit to their organization, we are arresting many of their top members," Hoffman said.Among those arrested were the gang's former national president Ruben Cavazos.Federal and local agents had 110 federal arrest warrants and 160 search warrants that were being served across Southern California and in Nevada, Oregon, Colorado, Washington and Ohio. The sweep, dubbed Operation Black Rain, was to continue throughout the day, agents said.Hoffman said the Mongols had been recruiting members of Los Angeles street gangs to assist in their operations.Four ATF agents infiltrated the gang and were accepted as full members, a difficult process that requires winning the trust of the gang's top leaders over a period of months, Hoffman said.In recent years, federal prosecutors in Washington have used racketeering laws to prosecute dozens of members of the Washington Nomads chapter of the Hells Angels and the Bandidos Motorcycle Club.
The suspected leader of the Casalesi murder squad, Giuseppe Di Setola, heads the police's most wanted list. Despite his reputation for being the mob's top hitman, Di Setola is still trying to convince police he is in fact blind, the DNA said. They said he had sent a letter to a local newspaper claiming to be an innocent bystander, accompanied by a photo showing him with a bandage over one eye and leaning on a walking stick. ''He's trying it on again,'' the DNA said. The brutal empire of the Casalesi was exposed in a book by writer and journalist Roberto Saviano, who said last week he would have to leave Italy to escape their threats.Camorra clan Italy has sent the army against is feeling ''hunted'' as turncoats desert it, Italian anti-Mafia police said on Monday. Hundreds of police and troops are stopping the Clan dei Casalesi from going about its business, the Anti-Mafia Directorate (DNA) in Naples said. ''They feel hunted and are having trouble on the ground,'' the DNA said.
Meanwhile, more and more important mobsters are turning state's evidence, the DNA said. Oreste Spagnuolo, one of a killing squad suspected in 15 murders over the last five months, ''inflicted a major blow'' to the clan when he decided to help the police earlier this month, investigators said. The DNA is confident of turning more Camorristi, they said. On Monday that another clan member, Emilio Di Caterino, had become an informant. Di Caterino and his wife and three children are already in the witness protection programme, it said.Six Nobel Prize winners - Dario Fo, Mikhail Gorbachev, Gunter Grass, Rita Levi Montalcini, Orhan Pamuk and Desmond Tutu - wrote an open letter to his newspaper La Repubblica on Monday. They urged the Italian state to do more to protect the author of 'Gomorra', saying ''it is intolerable for this to happen in Europe in 2008''.
Meanwhile, more and more important mobsters are turning state's evidence, the DNA said. Oreste Spagnuolo, one of a killing squad suspected in 15 murders over the last five months, ''inflicted a major blow'' to the clan when he decided to help the police earlier this month, investigators said. The DNA is confident of turning more Camorristi, they said. On Monday that another clan member, Emilio Di Caterino, had become an informant. Di Caterino and his wife and three children are already in the witness protection programme, it said.Six Nobel Prize winners - Dario Fo, Mikhail Gorbachev, Gunter Grass, Rita Levi Montalcini, Orhan Pamuk and Desmond Tutu - wrote an open letter to his newspaper La Repubblica on Monday. They urged the Italian state to do more to protect the author of 'Gomorra', saying ''it is intolerable for this to happen in Europe in 2008''.
Brittany Giese and Garrett McComb were lucky to escape death when their SUV was riddled with bullets during a gang-related gun battle in downtown Prince George this summer, but their luck ran out this month.That's when the 19-year-old woman and 23-year-old man were found shot to death in a home in the southwest corner of Prince George, near the main campus of the University of Northern British Columbia.
For the first time yesterday, RCMP explicitly linked the gun battle and the double slaying.They appear to be part of a wave of gang violence that has rocked the city of about 77,000 people. Incidents since last Christmas have included everything from a brawl at a major shopping mall to a fatal shooting outside a popular restaurant to the beatings and torture of those who have not paid their drug debts.
"It means they missed [Ms. Giese and Mr. McComb] the first time; they got them the second time," RCMP Constable Gary Godwin said.He said he could not comment on who "they" referred to. "I can't speculate on that, and I don't know, and I don't know if we know yet," he said.But the RCMP have identified at least four gangs in conflict in Prince George, notably the Crew, the Independent Soldiers and a splinter group of the Soldiers; there are also the Renegades, an offshoot of the Hells Angels.
The gangs are largely local, but have links to affiliated organizations in the Lower Mainland. Gang activity has been a part of Prince George for years, but has heated up dramatically.Constable Godwin said yesterday that most detectives in the Prince George detachments' major-crimes case are trying to crack the latest killings.
"It's a double homicide. We have everybody working on it in our plainclothes section interviewing people, and talking to their informants," he said. "I've been on the radio stations all over here, saying to people, 'We need information; please call.' "
On Aug. 6, members of rival gangs opened fire on the streets of downtown Prince George just before 6 p.m. A 19-year-old man sitting in a Lincoln Navigator with Ms. Giese and Mr. McComb was wounded and remains in hospital. Police have not yet identified him, but suggested they expect he will co-operate with investigators.
On Sept. 12, police raided the house that would later be the scene of the double slaying, looking for illegal weapons and seizing three illegal handguns. Two were semiautomatics.Ms. Giese was among five people arrested.On Oct. 7, police were alerted by phone to something happening at the house, where Ms. Giese and Mr. McComb were found dead. They have declined to detail what drew them to the home, which was being rented out.The bullet-riddled SUV caught in the gun battle was parked in the driveway.Constable Godwin said the general public do not appear to be at risk unless they are involved with the gangs, or even buying from members of the gangs.
"We're concerned about anybody being murdered," he said, referring to the latest victims. "These are young people. They could have changed their lives. That aside, we're concerned about the public."Earlier this week, someone threw a working bomb into a clothing store that sells hip-hop style clothing. However, Constable Godwin said, investigators have not linked that incident to the gang war. "We can't draw any inference to gangs."The device was removed and destroyed by a police demolition team. The RCMP are declining to say what kind of explosive was used in the bomb, but Constable Godwin said "it was capable and had the potential to function perfectly."
For the first time yesterday, RCMP explicitly linked the gun battle and the double slaying.They appear to be part of a wave of gang violence that has rocked the city of about 77,000 people. Incidents since last Christmas have included everything from a brawl at a major shopping mall to a fatal shooting outside a popular restaurant to the beatings and torture of those who have not paid their drug debts.
"It means they missed [Ms. Giese and Mr. McComb] the first time; they got them the second time," RCMP Constable Gary Godwin said.He said he could not comment on who "they" referred to. "I can't speculate on that, and I don't know, and I don't know if we know yet," he said.But the RCMP have identified at least four gangs in conflict in Prince George, notably the Crew, the Independent Soldiers and a splinter group of the Soldiers; there are also the Renegades, an offshoot of the Hells Angels.
The gangs are largely local, but have links to affiliated organizations in the Lower Mainland. Gang activity has been a part of Prince George for years, but has heated up dramatically.Constable Godwin said yesterday that most detectives in the Prince George detachments' major-crimes case are trying to crack the latest killings.
"It's a double homicide. We have everybody working on it in our plainclothes section interviewing people, and talking to their informants," he said. "I've been on the radio stations all over here, saying to people, 'We need information; please call.' "
On Aug. 6, members of rival gangs opened fire on the streets of downtown Prince George just before 6 p.m. A 19-year-old man sitting in a Lincoln Navigator with Ms. Giese and Mr. McComb was wounded and remains in hospital. Police have not yet identified him, but suggested they expect he will co-operate with investigators.
On Sept. 12, police raided the house that would later be the scene of the double slaying, looking for illegal weapons and seizing three illegal handguns. Two were semiautomatics.Ms. Giese was among five people arrested.On Oct. 7, police were alerted by phone to something happening at the house, where Ms. Giese and Mr. McComb were found dead. They have declined to detail what drew them to the home, which was being rented out.The bullet-riddled SUV caught in the gun battle was parked in the driveway.Constable Godwin said the general public do not appear to be at risk unless they are involved with the gangs, or even buying from members of the gangs.
"We're concerned about anybody being murdered," he said, referring to the latest victims. "These are young people. They could have changed their lives. That aside, we're concerned about the public."Earlier this week, someone threw a working bomb into a clothing store that sells hip-hop style clothing. However, Constable Godwin said, investigators have not linked that incident to the gang war. "We can't draw any inference to gangs."The device was removed and destroyed by a police demolition team. The RCMP are declining to say what kind of explosive was used in the bomb, but Constable Godwin said "it was capable and had the potential to function perfectly."
Ashley Kemete, 20, was gunned down in White Hart Street, Kennington, south London.
Paramedics and the air ambulance were called but the victim was pronounced dead at the scene.Locals told how there were gangs in the area though police said they were keeping an open mind as to motive at this stage and declined to comment on whether it was gang related.One woman, who refused to give her name, said there were many gangs around there.She said: "There are five gangs in the immediate area. They fight on Friday nights, it's all about drugs and territory. We can expect to see some terrible repercussions from this."Abdul Momen, who works at Taste of India takeaway, said the murder was "shocking"."Normally it's just car accidents in Kennington Lane but this is very serious. There's so many gangs in this area so maybe it's linked to them."A post-mortem examination will be held at Greenwich Mortuary.
Detective Inspector Tony Broughton of the Metropolitan Police's Trident unit, which investigates gun crime within the black community, said: "This murder happened in a busy part of town, just after nine o'clock on a Friday night. We know there were many people in the area. Several witnesses have already come forward, but there will be others who saw something or know something. We need those people to get in touch with us."
Paramedics and the air ambulance were called but the victim was pronounced dead at the scene.Locals told how there were gangs in the area though police said they were keeping an open mind as to motive at this stage and declined to comment on whether it was gang related.One woman, who refused to give her name, said there were many gangs around there.She said: "There are five gangs in the immediate area. They fight on Friday nights, it's all about drugs and territory. We can expect to see some terrible repercussions from this."Abdul Momen, who works at Taste of India takeaway, said the murder was "shocking"."Normally it's just car accidents in Kennington Lane but this is very serious. There's so many gangs in this area so maybe it's linked to them."A post-mortem examination will be held at Greenwich Mortuary.
Detective Inspector Tony Broughton of the Metropolitan Police's Trident unit, which investigates gun crime within the black community, said: "This murder happened in a busy part of town, just after nine o'clock on a Friday night. We know there were many people in the area. Several witnesses have already come forward, but there will be others who saw something or know something. We need those people to get in touch with us."
Three teenage boys were shot in the space of a few minutes Saturday night in the latest flare-up of gun violence in the Glades, authorities said.The youngest victim of Saturday night's shootings was 13.The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office released none of the victims' names this morning.According to a statement circulated by the sheriff's office, the shootings happened this way:Deputies were called to Southwest 6th Street and Southwest Avenue F in Belle Glade about 8:45 p.m. and found the first victim, a 17-year-old sprawled on the ground and bleeding from gunshot wounds to his chest and arm.Sweeping the area, deputies found two more victims, a 15-year-old boy and the 13-year-old, who was taken to Glades General Hospital. The other two boys were taken to Delray Medical Center, where the older boy underwent emergency surgery.Information on their condition wasn't available Sunday morning.
Back at the crime scene, deputies found two guns and shell casings. The Palm Beach County Violent Crimes Task Force, a multi-agency group that specializes in gang and street crime, was called in to investigate.Saturday marked the second time since August in which several people were shot at once in the Glades, where gun violence and gang crime has escalated in recent months. On Aug. 5, five young men were shot - one fatally - in less than two hours. On Sept. 27, Norman Griffith, 18, a standout linebacker and tight end for Pahokee High, was shot to death outside a dance after his school's homecoming game. Two teenage boys were arrested in Griffith's murder, which authorities called a botched robbery attempt.The incident sharpened focus on gun crime in the Glades, but problems are persisting.
Back at the crime scene, deputies found two guns and shell casings. The Palm Beach County Violent Crimes Task Force, a multi-agency group that specializes in gang and street crime, was called in to investigate.Saturday marked the second time since August in which several people were shot at once in the Glades, where gun violence and gang crime has escalated in recent months. On Aug. 5, five young men were shot - one fatally - in less than two hours. On Sept. 27, Norman Griffith, 18, a standout linebacker and tight end for Pahokee High, was shot to death outside a dance after his school's homecoming game. Two teenage boys were arrested in Griffith's murder, which authorities called a botched robbery attempt.The incident sharpened focus on gun crime in the Glades, but problems are persisting.
Hells Angels biker gang Bunker was gutted down in a fire yesterday in Quebec. It is said that a truck slammed into the bunker which was used as a meeting place for the biker gang. The truck blasted and caused the flames which eventually resulted in the complete burn down of the place. The police are investigating the case.
Arrested mafia boss Antonio Pelle in southern Italy. He has been implicated in the vendetta that led to the August 2007 slayings of six members of his clan in Duisburg, Germany.Pelle, 46, was found in a bunker in the country in southern Calabria. Police said he fell to his knees when they arrived saying, "I surrender."
Suspected of heading the Pelle-Romeo family, one of two feuding clans in the village of San Luca, Pelle had been on the run since the Duisburg killings. The main suspect in the killings, Giovanni Strangio, 29, of the Nirta-Strangio clan, remains at large.
Fifty-eight suspected mafiosi will go on trial this month and in November following a probe into the feud between the Pelle-Vottari and Nirta-Strangio clans, which has claimed nearly 20 lives since 1991.The feud became international news when six members of the Pelle-Romeo clan, aged 16 to 39, were killed execution-style outside a pizza restaurant in Duisburg in the early hours of August 15, 2007.
Their bodies were dumped in two cars outside the restaurant. But the vendetta had already claimed more than a dozen lives and was the focus of an investigation by prosecutors in southern Reggio di Calabria that had begun in 2006.
Suspected of heading the Pelle-Romeo family, one of two feuding clans in the village of San Luca, Pelle had been on the run since the Duisburg killings. The main suspect in the killings, Giovanni Strangio, 29, of the Nirta-Strangio clan, remains at large.
Fifty-eight suspected mafiosi will go on trial this month and in November following a probe into the feud between the Pelle-Vottari and Nirta-Strangio clans, which has claimed nearly 20 lives since 1991.The feud became international news when six members of the Pelle-Romeo clan, aged 16 to 39, were killed execution-style outside a pizza restaurant in Duisburg in the early hours of August 15, 2007.
Their bodies were dumped in two cars outside the restaurant. But the vendetta had already claimed more than a dozen lives and was the focus of an investigation by prosecutors in southern Reggio di Calabria that had begun in 2006.
Assets will be confiscated from six mob leaders, including Nicolo Rizzuto, as the case against them enters the sentencing stage.Last month, when Rizzuto and the five other reputed leaders of the Montreal Mafia pleaded guilty to charges stemming from Project Colisee, prosecutor Yvan Poulin told Quebec Court Judge Jean-Pierre Bonin that confiscations had played a role in the plea bargaining process.Project Colisee was a Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit investigation into the Rizzuto organization and its involvement in drug smuggling, drug trafficking and illegal gambling.Among the assets seized when arrests were carried out in November 2006 were 10 residences in Montreal and Laval, $3.5 million in cash and the assets from several bank accounts.When Francesco (Chit) Del Balso, 38 was arrested as part of the Colisee sweep, the Crown placed a seizure order on his home in Laval’s Vimont district. The court order blocked Del Balso and his wife from selling their house or using it to obtain a loan. The house was estimated to be worth more than $350,000 in the most recent municipal evaluation. The RCMP was also seeking to confiscate a luxury villa Del Balso owns in Acapulco, Mexico, as well as assets in several bank accounts linked to him through business associates and relatives.But according to the revised indictment filed when Del Balso pleaded guilty last month, he only admits to possessing “sums of money” that were derived from other criminal acts he pleaded guilty to like drug trafficking.The other five leaders also pleaded guilty to possessing money obtained as the proceeds of crime.The Canada Revenue Agency has placed a seizure order on Rizzuto’s home in northern Montreal, estimated to be worth more than $650,000, while it pursues him for more than $1.5 million in unpaid taxes on revenue he allegedly made while leading the mob.The federal taxman has taken similar action on a Laval residence owned by Lorenzo Giordano that is also estimated to be worth more than $650,000.Bonin is also expected to hear what sentences have been agreed upon. The judge is not required to accept a joint recommendation on a sentence if he disagrees with it, but there is little chance Bonin will be surprised by any joint recommendations because he sat in on the lengthy negotiations that produced the guilty pleas.
Warlocks Motorcycle Gang were the main recipients of lots of meth cooked up in two labs in Berks and Montgomery Counties. The labs produced over 500 pounds of meth, worth millions of dollars.They had the firepower, they had the drugs and they generated plenty of cash. State investigators say when it came to producing home grown methamphetamine in our region, this was a big time operation."Spadafora allegedly produced more than $9 million worth of methamphetamine," said Attorney General Thomas Corbett.Agents say 42-year-old Michael Spadafora and three others ran the show, cooking meth in the kitchen and basement of Spadafora's half-million dollar Reading home, a shed and a shipping container. After each meth cook, they say Spadafora put liquid meth in pipes and buried it underground until he needed more. Some of his best customers were right here in our area."We believe Mr. Spadaforas's meth was distributed across southeastern Pennsylvania and was even being supplied to members of the Warlocks Outlaw Motorcycle Gang," said Corbett.The Warlocks have long been linked to meth. Recently, state investigators took down 13 members of the notorious biker gang for dealing the drug. Then Warlocks President Thomas Zaroff was arrested and his garage raided. Just two weeks ago, Corbett's agents broke up a multi-million dollar operation that was shipping crystal meth from Mexico to Philadelphia in porcelain dolls."Definitely what it tells me, there is a problem here in southeastern Pennsylvania with methamphetamine," said Corbett.Corbett says most disturbing was the discovery of a life-size, bullet-riddled target of a police officer found in a suspect's home. "Somebody's learning how to hone in with their weapon and where are they shooting, they're shooting into the heart of a police officer. We have a huge problem in this state, this country with a lack of respect for law enforcement," said Corbett.Agents made undercover purchases of meth from the ring. They seized 68 guns, including half a dozen assault rifles and handguns with silencers. The meth labs were dismantled. Corbett says with the high demand for meth in this area, there's no doubt someone try to take fill the void left by these arrests.
Twenty-five suspected Spanish Cobra gang members arrested Wednesday morning now face federal drug and gun charges, while six more are being sought as fugitives. Those being sought as fugitives are:
-- Ernesto Vargas, 22, of 1055 N. St. Louis Ave.;
-- Daniel Bonilla, 25, of 2544 N. Harding Ave.;
-- Erick Brito, 27, of 2526 W. Cortez St.;
-- Taki Spencer, 28, of 1017 N. Rockwell St.;
-- Gilberto Vargas, 20, of 3907 W. Armitage Ave.; and
-- Chauvet Stiggers, 22, of 8000 S. Kedvale Ave.
In all, 31 people face state or federal charges, according to a release from the FBI. Federal drug charges, including cocaine, crack cocaine and marijuana distribution, were lodged against 18 suspects, while and 13 more face state drug and gun charges, according to the release. The charges are the culmination of a two-year investigation called "Operation Snake Charmer," a cooperation between local, state and federal law enforcement to break up the hierarchy of Chicago drug trafficking street gangs, the release said. Police used undercover witnesses, including former gang members, as well as court-authorized electronic surveillance and undercover audio and video surveillance of drug deals as part of the investigation.
"The Spanish Cobras are an organized, centrally-controlled street gang whose members conspire together to sell drugs and protect and enforce their territory in the Chicago area," Robert Grant, special agent-in-charge of the Chicago FBI office, said in the release. "These arrests should remind gangs that law enforcement here is united in our efforts to eradicate the city and suburbs of this plague."
Those arrested and charged federally were scheduled to appear later Wednesday in federal court in front of Judge Susan E. Cox. If convicted, they face mandatory minimum sentences of five years and a maximum of life, the release said.
All those charged were from Chicago with the exception of Floyd Dearmond, 20, of East Chicago, Ind.Insane Spanish Cobras Nation is a "Folks Mob" made up of mostly latinos. Their colors are Green & Black Their symbols include a Cobra Snake, Diamond on Staff w/3 dots. They originated as a Puerto Rican street gang in the Humboldt Park area of Chicago.[M]any Puerto Rican residents to relocated to the Humboldt Park and West Town neighborhoods where their concentration facilitated the creation of Chicago first Puerto Rican neighborhood along the Division street corridor. This area was called "La Division." Around this time, clique orientated clubs and street gangs began to solidify their presence throughout these neighborhoods. Soon after, the Spanish Cobras and Latin Kings street gang began to feud in the Humboldt Park community. In the late 1960's-to-early 70's, the Spanish Cobras united with Latin Disciples, Imperial Gangsters, and Latin Eagles to form the United Latino Organization (ULO), which acted as an alliance among Latino street gangs before the Folks & People alliances were originated in the late 1970's.
(FOLK-NATION)They've done battle with the Simon City Royals:
A key factor in the growth of the Spanish Cobras was the acquisition of territory in Logan Square and in and around the Koz Park area. Prior to this, the Simon City Royals street gang had a firm hold on the grounds.The Spanish Cobras and Simon City Royals fought a violent battle over the control of Koz Park in the 1980's, in which many lives were lost on both sides.They have organized other street gangs:
In 1992, the Spanish Cobras became the principle founder of the "Insane Familia", a group of Latino Folks gangs allied on the streets and in the prisons. All organizations granted membership into the Insane Familia adopted the prefix "Insane" to their gangs title.Here's a list of known rivals:Latin Kings, Insane Unknowns, Simon City Royals, Maniac Latin Disciples, Maniac Campbell Boys, Imperial Gangsters, Latin Eagles, Latin Jivers, Milwaukee Kings, Latin Brothers, Latin Stylers, and Latin Pachucos street gangs.
-- Ernesto Vargas, 22, of 1055 N. St. Louis Ave.;
-- Daniel Bonilla, 25, of 2544 N. Harding Ave.;
-- Erick Brito, 27, of 2526 W. Cortez St.;
-- Taki Spencer, 28, of 1017 N. Rockwell St.;
-- Gilberto Vargas, 20, of 3907 W. Armitage Ave.; and
-- Chauvet Stiggers, 22, of 8000 S. Kedvale Ave.
In all, 31 people face state or federal charges, according to a release from the FBI. Federal drug charges, including cocaine, crack cocaine and marijuana distribution, were lodged against 18 suspects, while and 13 more face state drug and gun charges, according to the release. The charges are the culmination of a two-year investigation called "Operation Snake Charmer," a cooperation between local, state and federal law enforcement to break up the hierarchy of Chicago drug trafficking street gangs, the release said. Police used undercover witnesses, including former gang members, as well as court-authorized electronic surveillance and undercover audio and video surveillance of drug deals as part of the investigation.
"The Spanish Cobras are an organized, centrally-controlled street gang whose members conspire together to sell drugs and protect and enforce their territory in the Chicago area," Robert Grant, special agent-in-charge of the Chicago FBI office, said in the release. "These arrests should remind gangs that law enforcement here is united in our efforts to eradicate the city and suburbs of this plague."
Those arrested and charged federally were scheduled to appear later Wednesday in federal court in front of Judge Susan E. Cox. If convicted, they face mandatory minimum sentences of five years and a maximum of life, the release said.
All those charged were from Chicago with the exception of Floyd Dearmond, 20, of East Chicago, Ind.Insane Spanish Cobras Nation is a "Folks Mob" made up of mostly latinos. Their colors are Green & Black Their symbols include a Cobra Snake, Diamond on Staff w/3 dots. They originated as a Puerto Rican street gang in the Humboldt Park area of Chicago.[M]any Puerto Rican residents to relocated to the Humboldt Park and West Town neighborhoods where their concentration facilitated the creation of Chicago first Puerto Rican neighborhood along the Division street corridor. This area was called "La Division." Around this time, clique orientated clubs and street gangs began to solidify their presence throughout these neighborhoods. Soon after, the Spanish Cobras and Latin Kings street gang began to feud in the Humboldt Park community. In the late 1960's-to-early 70's, the Spanish Cobras united with Latin Disciples, Imperial Gangsters, and Latin Eagles to form the United Latino Organization (ULO), which acted as an alliance among Latino street gangs before the Folks & People alliances were originated in the late 1970's.
(FOLK-NATION)They've done battle with the Simon City Royals:
A key factor in the growth of the Spanish Cobras was the acquisition of territory in Logan Square and in and around the Koz Park area. Prior to this, the Simon City Royals street gang had a firm hold on the grounds.The Spanish Cobras and Simon City Royals fought a violent battle over the control of Koz Park in the 1980's, in which many lives were lost on both sides.They have organized other street gangs:
In 1992, the Spanish Cobras became the principle founder of the "Insane Familia", a group of Latino Folks gangs allied on the streets and in the prisons. All organizations granted membership into the Insane Familia adopted the prefix "Insane" to their gangs title.Here's a list of known rivals:Latin Kings, Insane Unknowns, Simon City Royals, Maniac Latin Disciples, Maniac Campbell Boys, Imperial Gangsters, Latin Eagles, Latin Jivers, Milwaukee Kings, Latin Brothers, Latin Stylers, and Latin Pachucos street gangs.
Convicted killer Kevin Watts blames the lure of quick money to support his life with gangs on the streets of San Antonio for his demise and a date Thursday with the Texas executioner."Fast money is the eyecatcher so we do things to get ourself situated," Watts, 27, said in a recent interview from a small cage in the visiting area of death row. "If you make this choice, you've got to deal with it."
Watts was set for lethal injection Thursday evening for the execution-style slayings of three people during a robbery at a Korean restaurant in San Antonio more than six years ago. The wife of one of the shooting victims also was abducted and raped.
"Some innocent people lost their lives in my case and that was a crappy price for them to pay because I didn't deserve to play God," he said.His even-tempered acknowledgment from prison was a far cry from his outburst in a San Antonio courtroom earlier this year when he ripped into a judge setting his execution date with an obscenity-laden tirade against what he said was a racist criminal justice system."I don't put my trust in no jury, no judge," Watts explained from death row. "They have faults, make mistakes, just like we do. And sometimes they don't have the heart to admit (it)."I might have screwed myself, but I never had a chance to speak for myself, how I was railroaded, how I had an inadequate attorney, how this is not about justice."Watts' lawyer, John Economidy, said Watts' demeanor in court "is exactly how I've had to deal with him in every letter and every face-to-face meeting.""You just have to sit there and be as professional as you can and do your best professional job," Economidy said.Watts' appeals were exhausted and the lawyer said no last-minute appeals were anticipated.Watts would be the second condemned Texas prisoner executed this week, bringing the state's execution total this year to 11. Another 10 inmates are set to die over the next five weeks in the nation's busiest capital punishment state.Watts, carrying a Tec-22 automatic pistol and after a night of drinking and drugs, barged into the Sam Won Gardens restaurant the morning of March 1, 2002, and demanded money. He ordered manager Hak Po Kim, 30, and cooks Yan Tzu Banks, 52, and Sun Chae Shook, 59, to kneel on the kitchen floor, face against a wall, then shot each of them in the head.He forced Kim's wife of two months to retrieve the wallet and keys from her dying husband, grabbed about $100 from a cash register, then drove off with her in Kim's SUV.The truck was spotted at a nearby apartment complex parking lot and police arrested Watts about three hours after the shootings as he tried to flee by ramming it into two patrol cars.
"He had the murder weapon literally tied around his neck," Bill Pennington, the Bexar County assistant district attorney who prosecuted Watts, recalled this week. "We had video of him, the gun being taken from around his neck."
Kim's wife testified against Watts at his trial. Jurors convicted him after 30 minutes of deliberations.Watts was from San Jose, California. He said when he was about 14 his mother tried to get him away from gangs there and moved him to San Antonio to live with an aunt."I came to Texas and I guess you could say I picked up where I left off with the gangs," he said. "I wish I could turn back the hands of time, but that's what I was into at that time."Watts' record included misdemeanor convictions for evading arrest, criminal mischief, trespassing, marijuana possession and driving while intoxicated. He also had a weapons case against him as a 16-year-old.At his trial, defense lawyers didn't deny Watts was responsible for the slayings but tried to show he didn't intend to kill the victims and that he was high on drugs.
On Tuesday, Joseph Ries, 29, is the first of two prisoners set to die next week. He was convicted of breaking into a rural home in Hopkins County in northeast Texas and fatally shooting and taking the car of Robert Ratliff, 64, who was asleep.
Watts was set for lethal injection Thursday evening for the execution-style slayings of three people during a robbery at a Korean restaurant in San Antonio more than six years ago. The wife of one of the shooting victims also was abducted and raped.
"Some innocent people lost their lives in my case and that was a crappy price for them to pay because I didn't deserve to play God," he said.His even-tempered acknowledgment from prison was a far cry from his outburst in a San Antonio courtroom earlier this year when he ripped into a judge setting his execution date with an obscenity-laden tirade against what he said was a racist criminal justice system."I don't put my trust in no jury, no judge," Watts explained from death row. "They have faults, make mistakes, just like we do. And sometimes they don't have the heart to admit (it)."I might have screwed myself, but I never had a chance to speak for myself, how I was railroaded, how I had an inadequate attorney, how this is not about justice."Watts' lawyer, John Economidy, said Watts' demeanor in court "is exactly how I've had to deal with him in every letter and every face-to-face meeting.""You just have to sit there and be as professional as you can and do your best professional job," Economidy said.Watts' appeals were exhausted and the lawyer said no last-minute appeals were anticipated.Watts would be the second condemned Texas prisoner executed this week, bringing the state's execution total this year to 11. Another 10 inmates are set to die over the next five weeks in the nation's busiest capital punishment state.Watts, carrying a Tec-22 automatic pistol and after a night of drinking and drugs, barged into the Sam Won Gardens restaurant the morning of March 1, 2002, and demanded money. He ordered manager Hak Po Kim, 30, and cooks Yan Tzu Banks, 52, and Sun Chae Shook, 59, to kneel on the kitchen floor, face against a wall, then shot each of them in the head.He forced Kim's wife of two months to retrieve the wallet and keys from her dying husband, grabbed about $100 from a cash register, then drove off with her in Kim's SUV.The truck was spotted at a nearby apartment complex parking lot and police arrested Watts about three hours after the shootings as he tried to flee by ramming it into two patrol cars.
"He had the murder weapon literally tied around his neck," Bill Pennington, the Bexar County assistant district attorney who prosecuted Watts, recalled this week. "We had video of him, the gun being taken from around his neck."
Kim's wife testified against Watts at his trial. Jurors convicted him after 30 minutes of deliberations.Watts was from San Jose, California. He said when he was about 14 his mother tried to get him away from gangs there and moved him to San Antonio to live with an aunt."I came to Texas and I guess you could say I picked up where I left off with the gangs," he said. "I wish I could turn back the hands of time, but that's what I was into at that time."Watts' record included misdemeanor convictions for evading arrest, criminal mischief, trespassing, marijuana possession and driving while intoxicated. He also had a weapons case against him as a 16-year-old.At his trial, defense lawyers didn't deny Watts was responsible for the slayings but tried to show he didn't intend to kill the victims and that he was high on drugs.
On Tuesday, Joseph Ries, 29, is the first of two prisoners set to die next week. He was convicted of breaking into a rural home in Hopkins County in northeast Texas and fatally shooting and taking the car of Robert Ratliff, 64, who was asleep.
Todd O'Connor, who fathered four children and twice faced court on drug charges but was never jailed, that up to $700,000 in cash was hidden in his city apartment.
Police, who uncovered the cash, believe O'Connor's apartment was ransacked shortly after his death.Yesterday, friends insisted it had only been visited by family collecting personal belongings.They had been unaware how much money O'Connor, estranged from his wife in recent years, had stashed.Detectives are investigating his business dealings in a bid to identify his killer and head off what they fear could become a round of reprisal attacks.Yet some who were close to O'Connor dismiss this talk."The police seem to be attempting to find a feud that doesn't exist and isn't going to happen," one of O'Connor's friends said. "He was the most harmless guy in the world. You'd have to be an idiot to think he'd start a war."
Among the mourners was prominent Kings Cross promoter John Ibrahim, whose brother, Sam, a former head of the Nomads' Parramatta chapter, gave the 17-year-old O'Connor his first job as a spruiker at the Cross."Todd was a great friend of the Ibrahim family and he will be sorely missed by them," said O'Connor's lawyer, Stephen Alexander, after the funeral had ended.A couple of police photographers snapped the crowd as they spilled out of the cathedral. But they fared better than a group of newspaper photographers. One was punched in the spine before the service began and then, when it was over, three large men approached another group of photographers standing across the road."Take one more photo and I'll smash your camera," a photographer was told.Then came an invitation, repeated several times. "Come for a walk with us." It was an offer the photographer had to refuse.
Gangsters from the Heavy Mob from England may be behind an explosion in cash-in-transit robberies that has seen hundreds of thousands of pounds seized from security guards in the west of Scotland in the past few months.Masked robbers have carried out 17 cash-in-transit "hits" in the Glasgow area this year, with more than £700,000 snatched from security guards delivering money to cash machines at banks, supermarkets and shops.That compares with only five robberies for the whole of last year – and the rise has triggered urgent talks between police, banks and security companies on how to tighten procedures.The group, which has been formed under the auspices of the Scottish Business Crime Centre in Stirling, held its first meeting last month, and is understood to have come up with a range of ideas to make cash-in-transit robberies harder to carry out.Timing of cash deliveries, public awareness, the position of cash machines and specific security measures employed by the security companies will all come under the microscope.Those involved in the talks include senior detectives, representatives from Royal Bank of Scotland, HBOS and other banks and building societies, and the British Security Industry Association.
Manchester has seen a massive reduction in cash-in-transit crimes in the last two years after police launched both high- visibility and covert patrols during cash deliveries.That, and the increase in the crime north of the Border, has raised concerns that the gangs are migrating to Scotland.Strathclyde Police has launched Operation Armada, involving a dedicated team of detectives, to catch the robbers. So far, three arrests have been made, although police believe many more people may have been involved in the crimes.In each of the crimes, the robbers waited for the guard to leave the van with the cash. It is understood a number of the cash containers contained red dye "booby traps", which are meant to explode over the notes, identifying them as stolen. However, in some robberies, the mechanism failed to operate.Those held are from the Glasgow area."We are considering the possibility that the crime may have been displaced from Manchester and elsewhere," he said.
Detectives are alarmed at an increase in the use of violence in the most recent attacks, which have involved the use of knives and guns.One theory for the rise in cash-in-transit robberies is that organised crime groups have shifted focus from the traditional "bank job", which improved security has made much more difficult.
Inspector Martin Rutland, of the Scottish Business Crime Centre, said people involved in these crimes were "highly mobile" and "would not think twice about driving a couple of hundred miles to carry out a hit".He said the proliferation of cash machines in the last ten years had made cash-delivering security guards a potentially bigger target. "Cash carriers are now delivering to many more premises. They're going all over the place. That means the risk profile changes," he said.
"The centre's financial crime group has brought interested parties together to discuss what everybody's issues are from a security perspective.
Manchester has seen a massive reduction in cash-in-transit crimes in the last two years after police launched both high- visibility and covert patrols during cash deliveries.That, and the increase in the crime north of the Border, has raised concerns that the gangs are migrating to Scotland.Strathclyde Police has launched Operation Armada, involving a dedicated team of detectives, to catch the robbers. So far, three arrests have been made, although police believe many more people may have been involved in the crimes.In each of the crimes, the robbers waited for the guard to leave the van with the cash. It is understood a number of the cash containers contained red dye "booby traps", which are meant to explode over the notes, identifying them as stolen. However, in some robberies, the mechanism failed to operate.Those held are from the Glasgow area."We are considering the possibility that the crime may have been displaced from Manchester and elsewhere," he said.
Detectives are alarmed at an increase in the use of violence in the most recent attacks, which have involved the use of knives and guns.One theory for the rise in cash-in-transit robberies is that organised crime groups have shifted focus from the traditional "bank job", which improved security has made much more difficult.
Inspector Martin Rutland, of the Scottish Business Crime Centre, said people involved in these crimes were "highly mobile" and "would not think twice about driving a couple of hundred miles to carry out a hit".He said the proliferation of cash machines in the last ten years had made cash-delivering security guards a potentially bigger target. "Cash carriers are now delivering to many more premises. They're going all over the place. That means the risk profile changes," he said.
"The centre's financial crime group has brought interested parties together to discuss what everybody's issues are from a security perspective.
Adrell Bennett, 19, of Wade Street near Martin Luther King Drive, was shot dead when at least two people forced their way into an apartment at Arlington and Myrtle avenues in the Greenville neighborhood just after midnight, Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio said. Investigators think Bennett was targeted. A resident of the building said a teenage girl screamed, "They killed my cousin!" after the gunfire took the life of the man whose photograph was published Saturday in The Jersey Journal. Authorities said last week Bennett was a gang member with the "52 Hoover Street Gangsta Crips." The building resident, who chose not to give her name, said she woke to the sound of gunshots, then heard an apartment door slam, and then what sounded like two people running down the stairs. Bennett was at the apartment with five teenage girls and an 18-year-old man when someone came to the door, DeFazio said. The man was recognized and the door was partially opened when he and at least one other man forced their way in, DeFazio said. Homicide investigators believe more than one gun was fired, DeFazio said, adding that Bennett did not appear to have been armed. The prosecutor said the murder "may be related to his gang affiliation, but we are still trying to determine the motive. It does not appear to be a robbery at this point." No one else in the apartment was hurt, DeFazio said.
Homicide detectives think Bennett may have wound up in the bathtub while trying to run from his attackers. The man who knocked on the door has been identified, but police have not located him, DeFazio said. The building resident said everyone in the apartment was hysterical when she walked in after the shooting. She said the other man in the apartment ran up the fire escape when the intruders broke in, but that he had returned. She was told that Bennett was having his hair braided when the man came to the door and that one of the girls went to the door and recognized him, but Bennett "was saying don't let anybody in because he thought it was the cops. They said he told her to move away from the door, and he looked, and then he opened the door." Bennett was being sought on numerous drug charges, including distribution of cocaine within 1,000 feet of school property, DeFazio said
Homicide detectives think Bennett may have wound up in the bathtub while trying to run from his attackers. The man who knocked on the door has been identified, but police have not located him, DeFazio said. The building resident said everyone in the apartment was hysterical when she walked in after the shooting. She said the other man in the apartment ran up the fire escape when the intruders broke in, but that he had returned. She was told that Bennett was having his hair braided when the man came to the door and that one of the girls went to the door and recognized him, but Bennett "was saying don't let anybody in because he thought it was the cops. They said he told her to move away from the door, and he looked, and then he opened the door." Bennett was being sought on numerous drug charges, including distribution of cocaine within 1,000 feet of school property, DeFazio said
Four Britons were being held on the Costa del Sol today accused of the shooting of a Liverpool man last month.Beachfront bar security boss Marvin Herbert was gunned down on September 24 at Puerto Banus, the millionaires’ yacht marina on the edge of Marbella.The 33-year-old was shot five times in the eye, the groin, pelvis, right leg and right arm.He was attacked in broad daylight by a lone gunman in front of dozens of witnesses.Herbert remains in hospital after a series of operations.
Police immediately said they believed the attack was a “settling of scores” related to drug trafficking.Puerto Banus and nearby Nueva Andalucia is a favourite hang-out for British and other international “costa crooks”.Herbert is said to have spent several hours drinking coffee alone on the terrace of Solly’s Diner in Puerto Banus before the shooting.At the time sources suggested the attack could have been revenge for the shooting of another Liverpool man in Marbella.Several other tit-for-tat shootings have taken place in the resorts in recent months.Numerous city gangsters are said to be in Spain, including some with links to murders such as that of Colin Smith, Curtis Warren’s former right-hand man shot dead in Speke last November
Police immediately said they believed the attack was a “settling of scores” related to drug trafficking.Puerto Banus and nearby Nueva Andalucia is a favourite hang-out for British and other international “costa crooks”.Herbert is said to have spent several hours drinking coffee alone on the terrace of Solly’s Diner in Puerto Banus before the shooting.At the time sources suggested the attack could have been revenge for the shooting of another Liverpool man in Marbella.Several other tit-for-tat shootings have taken place in the resorts in recent months.Numerous city gangsters are said to be in Spain, including some with links to murders such as that of Colin Smith, Curtis Warren’s former right-hand man shot dead in Speke last November
Don Jessup's killing was a near-perfect crime.Jessup, a 60-year-old motorcycle gang boss, disappeared Dec. 16, 2004, slipping away without notice or explanation.
No body was found. No murder weapon. No substantive forensic evidence recovered. Still, on Monday, a King County jury was introduced to John Price, the 37-year-old biker charged with first-degree murder.Sheriff's deputies investigating Jessup's disappearance narrowed in on Price after the chance arrest of Jason Rebman, a White Center drug dealer who traded information on Jessup's killing for leniency after being found with 2 pounds of methamphetamine, according to court documents.
Rebman connected police with two women who say they were in the Ravensdale home when Price shot Jessup to death over a dispute about a motorcycle.Addressing the jury Monday, Senior Deputy Prosecutor Scott O'Toole focused on a smattering of letters and phone calls Price made to the would-be witnesses against him. In O'Toole's view, the statements -- "I will get off on this whole thing" and "the more your story changes, the better it is for me" -- make the case against Price.While he stopped short of admitting to the killing, Price encouraged the women to lie to investigators and refuse to testify against him. Price, an acknowledged member of the Ghost Riders motorcycle gang, also sent fellow gang members to speak with the witnesses in what prosecutors say was an attempt to silence them.
In letters and phone calls, Price subtly asserted that there was no evidence left against him."Don Jessup's body was never found," O'Toole told the jury, "just as predicted by the defendant."In court documents, prosecutors accuse Price of shooting Jessup in the face during an argument at a Ravensdale home where Price was living with his 19-year-old girlfriend.
Jessup, a past president of the Gypsy Jokers motorcycle gang, arrived at the home for dinner with Price. During the meal, witnesses told police, Jessup taunted Price by offering to sell Price a motorcycle that had been stolen from the home weeks before.Enraged, Price left and returned with a handgun. Prosecutors say he attacked Jessup with an ax handle, then shot him in the mouth as he sat on the floor.
Relaying conversations they'd had with Price, witnesses told King County sheriff's deputies that two other Ghost Riders gang members helped Price clean the house and dispose of Jessup's body. One of the men, William Renner, has since pleaded guilty to two counts of harassment for threatening and offering a $500 bribe to one of the witnesses.Making her opening statement, defense attorney Julie Gaisford assailed the state's case against Price as weak."There is no crime scene. There is no forensic evidence," Gaisford told the jury. "And, as Mr. O'Toole told you, there is no body in this case."Gaisford also impugned Rebman, the witness who first connected Price with Jessup's disappearance. Rebman, Gaisford said, came forward only when he was facing a severe penalty for drug possession.Repeatedly referring to him as "the drug dealer Rebman," Gaisford told the jury he'd also had contact with Jessup shortly before his disappearance.Prosecutors previously objected to defense efforts to include information about Rebman's criminal convictions, as well as crimes to which Jessup was connected. Though he was not charged in either case, Jessup was considered a person of interest in a 2001 Benton County killing, and witnesses in Price's case told the defense that Jessup may have been involved in a second slaying.
No body was found. No murder weapon. No substantive forensic evidence recovered. Still, on Monday, a King County jury was introduced to John Price, the 37-year-old biker charged with first-degree murder.Sheriff's deputies investigating Jessup's disappearance narrowed in on Price after the chance arrest of Jason Rebman, a White Center drug dealer who traded information on Jessup's killing for leniency after being found with 2 pounds of methamphetamine, according to court documents.
Rebman connected police with two women who say they were in the Ravensdale home when Price shot Jessup to death over a dispute about a motorcycle.Addressing the jury Monday, Senior Deputy Prosecutor Scott O'Toole focused on a smattering of letters and phone calls Price made to the would-be witnesses against him. In O'Toole's view, the statements -- "I will get off on this whole thing" and "the more your story changes, the better it is for me" -- make the case against Price.While he stopped short of admitting to the killing, Price encouraged the women to lie to investigators and refuse to testify against him. Price, an acknowledged member of the Ghost Riders motorcycle gang, also sent fellow gang members to speak with the witnesses in what prosecutors say was an attempt to silence them.
In letters and phone calls, Price subtly asserted that there was no evidence left against him."Don Jessup's body was never found," O'Toole told the jury, "just as predicted by the defendant."In court documents, prosecutors accuse Price of shooting Jessup in the face during an argument at a Ravensdale home where Price was living with his 19-year-old girlfriend.
Jessup, a past president of the Gypsy Jokers motorcycle gang, arrived at the home for dinner with Price. During the meal, witnesses told police, Jessup taunted Price by offering to sell Price a motorcycle that had been stolen from the home weeks before.Enraged, Price left and returned with a handgun. Prosecutors say he attacked Jessup with an ax handle, then shot him in the mouth as he sat on the floor.
Relaying conversations they'd had with Price, witnesses told King County sheriff's deputies that two other Ghost Riders gang members helped Price clean the house and dispose of Jessup's body. One of the men, William Renner, has since pleaded guilty to two counts of harassment for threatening and offering a $500 bribe to one of the witnesses.Making her opening statement, defense attorney Julie Gaisford assailed the state's case against Price as weak."There is no crime scene. There is no forensic evidence," Gaisford told the jury. "And, as Mr. O'Toole told you, there is no body in this case."Gaisford also impugned Rebman, the witness who first connected Price with Jessup's disappearance. Rebman, Gaisford said, came forward only when he was facing a severe penalty for drug possession.Repeatedly referring to him as "the drug dealer Rebman," Gaisford told the jury he'd also had contact with Jessup shortly before his disappearance.Prosecutors previously objected to defense efforts to include information about Rebman's criminal convictions, as well as crimes to which Jessup was connected. Though he was not charged in either case, Jessup was considered a person of interest in a 2001 Benton County killing, and witnesses in Price's case told the defense that Jessup may have been involved in a second slaying.
Apartment of murdered Kings Cross identity Todd O'Connor was ransacked - but the thieves missed the prize of several hundred thousand of dollars cash which was hidden
Police investigating the execution-style murder of the former Nomads bikie and strip-club manager found the money when they executed a search warrant on O'Connor's city centre apartment.Detectives with Strike Force Colbee have studied the financial and business dealings of the father-of-four, 41, since he was found shot dead in a street in Tempe last week.With fears his death was a gangland hit, police are bracing for his funeral today with up to 500 family and associates expected at St Mary's Cathedral in the city. Among the mourners is expected to be a Sydney nightclub entrepreneur whose brother was president of the Parramatta chapter of the Nomads outlaw motorcycle gang.O'Connor, also a member of the Parramatta chapter, quit the Nomads when the chapter folded last year but is believed to have joined another pseudo-bikie gang called Notorious which provided muscle around some Kings Cross clubs.The ransacking of his apartment rules out a random hit and points to someone who knew a lot about O'Connor's movementsIt is understood that he moved into the apartment after separating from his wife who lives in Sylvania.O'Connor was well known to police, having been questioned by the Wood Royal Commission about his role in the drug trade and twice faced the courts charged with drug dealing. He was not jailed either time.A police spokeswoman last night would only confirm that police with Strike Force Colbee, comprising officers from the homicide, gangs and Middle Eastern organised crime squads, had executed a search warrant on an inner city apartment."Items were located by strike force detectives which have since been seized for forensic examination," the spokeswoman said yesterday."This is part of standard ongoing inquiries," she added.O'Connor, who suffered at least one wound to the head, was found dead at about 7.30pm on Sunday, October 5.His funeral is not expected to be a full-blown bikie event as police have not been asked to provide an escort for a procession of bikes.
Police investigating the execution-style murder of the former Nomads bikie and strip-club manager found the money when they executed a search warrant on O'Connor's city centre apartment.Detectives with Strike Force Colbee have studied the financial and business dealings of the father-of-four, 41, since he was found shot dead in a street in Tempe last week.With fears his death was a gangland hit, police are bracing for his funeral today with up to 500 family and associates expected at St Mary's Cathedral in the city. Among the mourners is expected to be a Sydney nightclub entrepreneur whose brother was president of the Parramatta chapter of the Nomads outlaw motorcycle gang.O'Connor, also a member of the Parramatta chapter, quit the Nomads when the chapter folded last year but is believed to have joined another pseudo-bikie gang called Notorious which provided muscle around some Kings Cross clubs.The ransacking of his apartment rules out a random hit and points to someone who knew a lot about O'Connor's movementsIt is understood that he moved into the apartment after separating from his wife who lives in Sylvania.O'Connor was well known to police, having been questioned by the Wood Royal Commission about his role in the drug trade and twice faced the courts charged with drug dealing. He was not jailed either time.A police spokeswoman last night would only confirm that police with Strike Force Colbee, comprising officers from the homicide, gangs and Middle Eastern organised crime squads, had executed a search warrant on an inner city apartment."Items were located by strike force detectives which have since been seized for forensic examination," the spokeswoman said yesterday."This is part of standard ongoing inquiries," she added.O'Connor, who suffered at least one wound to the head, was found dead at about 7.30pm on Sunday, October 5.His funeral is not expected to be a full-blown bikie event as police have not been asked to provide an escort for a procession of bikes.
Sentencing of Joseph 'Jockey' Brown and Garfield 'Laws' Murray. Both men, who appeared on Jamaica's Most Wanted list in December 2007, were convicted in the Gun Court on Thursday and each sentenced to four years hard labour by acting high court judge, Leighton Pusey. Brown and Murray were members of the 'Gulf' gang and were wanted for questioning in a number of crimes committed in Gregory Park last year, including murder and police shootings. They were held by the Portmore police in a pre-dawn raid in Johnson's Pen, Spanish Town, on January 23 this year. The evidence, as given by arresting officers Jason McKay and Lloyd knight, was that both men fled from a premises during the raid and ran into a police cordon. When searched by McKay and Knight, both men were found to be carrying firearms and ammunition.
The trial, which ran over a six-day period, saw the accused men being represented by attorney-at-law Jacqueline Cummings and Ronald Koathes. In sentencing the men, Justice Pusey said he had a responsibility to society to ensure the safety of the public and had to send a strong message that illegal firearm and ammunition would not be tolerated by the courts. It was also brought out in sentencing that Brown was training to be a racehorse jockey and Murray, at age 34, did not have a single conviction to his name, despite his infamy.
The trial, which ran over a six-day period, saw the accused men being represented by attorney-at-law Jacqueline Cummings and Ronald Koathes. In sentencing the men, Justice Pusey said he had a responsibility to society to ensure the safety of the public and had to send a strong message that illegal firearm and ammunition would not be tolerated by the courts. It was also brought out in sentencing that Brown was training to be a racehorse jockey and Murray, at age 34, did not have a single conviction to his name, despite his infamy.
The author of Gomorrah, the book about the Naples gang wars that was turned into a prize-winning film, could be dead by Christmas along with his bodyguards, according to a well-placed supergrass. Roberto Saviano, the 29-year-old journalist whose novel-like chronicle of the brutal rule of the Camorra has sold more than a million copies, has been under heavy police protection for two years. Police in Italy are looking into reports that the Naples mafia plans to carry out its threat to kill the author of the best-selling book "Gomorra," which has been made into a hit movie about mafia brutality, by Christmas.Roberto Saviano, 29, has lived in hiding with 24-hour police protection for the past two years since the "Camorra," as the mob in his hometown is known, decided to punish him for the huge success of his book, which is based on his own investigations.It has sold 1.2 million copies in Italy and been translated into 42 languages. Now that it has hit the big screen and is a candidate for the Oscars, the mafia is even angrier and wants Saviano and his bodyguards killed as soon as possible."We've launched in inquiry to verify the truth behind this news," Franco Roberto, a coordinator of the local anti-mafia squad for Naples, told Reuters.Italian papers said the Naples mob's notorious Casalesi clan — in the news recently over the murder of six Africans, which sparked riots by other immigrants — had moved the threat into the "operative" phase and wanted Saviano dead by Christmas.The source of the tip-off was a "supergrass" related to the jailed Camorra godfather Francesco Schiavone, aka "Sandokan."The Camorra has its finger in every pie in Naples and the surrounding areas, from the protection racket to drugs and even waste disposal, as Saviano's book documents in great detail.'Many days are terrible'
With his shaved head, dark close-cropped beard, piercing eyes and black T-shirt, Saviano has become a symbol of the fight against organized crime for a new generation of Italians.He marked two years living under escort on Monday, telling a radio show of his relationship with the policemen who have been his only company since he was forced to leave his home."Many days are terrible," said Saviano, who spends some of his time boxing with escorts "who sometimes call me 'captain.'"
The writer said it was the millions of people who had bought the book who really worried the mafia."It's the readers who have frightened the crime bosses, not me," said Saviano.Some politicians urged the Italian public to show their solidarity with the writer."Nobody must touch Saviano!" said the former cabinet minister Giovanna Melandri, denouncing the Camorra as "one of the main cancers blighting our country."
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