15:25
LIQUID NEWS ENGINE
Gang slideshow
Monday, 30 November 2009
Tyshaun Riley, Philip Atkins and Jason Wisdom -- members of the notorious Galloway Boys
Tyshaun Riley, Philip Atkins and Jason Wisdom -- members of the notorious Galloway Boys, an east-end gang named for their 'hood at Galloway Road and Kingston Road -- could be heard kicking the sides of the armour-plated court services truck bringing them to court on Wednesday morning.
They were also found guilty of attempted murder and participating in a criminal organization in connection with the shooting of two people in March 2004 in Toronto's Malvern neighbourhood. The three did not react well to this news.
They started banging loudly on the door of the prisoner's box and yelling at the judge when the jury pronounced them guilty while family members began screaming and crying."I didn't kill anybody," Riley -- the purported leader -- shouted over and over again. The other two accused the judge of bias.
The judge ordered the men out of the courtroom when the hysteria broke out.
"It was a scene of pandemonium inside the courtroom," said CTV Toronto's Chris Eby who was in court when the verdict was read out.Outside the courtroom, Wisdom's mother collapsed to the sidewalk in hysterics, screaming, "Oh my God." She had testified for the defence, providing an alibi for her son.
For Valda Williams, "Justice was served," she told reporters through tears.
She is the mother of murder victim Brenton Charlton.The case stems from a daylight shooting at the intersection of Finch Avenue and Neilsen Road. Two men were sitting in their car at the intersection waiting for the light to turn green when they were shot. The car had been stopped in front of a busy bus shelter at the time.
Charlton, 31, died of his wounds. Leonard Bell, who was 43 at the time, survived but suffered critical injuries. Bell testified during the trial but told the jury he could not identify who shot him. Williams said she feels an "enormous relief" because of the verdict. She also said she forgives the three men for killing her son.
"For the most part, the people that were shot and wounded or shot and killed by these people were completely innocent victims," Det. Dean Burke, the lead investigator, told reporters.The three accused were in Scarborough on a mission to track down a member of rival gang, the Malvern Crew, hoping to exact retribution for the 2002 murder of a G-Way leader, the Crown argued. "In my view, these were leading members of the G-Way gang," said Crown prosecutor Suhail Ahktar.The murder trial is said to be one of the most expensive street gang prosecutions in Canadian history. It is the result of a Toronto police operation titled "Project Pathfinder." The investigation lasted years and two new courtrooms had to be built to meet the security requirements of the case. Police in paramilitary gear escorted the defendants."It was a unique case in many ways, not least of all because the Crown relied on a former gang member (Roland Ellis) to lay bare many the secrets of the gang that was operating in Galloway," Ahktar said.A first-degree murder conviction carries an automatic life sentence with no possibility of parole for 25 years. They will be sentenced on the other charges later this month.Williams said she had some sympathy for the mothers of the newly convicted men. "No mother want to see their child die and no mother wants to see her children in jail," she said.
They were also found guilty of attempted murder and participating in a criminal organization in connection with the shooting of two people in March 2004 in Toronto's Malvern neighbourhood. The three did not react well to this news.
They started banging loudly on the door of the prisoner's box and yelling at the judge when the jury pronounced them guilty while family members began screaming and crying."I didn't kill anybody," Riley -- the purported leader -- shouted over and over again. The other two accused the judge of bias.
The judge ordered the men out of the courtroom when the hysteria broke out.
"It was a scene of pandemonium inside the courtroom," said CTV Toronto's Chris Eby who was in court when the verdict was read out.Outside the courtroom, Wisdom's mother collapsed to the sidewalk in hysterics, screaming, "Oh my God." She had testified for the defence, providing an alibi for her son.
For Valda Williams, "Justice was served," she told reporters through tears.
She is the mother of murder victim Brenton Charlton.The case stems from a daylight shooting at the intersection of Finch Avenue and Neilsen Road. Two men were sitting in their car at the intersection waiting for the light to turn green when they were shot. The car had been stopped in front of a busy bus shelter at the time.
Charlton, 31, died of his wounds. Leonard Bell, who was 43 at the time, survived but suffered critical injuries. Bell testified during the trial but told the jury he could not identify who shot him. Williams said she feels an "enormous relief" because of the verdict. She also said she forgives the three men for killing her son.
"For the most part, the people that were shot and wounded or shot and killed by these people were completely innocent victims," Det. Dean Burke, the lead investigator, told reporters.The three accused were in Scarborough on a mission to track down a member of rival gang, the Malvern Crew, hoping to exact retribution for the 2002 murder of a G-Way leader, the Crown argued. "In my view, these were leading members of the G-Way gang," said Crown prosecutor Suhail Ahktar.The murder trial is said to be one of the most expensive street gang prosecutions in Canadian history. It is the result of a Toronto police operation titled "Project Pathfinder." The investigation lasted years and two new courtrooms had to be built to meet the security requirements of the case. Police in paramilitary gear escorted the defendants."It was a unique case in many ways, not least of all because the Crown relied on a former gang member (Roland Ellis) to lay bare many the secrets of the gang that was operating in Galloway," Ahktar said.A first-degree murder conviction carries an automatic life sentence with no possibility of parole for 25 years. They will be sentenced on the other charges later this month.Williams said she had some sympathy for the mothers of the newly convicted men. "No mother want to see their child die and no mother wants to see her children in jail," she said.
Alton Reid, 35,died of his injuries on Monday
Alton Reid, 35, had been attending a birthday party at the Atlanta banquet hall on 1240 Ellesmere Rd. in Scarborough on the weekend when someone walked in and started shooting sometime after 3 a.m. on Sunday.Four people were found wounded at the scene, and Reid showed up later at hospital. He died of his injuries on Monday.
Reid's autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday.
Sara Villella, 27, was convicted of 13 charges, including smuggling firearms across the Windsor border for the "Malvern Crew."
Sara Villella, 27, was convicted of 13 charges, including smuggling firearms across the Windsor border for the "Malvern Crew." Crown prosecutors asked for a 10-year prison term, calling her a "merchant of death" who had a split personality.The judge, however, felt that was too high. He scolded Villella for the poor choices that have ruined her life and shamed her hard-working parents, who live in Hamilton.
Villella's lawyer Randall Barrs blamed her fall from grace on her boyfriend, who received a sentence about twice as long for his criminal lifestyle, which included smuggling 23 guns across the border. Villella was arrested in May 2004 during sweeping raids by Toronto police. More than 500 charges were laid against 65 people involved with the street gang. Twenty-eight firearms were seized, along with drugs such as ecstasy, marijuana and cocaine. Members of Scarborough's Malvern Crew are responsible for several shootings throughout the GTA. The gang's No. 2 man, 30-year-old David Francis, received a seven-year prison term in August after pleading guilty to gun running and participating in the shooting of a rival gang member.
Villella's lawyer Randall Barrs blamed her fall from grace on her boyfriend, who received a sentence about twice as long for his criminal lifestyle, which included smuggling 23 guns across the border. Villella was arrested in May 2004 during sweeping raids by Toronto police. More than 500 charges were laid against 65 people involved with the street gang. Twenty-eight firearms were seized, along with drugs such as ecstasy, marijuana and cocaine. Members of Scarborough's Malvern Crew are responsible for several shootings throughout the GTA. The gang's No. 2 man, 30-year-old David Francis, received a seven-year prison term in August after pleading guilty to gun running and participating in the shooting of a rival gang member.
Tuesday, 24 November 2009
Barrios Cathedral City gang Najera, a confessed gang member, was a month and a half out of jail and had something to prove to his gang
Deputy District Attorney Victoria Weiss spent more than 2 hours during closing arguments telling jurors why Miguel Najera should be found guilty. Weiss says Najera, a confessed gang member, was a month and a half out of jail and had something to prove to his gang, the Barrios Cathedral City gang.
"He was back on gang turf. He was back hanging out with BCC homies. And he was back in the gang lifestyle," says Weiss.Police arrested Najera in 2006 for killing Adrian Cedeno. He's also accused of stealing Cedeno's wallet and watch. Prosecutors say he wanted to kill another man, but instead he shot Cedeno. His defense attorney told the jury his client wasn't in the gang in 2006 and was just looking for drugs.
"He didn't go there for the glory of the gang. He went there to satisfy his craving, his drug addiction," says Defense Attorney Jeff Zimel.Najera told police he accidentally shot cedeno during an argument. The defense says the victim was on drugs at the time of shooting and started the argument."We're not saying he didn't pull the trigger. He did. But it wasn't to kill the man. It was his reaction to the mans movement."The prosecution is pushing for the death penalty because of Najera's gang affiliations and the killing allegedly happened during a robbery. If found guilty, a judge will ultimately determine his fate.
"He was back on gang turf. He was back hanging out with BCC homies. And he was back in the gang lifestyle," says Weiss.Police arrested Najera in 2006 for killing Adrian Cedeno. He's also accused of stealing Cedeno's wallet and watch. Prosecutors say he wanted to kill another man, but instead he shot Cedeno. His defense attorney told the jury his client wasn't in the gang in 2006 and was just looking for drugs.
"He didn't go there for the glory of the gang. He went there to satisfy his craving, his drug addiction," says Defense Attorney Jeff Zimel.Najera told police he accidentally shot cedeno during an argument. The defense says the victim was on drugs at the time of shooting and started the argument."We're not saying he didn't pull the trigger. He did. But it wasn't to kill the man. It was his reaction to the mans movement."The prosecution is pushing for the death penalty because of Najera's gang affiliations and the killing allegedly happened during a robbery. If found guilty, a judge will ultimately determine his fate.
Alton Reid, 35, has been identified as someone who had belonged to the notorious Malvern Crew street gang.
Toronto's 54th homicide victim has been identified as someone who had belonged to the notorious Malvern Crew street gang.Alton Reid, 35, had been attending a birthday party at the Atlanta banquet hall on 1240 Ellesmere Rd. in Scarborough on the weekend when someone walked in and started shooting sometime after 3 a.m. on Sunday.
Four people were found wounded at the scene, and Reid showed up later at hospital. He died of his injuries on Monday.Reid's autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday.
He had been arrested in 2004 as part of Project Impact, a police crackdown on the gang following a vicious war between the Malvern Crew and the Galloway Boys.
Police charged Reid with a number of offences:
•aggravated assault
•discharging a firearm
•participating in a criminal organization
•related conspiracy charges
Project Pathfinder targeted the Galloway Boys.
Three Galloway Boys were found guilty in the March 3, 2004 murder of one men in Malvern. The court heard the trio were allegedly looking for Reid.
Instead, they shot and killed Brenton Charlton and gravely wounded Leonard Bell as the two men sat stopped in their car at a light.Tyshan Riley, Philip Atkins and Jason Wisdom got life sentences for the attempted murder of Bell and a life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years after being convicted of first-degree murder in the death of Charlton.
Four people were found wounded at the scene, and Reid showed up later at hospital. He died of his injuries on Monday.Reid's autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday.
He had been arrested in 2004 as part of Project Impact, a police crackdown on the gang following a vicious war between the Malvern Crew and the Galloway Boys.
Police charged Reid with a number of offences:
•aggravated assault
•discharging a firearm
•participating in a criminal organization
•related conspiracy charges
Project Pathfinder targeted the Galloway Boys.
Three Galloway Boys were found guilty in the March 3, 2004 murder of one men in Malvern. The court heard the trio were allegedly looking for Reid.
Instead, they shot and killed Brenton Charlton and gravely wounded Leonard Bell as the two men sat stopped in their car at a light.Tyshan Riley, Philip Atkins and Jason Wisdom got life sentences for the attempted murder of Bell and a life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years after being convicted of first-degree murder in the death of Charlton.
Paul Bergrin, was indicted earlier this month in a 39-count racketeering indictment.
From federal prosecutor to accused violent gangster, pimp, and drug-dealer...That's the unusual career trajectory taken, say the Feds, by Paul Bergrin, who was indicted earlier this month in a 39-count racketeering indictment. In a drama that could have been made for HBO, Bergrin -- a white-collar defense lawyer who once represented, pro bono, a solider accused of abusing Abu Ghraib detainees -- seems to have allowed his gangster clients to drag him into a world of violent crime. And he may have gone a lot further than Maury Levy ever did for Stringer Bell.
Shane Kelter of Vancouver, 32, was shot several times outside an upscale Bay Street condo tower after he exited a white limousine
Shane Kelter of Vancouver, 32, was shot several times outside an upscale Bay Street condo tower after he exited a white limousine just after 3 a.m. Sunday. An autopsy Monday concluded he died from gunshot wounds to the chest. Homicide investigators believe the slaying is drug-related. "The evidence to me suggests this person was targeted," Det. Graham Gibson, a homicide squad officer, told CTV News.
A discarded revolver was found near Queen's Park shortly after the shooting. Video surveillance is being gathered as Toronto Police look for suspects. Kelter, who was said to be visiting a friend in Toronto, has a lengthy criminal history in British Columbia and the United States. A man by the same name and born in the same year was facing conspiracy charges in the U.S. for alleged involvement in an ecstasy and methamphetamine drug smuggling ring between B.C., Ontario and California. Kelter was one of six Canadians charged in September 2008 as part of a massive two-year international drug investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration called "Operation Candystore." The United States Attorney's Office said the drug ring organization allegedly imported ecstasy and marijuana from Canada and sent cocaine to Canada from the United States. Investigators said Kelter worked for Jason Ming Wei, a Canadian national living in Temple City, California, "in relation to drug smuggling between the United States and Canada." Various media reports suggest Kelter was involved in the Independent Soldiers gang, an organization associated with drug distribution and money laundering operations.
A discarded revolver was found near Queen's Park shortly after the shooting. Video surveillance is being gathered as Toronto Police look for suspects. Kelter, who was said to be visiting a friend in Toronto, has a lengthy criminal history in British Columbia and the United States. A man by the same name and born in the same year was facing conspiracy charges in the U.S. for alleged involvement in an ecstasy and methamphetamine drug smuggling ring between B.C., Ontario and California. Kelter was one of six Canadians charged in September 2008 as part of a massive two-year international drug investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration called "Operation Candystore." The United States Attorney's Office said the drug ring organization allegedly imported ecstasy and marijuana from Canada and sent cocaine to Canada from the United States. Investigators said Kelter worked for Jason Ming Wei, a Canadian national living in Temple City, California, "in relation to drug smuggling between the United States and Canada." Various media reports suggest Kelter was involved in the Independent Soldiers gang, an organization associated with drug distribution and money laundering operations.
Defendants from the Maryland branch of the “Latin Kings” gang, a group with thousands of members largely based in Chicago and New York
Defendants from the Maryland branch of the “Latin Kings” gang, a group with thousands of members largely based in Chicago and New York, face a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted, the US Justice Department said in a statement.
“Today’s indictment alleges that the Latin Kings gang is an organized criminal enterprise with leaders and members who commit violent crimes,” said US Attorney Rod Rosenstein.The indictment charges that “from a date unknown to the present, the Latin Kings members conspired to commit attempted murders, robberies, witness tampering and arson to further their racketeering scheme,” the Justice Department said.The group is alleged to have been started in Maryland from the spring of 2007 by Miguel Cruz and Erick Roman, who named their “tribe” of the main gang the “Royal Lion Tribe of Maryland.”Thousands of members affiliated with the gang — officially named “Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation” — are said to be spread throughout the United States and Latin America.“Gangs, like the one charged in this indictment, may be relentless in protecting their turf, but we will be relentless in taking it back,” vowed assistant attorney general Lanny Breuer.Among the charges, officials accuse Latin Kings members of gathering materials for a firebombing; stabbing a suspected rival gang member in Maryland; shooting at other gang members in New York; committing a number of burglaries; and conspiring to murder a security guard, and a female gang member for “snitching.”“We dismantled a large part of the Latin Kings organization whose members allegedly used violence to secure the sanctity of their private society. We have made a serious impact on violent crime and gang violence,” said Kenneth Melson, deputy director of the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
Las Vegas Police Officer Trevor Nettleton, 30, was murdered illustrating just how dangerous life has become in Las Vegas, due to gang violence.
Las Vegas Police Officer Trevor Nettleton, 30, was mortally wounded by several assailants, while standing in his garage. His wife, two children, and his mom were in the house, only a few feet away. Officer Nettleton died in his mother’s arms that night.Las Vegas police Officer Chrissie Coon told reporters: "He was standing in the garage with the garage door open when he was attacked by multiple suspects. It looks like it was an attempted robbery. There was an exchange of gunfire."Officer Nettleton was in the garage that night, after working his shift, building a toy for his 2-year-old son. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps for ten years, before joining the police department three years ago.In addition to his son, Officer Nettleton leaves behind a wife, and an infant daughter.His brother, Ryan Nettleton, is also in the military and was in Iraq when he heard that his brother had been murdered.Ryan told KING 5 News: "He wanted to be a cop so bad when we were kids, and I wanted to be one, too. So we decided the best way to pursue that goal was to become military service members."Ryan continued: "I'm going to say goodbye to my brother, I'm more worried about my mother. It's bad enough when a parent outlives a child, but to have your child die in your arms from a murder. I can't imagine."
The accused killers Saul Williams, Jr., 20, Prentice Marshall, 18, Quadrae Scott, 18, Emmitt Ferguson, 18, and a 17-year-old juvenile are all gang members, all face various charges including murder, attempted robbery, as well as conspiracy.
Marshall as well as the unnamed juvenile face charges in another robbery which occurred less than an hour before they allegedly killed Officer Nettleton.
This murder illustrates just how dangerous life has become in Las Vegas, due to gang violence. According to the Southern Nevada Community Gang Task Force, there are at least 11,000 gang members in and around Las Vegas, including 5,000 minors. Law enforcement has identified 500 different gangs in the area.Officer Nettleton will be laid to rest on Wednesday, after a funeral Mass at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Roman Catholic Church. If you wish to make a donation to Officer Nettleton’s family, you may do so at any Wells Fargo Bank, by making a deposit to the Ryan Nettleton Relief Fund.
The accused killers Saul Williams, Jr., 20, Prentice Marshall, 18, Quadrae Scott, 18, Emmitt Ferguson, 18, and a 17-year-old juvenile are all gang members, all face various charges including murder, attempted robbery, as well as conspiracy.
Marshall as well as the unnamed juvenile face charges in another robbery which occurred less than an hour before they allegedly killed Officer Nettleton.
This murder illustrates just how dangerous life has become in Las Vegas, due to gang violence. According to the Southern Nevada Community Gang Task Force, there are at least 11,000 gang members in and around Las Vegas, including 5,000 minors. Law enforcement has identified 500 different gangs in the area.Officer Nettleton will be laid to rest on Wednesday, after a funeral Mass at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Roman Catholic Church. If you wish to make a donation to Officer Nettleton’s family, you may do so at any Wells Fargo Bank, by making a deposit to the Ryan Nettleton Relief Fund.
Three 20-year-old men were convicted last Wednesday and sentenced to a combined total of 44 years after a seven-week crime spree Melbourne’s West
Three 20-year-old men were convicted last Wednesday and sentenced to a combined total of 44 years after a seven-week crime spree through Melbourne’s West, including the brutal bashing of former Australian Medical Association head Dr Haikerwal.
Ringleader, Alfer Azzopardi, 20, of Coolaroo, received a cumulative sentence of 18 years and six months for a total of 46 offences.Michael Baltatzis, of Glenroy, 20, received a cumulative sentence of 16 years and six months.Sean Gabriel, 20, of Hoppers Crossing, was sentenced to a cumulative maximum of nine years and nine months.Azzopardi will be eligible for parole in 2022, Baltatzis in 2019 and Gabriel in 2014.Dr Haikerwal said that he didn’t take great comfort that people would be locked up.“None of us will be happy about people being behind bars, but we’re comfortable that justice has been done, and that there is a strong message that violence won’t be tolerated,” he said.On AFL Grand Final night last year, Dr Haikerwal was brutally beaten with a baseball bat in Williamstown.
The affects of the attack meant Dr Haikerwal needed neurosurgery to remove blood clots on his brain, and suffered severe physical and emotional trauma.
“I was one of seven victims, and there were 34 individuals who had significant trauma in this spate of attacks,” he said.
“I’m very trepidatious when I do go out, but I haven’t let it change my lifestyle,” he said.
“I always have a phone with me, I try and avoid unlit areas and if possible have a person with me.”
Dr Haikerwal said he had to have significant time off work, time to rehabilitate and was still recovering his strength.
“I have to be very careful of what I do and how I do it. I try and live my life to the full, but it’s hard because I get very, very tired due to my injuries,” he said.
There were 34 victims from the attacks which occurred between August and September 2008. Some 24 were males and 10 females. Two bear permanent reminders of the attacks in the form of scars on their faces.
Judge Gullaci identified a commonality between the victims, with the majority being vulnerable, alone and generally in a dark public place. The judge said the offending was “pre-meditated, planned and executed” and that each offender “had their role”, with many attacks involving a knife, baseball bat or metal pole.
The judge had also said the offenders had cruised around Melbourne searching for victims. Judge Gullaci said that, in the brutal beating of Dr Haikerwal, Azzopardi had taken the baseball bat from another co-accused saying, “you’re not doing it right, give it to me”, with which he took a giant swing at Dr Haikerwal’s head.
The judge concluded that the three were not beyond redemption as young, remorseful and with “limited intelligence” and were identified as being “part of a gang”.
Judge Gullaci said the sentences served not only as punishment but as a statement that society would not tolerate these offences. “The courts have a duty, that if you offend in this cowardly and despicable manner, then a lengthy period of imprisonment awaits,” he said.
Dr Haikerwal thanked the police and community for their support.
“I can’t thank enough all the people around me in our local community, in Victoria and across Australia and indeed the world. They have been real pillar of strength for my family and myself in a situation that no-one should find themselves in – half an hour away from death.”
Ringleader, Alfer Azzopardi, 20, of Coolaroo, received a cumulative sentence of 18 years and six months for a total of 46 offences.Michael Baltatzis, of Glenroy, 20, received a cumulative sentence of 16 years and six months.Sean Gabriel, 20, of Hoppers Crossing, was sentenced to a cumulative maximum of nine years and nine months.Azzopardi will be eligible for parole in 2022, Baltatzis in 2019 and Gabriel in 2014.Dr Haikerwal said that he didn’t take great comfort that people would be locked up.“None of us will be happy about people being behind bars, but we’re comfortable that justice has been done, and that there is a strong message that violence won’t be tolerated,” he said.On AFL Grand Final night last year, Dr Haikerwal was brutally beaten with a baseball bat in Williamstown.
The affects of the attack meant Dr Haikerwal needed neurosurgery to remove blood clots on his brain, and suffered severe physical and emotional trauma.
“I was one of seven victims, and there were 34 individuals who had significant trauma in this spate of attacks,” he said.
“I’m very trepidatious when I do go out, but I haven’t let it change my lifestyle,” he said.
“I always have a phone with me, I try and avoid unlit areas and if possible have a person with me.”
Dr Haikerwal said he had to have significant time off work, time to rehabilitate and was still recovering his strength.
“I have to be very careful of what I do and how I do it. I try and live my life to the full, but it’s hard because I get very, very tired due to my injuries,” he said.
There were 34 victims from the attacks which occurred between August and September 2008. Some 24 were males and 10 females. Two bear permanent reminders of the attacks in the form of scars on their faces.
Judge Gullaci identified a commonality between the victims, with the majority being vulnerable, alone and generally in a dark public place. The judge said the offending was “pre-meditated, planned and executed” and that each offender “had their role”, with many attacks involving a knife, baseball bat or metal pole.
The judge had also said the offenders had cruised around Melbourne searching for victims. Judge Gullaci said that, in the brutal beating of Dr Haikerwal, Azzopardi had taken the baseball bat from another co-accused saying, “you’re not doing it right, give it to me”, with which he took a giant swing at Dr Haikerwal’s head.
The judge concluded that the three were not beyond redemption as young, remorseful and with “limited intelligence” and were identified as being “part of a gang”.
Judge Gullaci said the sentences served not only as punishment but as a statement that society would not tolerate these offences. “The courts have a duty, that if you offend in this cowardly and despicable manner, then a lengthy period of imprisonment awaits,” he said.
Dr Haikerwal thanked the police and community for their support.
“I can’t thank enough all the people around me in our local community, in Victoria and across Australia and indeed the world. They have been real pillar of strength for my family and myself in a situation that no-one should find themselves in – half an hour away from death.”
Shane Kelter, 32, was just getting out of a white limousine when he was sprayed by gunfire near Wellesley and Bay just after 3 a.m. Sunday.
Shane Kelter, 32, was just getting out of a white limousine when he was sprayed by gunfire near Wellesley and Bay just after 3 a.m. Sunday."The post-mortem examination determined the cause of death as gunshot wounds to the torso," Const. Tony Vella said in a news release.Kelter was well-known in B.C. and charged last year in a massive undercover investigation along with 17 others for allegedly moving marijuana, ecstasy and cocaine between B.C., Ontario and California.
Kelter and Vancouver residents Walther Edgardo (Sharky) Orellana Aguilar and John (Keith) Wark were facing extradition. They were allegedly working with another B.C. man, Jason I. Ming Wei, who was arrested in Los Angeles in September 2008.Two other Toronto men, Jagmohan Singh Dhillon, 35, and 32-year-old Paramijt (Pumma) Singh, allegedly helped facilitate the transportation of Wei's drugs between Canada and the U.S., according to the U.S. indictment. Kelter had a lengthy criminal record in B.C. and was facing two sets of charges here at the time of his death in Ontario.He was convicted two months ago of resisting a police officer in Vancouver and fined $100. Last March, he was convicted of assaulting someone at Whistler and got a $1,000 fine and 45 days probation. He was charged in North Vancouver in August with refusing to provide a breath sample to police and was due back in court on that charge later this week. Also last March, he was charged in West Vancouver with driving while prohibited - a count he was due to go to trial on next year.In 2002, he was convicted in Richmond of having a growing operation, for which he got a conditional sentence of nine months and an order to pay $3,251.58 restitution. He faced drug-trafficking charges in North Vancouver in 1998, but only two co-accused were convicted.The California drug conspiracy trial was set to resume on June 15, 2010 for the defendants in custody.Many of the court documents filed more recently in the case have been ordered sealed.But U.S. authorities said at the time of the charges that during the investigation, they seized cash and drugs, including a 60-kilogram shipment of cocaine and a 35-kilogram shipment of cocaine. The indictment said Kelter would direct the activities of Wei - the Canadian in California - "related to the trafficking of narcotics to or from Canada and the laundering of money."
Wei was the middleman, the documents say, overseeing the meth entering from Canada and "the trafficking of kilogram quantities of cocaine to Canada from the United States." Wei was recorded talking to one of the Toronto men, Singh, on June 15, 2007 about sending Dhillon "to pick up cocaine from defendant Wei in Los Angeles county to transport to Canada." Wei allegedly spoke on the phone to Dhillon later that week, and Dhillon "explained that he was driving a tractor-trailer so that defendant Wei could load the cocaine."
Kelter and Vancouver residents Walther Edgardo (Sharky) Orellana Aguilar and John (Keith) Wark were facing extradition. They were allegedly working with another B.C. man, Jason I. Ming Wei, who was arrested in Los Angeles in September 2008.Two other Toronto men, Jagmohan Singh Dhillon, 35, and 32-year-old Paramijt (Pumma) Singh, allegedly helped facilitate the transportation of Wei's drugs between Canada and the U.S., according to the U.S. indictment. Kelter had a lengthy criminal record in B.C. and was facing two sets of charges here at the time of his death in Ontario.He was convicted two months ago of resisting a police officer in Vancouver and fined $100. Last March, he was convicted of assaulting someone at Whistler and got a $1,000 fine and 45 days probation. He was charged in North Vancouver in August with refusing to provide a breath sample to police and was due back in court on that charge later this week. Also last March, he was charged in West Vancouver with driving while prohibited - a count he was due to go to trial on next year.In 2002, he was convicted in Richmond of having a growing operation, for which he got a conditional sentence of nine months and an order to pay $3,251.58 restitution. He faced drug-trafficking charges in North Vancouver in 1998, but only two co-accused were convicted.The California drug conspiracy trial was set to resume on June 15, 2010 for the defendants in custody.Many of the court documents filed more recently in the case have been ordered sealed.But U.S. authorities said at the time of the charges that during the investigation, they seized cash and drugs, including a 60-kilogram shipment of cocaine and a 35-kilogram shipment of cocaine. The indictment said Kelter would direct the activities of Wei - the Canadian in California - "related to the trafficking of narcotics to or from Canada and the laundering of money."
Wei was the middleman, the documents say, overseeing the meth entering from Canada and "the trafficking of kilogram quantities of cocaine to Canada from the United States." Wei was recorded talking to one of the Toronto men, Singh, on June 15, 2007 about sending Dhillon "to pick up cocaine from defendant Wei in Los Angeles county to transport to Canada." Wei allegedly spoke on the phone to Dhillon later that week, and Dhillon "explained that he was driving a tractor-trailer so that defendant Wei could load the cocaine."
Billy Joe Johnson, 46,white supremacist gang member in Orange County was sentenced to death Monday
white supremacist gang member in Orange County was sentenced to death Monday for his involvement in the murder of a fellow gang member who had divulged gang secrets on television, authorities said.Billy Joe Johnson, 46, was convicted last month of assisting two other men in the March 2002 murder of Scott Miller, a founding member of the gang, the Orange County district attorney's office said. Miller was featured in a Fox News broadcast a year earlier that focused on a criminal case against known leaders of the gang.Michael Allen Lamb, 35, and Jacob Anthony Rump, 34, were also convicted for their role in the murder. Last year Lamb was sentenced to death, and in 2007 Rump received life without the possibility of parole.Johnson was charged with this murder Aug. 23, 2007, after the conviction of two previously charged co-defendants. Co-defendants Michael Allen Lamb, 35, and Jacob Anthony Rump, 34, (Case #03CF0441) were convicted by a jury on July 10, 2007, of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, committing murder for the benefit of a criminal street gang, two counts of possession of a firearm by a violent felon, two counts of possession of a firearm by a felon, carrying a firearm as an active gang member, two counts of street terrorism, and the attempted murder of a peace officer. The jury also found true the special circumstance of murder committed for the benefit of a criminal street gang and sentencing enhancements for criminal street gang activity, the personal discharge of a firearm causing death, and vicarious discharge of a firearm causing death as a gang member. On Oct. 5, 2007, Rump was sentenced to the maximum sentence, as sought by the People, of life without the possibility of parole. On June 11, 2008, a jury recommended that Lamb receive the death penalty. Lamb was sentenced Aug. 22, 2008, to death.
The Murder of Scott Miller
In February 2001, Fox 11 News profiled a violent white supremacist criminal street gang, focusing on a pending criminal case against known leaders of the gang who were on trial for conspiracy to commit murder. Scott Miller, a founding member of the gang, was featured in the broadcast, offending fellow gang members who felt he was airing "dirty laundry." While Miller's voice and face were disguised, his tattoos were visible and made it possible for fellow gang members to identify him.
On March 8, 2002, Miller was at a party in Costa Mesa with other members of his white supremacist gang. Johnson lured Miller from the party under the guise of purchasing drugs in Anaheim with the understanding that they would return to the party later. Johnson drove an unsuspecting Miller to an Anaheim apartment complex with the expectation that Lamb and Rump would be waiting there to murder the victim. Lamb and Rump were waiting in an alley and executed Miller by shooting him in the back of the head at close range with a 9mm firearm.On March 11, 2002, Lamb and Rump became involved in a police car chase in Anaheim. They tried to flee from police, jumped from the moving vehicle, and ran off into an apartment complex. As the officers attempted to close in on them, the defendants fired a shot at police officers. Lamb and Rump surrendered after the gun they were firing jammed. The gun used to shoot at the officers was the same 9mm that was used to murder Miller three days earlier. During the murder trial against Lamb and Rump, Johnson lied on the stand by testifying that he had been the shooter in the murder of Miller. He lied in order to make himself a "martyr" for his gang by attempting to keep Lamb and Rump out of prison. In order to testify, Johnson was brought to Orange County from state prison, where he is serving time for an unrelated 2004 gang murder, where he repeatedly hit a man in the head with a hammer.During the penalty phase of the jury trial against Johnson, the defendant admitted to committing two additional murders to which he had not been previously connected. Without giving the names of the victims, Johnson admitted that he had killed one additional man while out of custody and one inmate while in custody. The defendant claimed that he directed violence toward gang members, rapists, "rats", and drug dealers. Johnson testified that his victims brought their murders upon themselves and when asked if he had anything to say to Miller's mother, Johnson replied, "Sorry for your luck." Senior Deputy District Attorney Ebrahim Baytieh of the Homicide Unit prosecuted this case.
The Murder of Scott Miller
In February 2001, Fox 11 News profiled a violent white supremacist criminal street gang, focusing on a pending criminal case against known leaders of the gang who were on trial for conspiracy to commit murder. Scott Miller, a founding member of the gang, was featured in the broadcast, offending fellow gang members who felt he was airing "dirty laundry." While Miller's voice and face were disguised, his tattoos were visible and made it possible for fellow gang members to identify him.
On March 8, 2002, Miller was at a party in Costa Mesa with other members of his white supremacist gang. Johnson lured Miller from the party under the guise of purchasing drugs in Anaheim with the understanding that they would return to the party later. Johnson drove an unsuspecting Miller to an Anaheim apartment complex with the expectation that Lamb and Rump would be waiting there to murder the victim. Lamb and Rump were waiting in an alley and executed Miller by shooting him in the back of the head at close range with a 9mm firearm.On March 11, 2002, Lamb and Rump became involved in a police car chase in Anaheim. They tried to flee from police, jumped from the moving vehicle, and ran off into an apartment complex. As the officers attempted to close in on them, the defendants fired a shot at police officers. Lamb and Rump surrendered after the gun they were firing jammed. The gun used to shoot at the officers was the same 9mm that was used to murder Miller three days earlier. During the murder trial against Lamb and Rump, Johnson lied on the stand by testifying that he had been the shooter in the murder of Miller. He lied in order to make himself a "martyr" for his gang by attempting to keep Lamb and Rump out of prison. In order to testify, Johnson was brought to Orange County from state prison, where he is serving time for an unrelated 2004 gang murder, where he repeatedly hit a man in the head with a hammer.During the penalty phase of the jury trial against Johnson, the defendant admitted to committing two additional murders to which he had not been previously connected. Without giving the names of the victims, Johnson admitted that he had killed one additional man while out of custody and one inmate while in custody. The defendant claimed that he directed violence toward gang members, rapists, "rats", and drug dealers. Johnson testified that his victims brought their murders upon themselves and when asked if he had anything to say to Miller's mother, Johnson replied, "Sorry for your luck." Senior Deputy District Attorney Ebrahim Baytieh of the Homicide Unit prosecuted this case.
Teenager was killed by a shotgun blast Monday night in Northeast El Paso.
The 17-year-old male was shot at 7:30 p.m. during a gathering with other young people at a home in the 3900 block of Thomason Avenue near Dyer Street, police said.
The shotgun was fired when an argument began when another group arrived at the gathering, police spokesman Officer Chris Mears said.The wounded teen was taken to Beaumont Army Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.Ambulance transmissions indicated the man had buckshot wounds to the torso and neck.Red and yellow crime scene tape sealed off the area late Monday night."We do have reason to believe it is gang related," Mears said.Police would not confirm comments by residents that the teen was a student at nearby Chapin High School.There had been no arrests. Late Monday night, investigators were talking to neighbors, with the police mobile command center parked on the street.
The shotgun was fired when an argument began when another group arrived at the gathering, police spokesman Officer Chris Mears said.The wounded teen was taken to Beaumont Army Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.Ambulance transmissions indicated the man had buckshot wounds to the torso and neck.Red and yellow crime scene tape sealed off the area late Monday night."We do have reason to believe it is gang related," Mears said.Police would not confirm comments by residents that the teen was a student at nearby Chapin High School.There had been no arrests. Late Monday night, investigators were talking to neighbors, with the police mobile command center parked on the street.
Return of graffiti markings from the Barrio Williams Street gang
Return of graffiti markings from the Barrio Williams Street gang whose presence has been almost nonexistent since the mid- '90s."When we do have something that's gang related it's generally going to be something in the library, or something off campus," Laws said. "For a couple of years we were having some gang activity in the teen center on the third floor of the King Library."It took a lot of directed patrol on the part of the library security staff and the officers working in the King Library to minimize and diffuse that problem."Anh Thu Tran, a junior hospitality and management major, said she has not seen any gang activity on campus.
"Around my old neighborhood, yes, my brother has been jumped twice at Independence High, but around campus I haven't heard much about any gang violence," she said. "I'm not here on campus often. I'm here for classes, then I leave."
Tran said she has noticed graffiti tagging on the fence of her sorority house, but doesn't know the markings of any gangs. "There's obviously parties around campus and toward the evenings, or there's people that are walking the streets at night, but we don't know if they're students or not," she said. "They tend to get violent if they are not given access to some of the parties that happen to be around campus. And we've been noticing that lately."Tran said when violence breaks out at a party, they usually call the police. San Jose Community Services Supervisor Mario Maciel, said San Jose is one of the safest cities in the Bay Area.
"I haven't seen any major trends forming," he said.He said most incidents occur at parties thrown by SJSU students, but those are isolated incidents.
"A college student probably is not a gang banger," Maciel said.Laws said gangs have not been a problem on campus. "Through directed enforcement by the university police and by the city police department, we were able to essentially make the Barrio Williams Street gang something that was no longer of concern to the university," he said.Laws said UPD officers have reported seeing graffiti tagging that is associated with that gang, but no other activity has been associated with the Barrio Williams Street gang.Lt. John Spicer, from the San Jose Police Department, said the area adjacent to the campus has the lowest reported amount of gang violence out of the four geographical areas in San Jose. He said those areas include Central Division (where SJSU is located), Foothill Division (East San Jose), Western Division, and the Southern Division.Spicer said 10 incidents were reported in the Central Division in the last month
"Around my old neighborhood, yes, my brother has been jumped twice at Independence High, but around campus I haven't heard much about any gang violence," she said. "I'm not here on campus often. I'm here for classes, then I leave."
Tran said she has noticed graffiti tagging on the fence of her sorority house, but doesn't know the markings of any gangs. "There's obviously parties around campus and toward the evenings, or there's people that are walking the streets at night, but we don't know if they're students or not," she said. "They tend to get violent if they are not given access to some of the parties that happen to be around campus. And we've been noticing that lately."Tran said when violence breaks out at a party, they usually call the police. San Jose Community Services Supervisor Mario Maciel, said San Jose is one of the safest cities in the Bay Area.
"I haven't seen any major trends forming," he said.He said most incidents occur at parties thrown by SJSU students, but those are isolated incidents.
"A college student probably is not a gang banger," Maciel said.Laws said gangs have not been a problem on campus. "Through directed enforcement by the university police and by the city police department, we were able to essentially make the Barrio Williams Street gang something that was no longer of concern to the university," he said.Laws said UPD officers have reported seeing graffiti tagging that is associated with that gang, but no other activity has been associated with the Barrio Williams Street gang.Lt. John Spicer, from the San Jose Police Department, said the area adjacent to the campus has the lowest reported amount of gang violence out of the four geographical areas in San Jose. He said those areas include Central Division (where SJSU is located), Foothill Division (East San Jose), Western Division, and the Southern Division.Spicer said 10 incidents were reported in the Central Division in the last month
Bronx gang members whose beef led to the accidental shooting of passing schoolgirl Vada Vasquez complained Monday they are being hassled in jail.
Bronx gang members whose beef led to the accidental shooting of passing schoolgirl Vada Vasquez complained Monday they are being hassled in jail.Lawyers for four of the five men asked for protective custody at an appearance in Bronx Supreme Court, saying their clients fear for their safety behind bars. "He's faced a fair amount of abuse in custody. He's been having a tough time inside," said Matthew Kluger, lawyer for Cleve Smith, 20. "They be bothering him - even the correction officers," said Scylestina Smith, the suspect's mother. "They threw him in the cold shower. It's f----- up."
The fifth defendant, 16-year-old Carvett Gentles, charged with pulling the trigger that put an exploding bullet into the 15-year-old Bronx Latin student's brain, is already in protective custody as part of standard procedure. The men might be getting the cold shoulder in prison, but they got a boisterous and warm welcome at their court appearance. While all five were stone-faced at their arraignments last week, they smiled and nodded yesterday at the more than 30 friends and relatives that packed the courtroom.
"I love you all," Clivie Smith, 19, yelled out as he was led back to jail.
"We love you, too," replied his cheering section.
Gentles had more than a dozen teenage friends in the courtroom who apparently cut school to be there. They swore at reporters who tried to ask them questions. Scylestina Smith, mother of Cleve and Clivie, was kicked out of the courtroom after yelling curses at a woman who apparently stepped on someone's foot.
The defendants will appear again on Dec. 2. Even as she struggles to recover from terrible brain injuries at Lincoln Hospital, Vada has become a potent symbol of the innocent toll of guns on New York streets. Mayor Bloomberg invoked her name yesterday when he announced the bust up of a massive Florida-to-New York firearms trafficking ring.
The fifth defendant, 16-year-old Carvett Gentles, charged with pulling the trigger that put an exploding bullet into the 15-year-old Bronx Latin student's brain, is already in protective custody as part of standard procedure. The men might be getting the cold shoulder in prison, but they got a boisterous and warm welcome at their court appearance. While all five were stone-faced at their arraignments last week, they smiled and nodded yesterday at the more than 30 friends and relatives that packed the courtroom.
"I love you all," Clivie Smith, 19, yelled out as he was led back to jail.
"We love you, too," replied his cheering section.
Gentles had more than a dozen teenage friends in the courtroom who apparently cut school to be there. They swore at reporters who tried to ask them questions. Scylestina Smith, mother of Cleve and Clivie, was kicked out of the courtroom after yelling curses at a woman who apparently stepped on someone's foot.
The defendants will appear again on Dec. 2. Even as she struggles to recover from terrible brain injuries at Lincoln Hospital, Vada has become a potent symbol of the innocent toll of guns on New York streets. Mayor Bloomberg invoked her name yesterday when he announced the bust up of a massive Florida-to-New York firearms trafficking ring.
Two Italian cafés in Montreal have been firebombed.eerie hallmarks of the destructive biker wars in the 1990s
The latest incidents, which occurred early Monday morning, bring to eight the number of café-bars targeted since Oct. 28. Like the other incidents, there was little damage to the premises, but a lot of rattled nerves.
The Café Nouba on St. Laurent Blvd. in the heart of Little Italy, and the Café Vegas on Rue Jean Talon east, were both hit with Molotov cocktails, one at 6:18 a.m., the other at 7 a.m. As with the other firebombing attempts, the windows were broken and the flaming device thrown inside, only to quickly go out.
The owner of Café Vegas, who would not identify himself, told La Presse that his café does not have a problematic history. "I got no warning, and before this morning, nothing ever happened here. I have no idea who did this. It's a simple café where people come to play ... and drink."
It's the second time the Café Nouba has been targeted, the first time being Nov. 15.
Police have arrested no suspects and say they're trying to determine if the fire bombings are related. Police have also entertained the possibility that it could be a street gang trying to fill a vacuum left by biker gangs and the Mob, who have been severely weakened by successive police operations in recent years.
The incidents have the eerie hallmarks of the destructive biker wars in the 1990s when reprisal attacks, including arson, were common
The Café Nouba on St. Laurent Blvd. in the heart of Little Italy, and the Café Vegas on Rue Jean Talon east, were both hit with Molotov cocktails, one at 6:18 a.m., the other at 7 a.m. As with the other firebombing attempts, the windows were broken and the flaming device thrown inside, only to quickly go out.
The owner of Café Vegas, who would not identify himself, told La Presse that his café does not have a problematic history. "I got no warning, and before this morning, nothing ever happened here. I have no idea who did this. It's a simple café where people come to play ... and drink."
It's the second time the Café Nouba has been targeted, the first time being Nov. 15.
Police have arrested no suspects and say they're trying to determine if the fire bombings are related. Police have also entertained the possibility that it could be a street gang trying to fill a vacuum left by biker gangs and the Mob, who have been severely weakened by successive police operations in recent years.
The incidents have the eerie hallmarks of the destructive biker wars in the 1990s when reprisal attacks, including arson, were common
19-year-old Frank Castro Jr. of Long Beach. A man approached him and the two other victims on foot and shot all three of them.
One person was killed and two wounded about 11:30 p.m. Thursday in a shooting outside a liquor store in the 3600 block of Santa Fe Avenue in Long Beach, according to city police spokeswoman Jackie Bezart. The murder is believed to be gang-related, and the victim’s identity is being withheld pending notification of his family.
[Updated at 11:28 p.m.: The victim was identified as 19-year-old Frank Castro Jr. of Long Beach. A man approached him and the two other victims on foot and shot all three of them. Castro was hit multiple times in the upper body and torso and pronounced dead at the scene. The two other victims, ages 18 and 40, were treated at a local hospital and released.]At about the same time, a driver in the 6400 block of Rosemead Boulevard in Pico Rivera saw a body in the street and called police, who found a Latino with gunshot wounds in the upper torso, said Dep. Aura Sierra of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. The victim, whose identity is being withheld until his family is notified, was pronounced dead at the scene.
[Updated at 11:28 p.m.: The victim was identified as 19-year-old Frank Castro Jr. of Long Beach. A man approached him and the two other victims on foot and shot all three of them. Castro was hit multiple times in the upper body and torso and pronounced dead at the scene. The two other victims, ages 18 and 40, were treated at a local hospital and released.]At about the same time, a driver in the 6400 block of Rosemead Boulevard in Pico Rivera saw a body in the street and called police, who found a Latino with gunshot wounds in the upper torso, said Dep. Aura Sierra of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. The victim, whose identity is being withheld until his family is notified, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Set Free Soldiers where arrested for attempted murder
Set Free Soldiers where arrested for attempted murder after they allegedly got into a bar fight with the Hells Angels. Seven members of the biker gang remained in custody on $1 million bail after their arrest for allegedly stabbing two Hells angels. In what is mostly thought of as an upper middle class naborhood in Newport Beach California late last month. Three members of the Hells Angels were also arrested.
Jean Joseph Violette, 58, was sentenced in B.C. Supreme Court to four years in prison for being the ringleader
Jean Joseph Violette, 58, was sentenced in B.C. Supreme Court to four years in prison for being the ringleader in the beating of Glen Louie, who Violette believed had been using the Hells Angels name while dealing drugs on Squamish Nation reserve.Violette got an additional two years for weapons offences. In handing down the sentence, Justice Selwyn Romilly described the assault as "a particularly callous, vicious, brutal and unprovoked attack" on Louie, who had no opportunity to defend himself.Romilly said Violette used his power and status as a full patch member of the Hells Angels to inflict the beating and intimidation. He also noted that in wiretapped conversations after the beating, Violette showed a total lack of remorse."This type of hooliganism must be deterred," said the judge.
At the time of the beating, Louie was loosely associated with low-ranking members of the East End Chapter of the Hells Angels. A police informant who had infiltrated the chapter told the jury at Violette's trial Louie had visited the clubhouse and been seen with Hells Angels members. But Louie wasn't a member of the club.Violette later told the police informant Louie had been going to the native reserve in North Vancouver to deal drugs and had been using the Hells Angels name. Violette arranged a meeting in North Vancouver with someone from the reserve who said Louie had threatened him, using the Hells Angels name.Violette later told the police informant he wanted to send Louie a message.On Jan. 20, 2005, Violette and two lower-ranking members of the club -- including the police informant -- lured Louie to a road on Burnaby Mountain. When Louie got out of his vehicle, Violette began slapping, punching and kicking him.Sounds of the beating were captured by a secret listening device worn by the police informant. Violette cut the beating short after a passing driver saw them. At the end of the assault, Violette ordered Louie to hand in all of his Hells Angels paraphernalia before driving off, leaving Louie on the ground.
During the drive back, Violette told the two lower-ranking Hells Angels that Louie was lucky to still be walking.In a later wiretap between Louie and the lower-ranking club member who was present during the assault, Louie said the 12 days after the beating were among the toughest in his life, adding he was "pissin blood . . .'cause I got kicked."In sentencing Violette, Romilly said an aggravating factor was his "businesslike impersonal attitude toward this heinous crime."Violette was also sentenced to two years consecutive jail time for possessing a loaded Beretta semi-automatic pistol and a Ruger revolver -- seized along with a bulletproof vest from his home.The lower-ranking Hells Angels member involved in the beating -- Sal Jonathan Bryce Jr., who had previously been roommates with Louie -- was previously sentenced to three years in jail for his part in the extortion.
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At the time of the beating, Louie was loosely associated with low-ranking members of the East End Chapter of the Hells Angels. A police informant who had infiltrated the chapter told the jury at Violette's trial Louie had visited the clubhouse and been seen with Hells Angels members. But Louie wasn't a member of the club.Violette later told the police informant Louie had been going to the native reserve in North Vancouver to deal drugs and had been using the Hells Angels name. Violette arranged a meeting in North Vancouver with someone from the reserve who said Louie had threatened him, using the Hells Angels name.Violette later told the police informant he wanted to send Louie a message.On Jan. 20, 2005, Violette and two lower-ranking members of the club -- including the police informant -- lured Louie to a road on Burnaby Mountain. When Louie got out of his vehicle, Violette began slapping, punching and kicking him.Sounds of the beating were captured by a secret listening device worn by the police informant. Violette cut the beating short after a passing driver saw them. At the end of the assault, Violette ordered Louie to hand in all of his Hells Angels paraphernalia before driving off, leaving Louie on the ground.
During the drive back, Violette told the two lower-ranking Hells Angels that Louie was lucky to still be walking.In a later wiretap between Louie and the lower-ranking club member who was present during the assault, Louie said the 12 days after the beating were among the toughest in his life, adding he was "pissin blood . . .'cause I got kicked."In sentencing Violette, Romilly said an aggravating factor was his "businesslike impersonal attitude toward this heinous crime."Violette was also sentenced to two years consecutive jail time for possessing a loaded Beretta semi-automatic pistol and a Ruger revolver -- seized along with a bulletproof vest from his home.The lower-ranking Hells Angels member involved in the beating -- Sal Jonathan Bryce Jr., who had previously been roommates with Louie -- was previously sentenced to three years in jail for his part in the extortion.
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Saturday, 21 November 2009
Westside United Crips, undercover officers have purchased an SKS rifle, an AK-47 rifle and a stolen handgun
Estimates put the number of gang members in the Westside United Crips at 20 to 30 individuals, mostly juveniles. The gang is one of about 40 gangs that call Pueblo home. One of its suspected leaders, Louie Romero, also known as "Gooey," was arrested along with four other members of the gang near the end of October by a special task force. The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Gun Task Force is made up of two ATF agents and two Pueblo Police Department detectives. They work in conjunction with Pueblo Police Departments Gang and Narcotics units to infiltrate gangs, make arrests, and take guns and drugs off the streets. They've been doing this in Pueblo for 13 months, and they've been successful.With at least five arrests resulting in Federal charges, and each of them resulting in convictions, as well as several other arrests on state charges, the task force has been quietly busy. Now, as word has spread through Pueblo's gang world of their existence and very real presence, the task force is opening up about what they are doing in town.The Westside United Crips bust is just an example of the kind of work they're doing. Since April, undercover officers have purchased an SKS rifle, an AK-47 rifle and a stolen handgun. Crack cocaine was sold to the officers on several occasions, including one where an underage boy was allegedly told to sell the drugs to the officer by the gang leader.This disturbing trend is more often the rule, not the exception in Pueblo gangs. Authorities explain, older gang members use the juveniles to carry their drugs and weapons because if caught the child faces a more lenient punishment than adults would. It's a trend Pueblo Police Chief Jim Billings hopes to turn around. But to do so means the community must step up and work with the authorities. "Many times law enforcement and even school teachers are not getting involved in the problems until the mold has kinda been set; and that comes from kids who grow up in homes where maybe it's not the healthy lifestyle that we would all hope for, for our children," says Chief Billings.To give community members options on how to combat gangs in their own way, Chief Billings and Pueblo County Sheriff Kirk Taylor hosted a community meeting Tuesday night where after-school programs like the Boys and Girls Club were discussed. As for the ATF Gun Task Force; they spent the evening doing what they have done for 13 months. They, and dozens of other officers, worked the streets looking for opportunities to make Pueblo a safer town.
arrested Ian Grant and 12 other biker associates in February 2006 based on the work of career criminal Franco Atanasovic
Ian Grant was eligible for accelerated day parole because he has served one-sixth of his first federal sentence for what are considered non-violent crimes. But the National Parole Board quickly rejected his bid earlier this month, according to documents obtained by the Winnipeg Free Press.“The board is satisfied there are reasonable grounds to believe that, if released, you are likely to commit an offence involving violence before the expiration of your sentence,” the board wrote.
Police arrested Grant and 12 other biker associates in February 2006 based on the work of career criminal Franco Atanasovic, who was paid $525,000 to infiltrate the Hells.Grant wasn’t even an original target when police began their investigation in early 2005, but he quickly came on the radar when he began extorting an old drug debt from Atanasovic. Police ended up giving their agent thousands of dollars to pay to Grant to buy him more time. Grant eventually sold two kilograms of cocaine and one kilo of crystal meth to Atanasovic, although he was never actually caught in the act. He used lower-level couriers to do his bidding, but jurors clearly accepted the agent’s word they were acting on Grant’s directions. More than $6,000 in marked police money used in the drug buys was found inside Grant’s safety deposit box, along with nearly $60,000 in other cash from drug proceeds.Grant insisted his crimes were not connected to his involvement with the Hells Angels. Grant was ordered at his sentencing hearing to pay a $118,000 fine, which is the amount he pocketed from three major drug deals he was caught doing. However, he recently chose to have an extra two years added to his overall sentence.The 17-year total penalty is one of the stiffest ever given for drug crimes in this province.
Police arrested Grant and 12 other biker associates in February 2006 based on the work of career criminal Franco Atanasovic, who was paid $525,000 to infiltrate the Hells.Grant wasn’t even an original target when police began their investigation in early 2005, but he quickly came on the radar when he began extorting an old drug debt from Atanasovic. Police ended up giving their agent thousands of dollars to pay to Grant to buy him more time. Grant eventually sold two kilograms of cocaine and one kilo of crystal meth to Atanasovic, although he was never actually caught in the act. He used lower-level couriers to do his bidding, but jurors clearly accepted the agent’s word they were acting on Grant’s directions. More than $6,000 in marked police money used in the drug buys was found inside Grant’s safety deposit box, along with nearly $60,000 in other cash from drug proceeds.Grant insisted his crimes were not connected to his involvement with the Hells Angels. Grant was ordered at his sentencing hearing to pay a $118,000 fine, which is the amount he pocketed from three major drug deals he was caught doing. However, he recently chose to have an extra two years added to his overall sentence.The 17-year total penalty is one of the stiffest ever given for drug crimes in this province.
William Hynes and John Mangan were key figures in the organised crime group run by Martin 'Marlo' Hyland, who was shot dead in Finglas
William Hynes and John Mangan were key figures in the organised crime group run by Martin 'Marlo' Hyland, who was shot dead in Finglas.
Two senior members of one of the country's biggest criminal gangs have been sentenced to 12 and 14 years in prison after they were caught overseeing the delivery of over €2m worth of drugs.Mangan was on bail when he was caught, so today's 14 year sentence is consecutive to another 14 years he was given last year for drug trafficking.Hynes also has a previous conviction for drug trafficking and was only out of jail one year when he was caught for this offence.The two are among 28 people targeted by the garda operation 'Oak' who have been brought before the courts.At the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court today Judge Pat McCartan congratulated the gardaí on the success of what he called 'a very carefully orchestrated undercover operation'.
Two senior members of one of the country's biggest criminal gangs have been sentenced to 12 and 14 years in prison after they were caught overseeing the delivery of over €2m worth of drugs.Mangan was on bail when he was caught, so today's 14 year sentence is consecutive to another 14 years he was given last year for drug trafficking.Hynes also has a previous conviction for drug trafficking and was only out of jail one year when he was caught for this offence.The two are among 28 people targeted by the garda operation 'Oak' who have been brought before the courts.At the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court today Judge Pat McCartan congratulated the gardaí on the success of what he called 'a very carefully orchestrated undercover operation'.
Jason Brown, 35, and his girlfriend Terra George, 24, are facing numerous drug and weapons-related charges
Jason Brown, 35, and his girlfriend Terra George, 24, are facing numerous drug and weapons-related charges following a co-ordinated police raid on Brown's Aldergrove residence Nov. 12, but so far the two have not surrendered to police.The multi-jurisdictional bust took place in the 26900 block of 26A Avenue and nabbed a 9mm handgun, a loaded magazine, boxes of ammunition, $80,000 worth of cocaine, $12,000 in cash, body armour and an RS-logoed jacket along with one kilogram of methamphetamine valued at $25,000.George and Brown are charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking methamphetamine, possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine, possession of a restricted weapon and the additional charge against Brown of possession of a firearm while prohibited.Brown has a 10-year-ban from owning a firearm following his arrest in a 2007 police biker investigation dubbed "E-Pandora," and was pegged as an associate of the Angels.He was convicted for conspiracy to commit an indictable offence at the time and given a four-year sentence.The Abbotsford Police Department, Langley RCMP, the Integrated Gang Task Force and the Lower Mainland Emergency Response Unit were all involved in the raid as Brown is "very well known" to police in several jurisdictions and has a long history of interaction with authorities for drugs, weapons and violence, according to APD Const. Ian MacDonald."This individual was probably on multiple radar screens," MacDonaldd said, adding that police intelligence indicated a seizure of this scope was indicative of a mid- to high-level gang operative.MacDonald said that Brown's arrest shows that the Scorpions are still active in the Fraser Valley and do not seem to be suffering any ill effects from the incarceration of high-profile members involved in the Surrey Six slayings
Monday, 9 November 2009
Nortenos gang member who escaped from a Sunnyside jail in 2006 has been captured in Manzanillo, Mexico.
gang member who escaped from a Sunnyside jail in 2006 has been captured in Manzanillo, Mexico.The U.S. Marshals Service said Saturday that Aaron Lopez Garcia, 31, was arrested Friday at an ice cream factory by Colima State Police, assisted by U.S. Marshals.Garcia and three other inmates escaped from the Sunnyside city jail in November of 2006. Garcia's accomplices were captured soon afterwards. He was in jail for illegally possessing a firearm.Garcia is a member of the Nortenos gang with a long history of convictions, the Marshals Service said.He has been flown back to the U.S. to face charges.
Placerville Peckerwoods gang affiliations took place last month at Red Hawk Casino
Several people were arrested Friday after an alleged kidnapping and dispute about gang affiliations took place last month at Red Hawk Casino.The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office said on Oct. 14, several Hispanic men and women confronted two white men and one woman at the casino and asked them if they were “Placerville Peckerwoods.”The group told the others that they weren’t part of a gang, the office said. Investigators said they didn’t find any gang ties to that group.Officials said one of the Hispanic men insulted the woman from the other group, and she got angry and attacked him. When one of the white men tried to break up the fight, deputies said he was punched and hit with a beer bottle.As casino security guards broke up the fight, some members of the Hispanic group went to an elevator and grabbed a woman who wasn’t involved in the fight, officials said.According to the sheriff’s office, the group “told the victim that she was going to get them out of the casino (using her vehicle) and they would let her go once they were at the freeway.”
Once inside the parking garage, the woman got away and contacted casino security.
She escaped without injury.Detectives from the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office said they identified six Hispanic men on security cameras who were involved in the kidnapping as known gang members.Arrest and search warrants were obtained, and several law enforcement agencies arrested five people who were allegedly involved in the incident.On Friday, officials arrested Jesse Madrigal, Steven Santiago, Ricky Mora, Stephen Lizotte of Riverbank, and Ernie Lizotte of Riverbank.Officials said several guns, gang indicia, ecstasy, marijuana and a large amount of money were seized in the investigation.Lt. Bryan Golmitz said gang activity at the casino is rare.
Once inside the parking garage, the woman got away and contacted casino security.
She escaped without injury.Detectives from the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office said they identified six Hispanic men on security cameras who were involved in the kidnapping as known gang members.Arrest and search warrants were obtained, and several law enforcement agencies arrested five people who were allegedly involved in the incident.On Friday, officials arrested Jesse Madrigal, Steven Santiago, Ricky Mora, Stephen Lizotte of Riverbank, and Ernie Lizotte of Riverbank.Officials said several guns, gang indicia, ecstasy, marijuana and a large amount of money were seized in the investigation.Lt. Bryan Golmitz said gang activity at the casino is rare.
Saturday, 7 November 2009
"ongoing gang war" between two rival gangs in the city: Bloods and Crips.
Salisbury police investigators believe Height associates with West Main Chain Gang members and its affiliates and that the bus and cafeteria fights were part of an "ongoing gang war" between two rival gangs in the city: Bloods and Crips. Police allege the planned shooting by Heist was 48 assaults in Wicomico County public schools this school year, according to the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office. Last year there were 259 assaults and one firearm incident.About seven hours before the bus left Thursday, several students were involved in a fight in the school cafeteria. By the afternoon, a sheriff's deputy learned the fight wasn't going to stop with the cafeteria brawl and informed city police that bus No. 70 was going to be "shot up" in the Delaware Avenue and West Main Street area by the same males who seized the bus and assaulted a student, according to court documents.By 3:30 p.m., two city officers were on a stakeout close to a convenience store located near the area where the shooting was supposed to occur when they saw the two males. One fled when the officers approached him. The .22-caliber handgun in his waistband could be seen while he was running, according to officers.After tackling and struggling with the suspect, the officers were able to take him into custody. Police charged Damien Maurice Height, 18, of the 800 block of Booth Street with assault, disorderly conduct and two handgun violations."This is another handgun that we were able to get off the streets that's not out there now," said Cpt. Mark Tyler, head of the Salisbury Police Department Criminal Investigation Division.
Wednesday, 4 November 2009
The Iron Horsemen, Vigilantes and Hells Angels converged on the scene as paramedics tended to the injured 45-year-old man and his 46-year-old female
Hells Angels, converged on the scene as paramedics tended to the injured 45-year-old man and his 46-year-old female pillion passenger. The pair, both from Craigieburn, were travelling north along La Trobe Tce at the intersection of Roebuck St in Geelong just after 4pm, when witnesses say the man was catapulted above the height of the purple Honda, which was heading east through the intersection. It is believed the pair had been travelling as part of a motorcycle club convoy around the bay when the crash occurred. Both were rushed to Geelong Hospital, where the man was last night in a serious but stable condition, while the woman was considered stable. The elderly female driver of the other vehicle appeared to walk away unscathed. About two dozen motorcycle gang members, including members from the Iron Horsemen, Vigilantes and Hells Angels, were beside the road consoling one another at the scene after the incident. Several held vigil outside Geelong Hospital last night. A police spokesperson could not confirm if the pair were members of a motorcycle gang. Witnesses told the Geelong Advertiser part of a larger convoy of riders had successfully made it through the intersection before the crash.
"I noticed a few bikies went through before the change (of lights)," one witness, who was stopped at the intersection travelling southbound, said.
"One body flew up in the air a bit above the height of the car and another one went on the ground. The first guy didn't look like he was moving and the second one looked like they just clipped it."
The Honda had a broken window and damage to the driver's side, while the motorbike, with a mangled front wheel, was towed away by a private vehicle after being lifted into a trailer by several club members. The accident blocked northbound traffic along La Trobe Tce, which was diverted along Myers St for more than 15 minutes, while ambulance officers stabilised the two riders and firefighters dusted the road with dirt to soak up oil spilled from the accident.
"I noticed a few bikies went through before the change (of lights)," one witness, who was stopped at the intersection travelling southbound, said.
"One body flew up in the air a bit above the height of the car and another one went on the ground. The first guy didn't look like he was moving and the second one looked like they just clipped it."
The Honda had a broken window and damage to the driver's side, while the motorbike, with a mangled front wheel, was towed away by a private vehicle after being lifted into a trailer by several club members. The accident blocked northbound traffic along La Trobe Tce, which was diverted along Myers St for more than 15 minutes, while ambulance officers stabilised the two riders and firefighters dusted the road with dirt to soak up oil spilled from the accident.
Friday, 30 October 2009
Original Gangsta Killas were charged Thursday with a vicious crime spree of drug dealing, robbery and gang violence
25 members and associates of the South End-based Original Gangsta Killas were charged Thursday with a vicious crime spree of drug dealing, robbery and gang violence dating back to 2000. Federal prosecutors in Albany say the gang -- known commonly as OGK -- not only protected its "downtown" turf from rivals with bullets, but brazenly posted not-so-subtle messages on the Internet through compact discs, videotapes and DVDs. Gang members even allegedly produced a rap video like their fierce "uptown" rivals, the Jungle Junkies street gang, whose leadership was toppled in a similar racketeering case in 2006. Having successfully prosecuted that case, federal authorities are hoping for similar success against OGK. They allege at least 14 shooting incidents, four robberies and a stabbing across Albany in a period spanning from May 2001 to March 2009. The alleged drug dealing, which included marijuana, crack cocaine and heroin, dated back a year earlier. "I think the citizens of Albany can rest a lot easier knowing that they're a lot safer in their neighborhoods," James Burns, the assistant special agent-in-charge of the Drug Enforcement Agency in Albany, told reporters inside the James T. Foley U.S. Courthouse. Fourteen defendants were rounded up starting at 6 a.m. in raids involving 10 law enforcement agencies. Another remained a fugitive, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Hartunian, chief of the office's Organized Crime Task Force. He said investigators recovered crack cocaine, .22 caliber ammunition and gang-related clothing, CDs and DVDs during the raids. The indictment said OGK, formerly known as the "Black Gangstas," has also called itself the "Orange Gambino Killas." The probe had dated back more than two years, authorities said. Authorities identified 23 of the defendants as OGK gang members. Most hailed from Albany, but 23-year-old Owen Furthman, also known as "Diz," was listed as living on quiet Barker Street in Colonie. Elijah "Sleezy" Cancer, 23, meanwhile, was listed as living in a dorm at the state University at Oneonta. Also on the list was one woman, Michele Knickerbocker, 43, of Albany. Many of the defendants have been shot over the years and have strong ties to Albany's turf war between "downtown" and the "uptown" gangs.
Two of the defendants, for instance, are Nahmel "Kidco" Stratton, 27, and Nakeem "Little Bay" Stratton, 24, both incarcerated. The latter has been identified as the older brother of the "uptown's" Nahjaliek McCall, who was convicted of murdering "downtown's" 15-year-old Shahied Oliver at an Arbor Hill birthday party in August 2007. Another defendant, Marcel "Juxx" Perry, 22, was previously shot in a case in which Oliver was accused of felony assault.
Two of the defendants, for instance, are Nahmel "Kidco" Stratton, 27, and Nakeem "Little Bay" Stratton, 24, both incarcerated. The latter has been identified as the older brother of the "uptown's" Nahjaliek McCall, who was convicted of murdering "downtown's" 15-year-old Shahied Oliver at an Arbor Hill birthday party in August 2007. Another defendant, Marcel "Juxx" Perry, 22, was previously shot in a case in which Oliver was accused of felony assault.
Michael W. Fraser, 51,killed in a crash Wednesday had been a member of the Ghost Riders motorcycle gang and served time in prison for killing
Michael W. Fraser,biker killed in a crash Wednesday had been a member of the Ghost Riders motorcycle gang and served time in prison for killing two people.Michael W. Fraser, 51, died when his bike slid more than 200 feet into an oncoming car on North Market Street, according to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.Fraser was southbound on Market when he tried to pass another vehicle in a no-pass zone just south of Hawthorne Road about 5:15 p.m., according to a news release.He lost control of his 1985 rebuilt motorcycle and tipped over, hitting a 1994 Mercury Sable driven by a Mead man who had braked “to almost a complete stop,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
“The motorcycle went under the front of the Sable, trapping its rider beneath the car and killing him almost instantly,” according to the news release. The Sable’s driver was not injured.Deputies said Fraser was traveling about 70 mph in the 45 mph zone.Fraser, whose nickname among fellow bikers was Herpes, spent several years on the lam after the 1982 shooting death of Ben S. Lawson, 32, at the old Red Robin tavern on North Monroe Street, according to news archives. He was captured in 1989 and spent a year in prison on a second-degree manslaughter conviction before being paroled, according to the state Corrections Department.
News articles say he also was named as one of 11 defendants in a 1983 arson murder of a Wisconsin woman, for which Ghost Rider leader Al Hegge and three others were convicted in 1985. Hegge is serving life in prison for murdering a Spokane police officer in 1983.Fraser returned to prison in 1992 after a customer was shot twice in the back and killed during a barroom brawl in Arlington, Wash., with several other members of the Ghost Riders, according to a 1996 Seattle Times article. Fraser was convicted of second-degree murder and released in 2005, state records show. He was not on probation.Sgt. Dave Reagan said Fraser was still affiliated with an outlaw motorcycle gang but declined to say which one.
“The motorcycle went under the front of the Sable, trapping its rider beneath the car and killing him almost instantly,” according to the news release. The Sable’s driver was not injured.Deputies said Fraser was traveling about 70 mph in the 45 mph zone.Fraser, whose nickname among fellow bikers was Herpes, spent several years on the lam after the 1982 shooting death of Ben S. Lawson, 32, at the old Red Robin tavern on North Monroe Street, according to news archives. He was captured in 1989 and spent a year in prison on a second-degree manslaughter conviction before being paroled, according to the state Corrections Department.
News articles say he also was named as one of 11 defendants in a 1983 arson murder of a Wisconsin woman, for which Ghost Rider leader Al Hegge and three others were convicted in 1985. Hegge is serving life in prison for murdering a Spokane police officer in 1983.Fraser returned to prison in 1992 after a customer was shot twice in the back and killed during a barroom brawl in Arlington, Wash., with several other members of the Ghost Riders, according to a 1996 Seattle Times article. Fraser was convicted of second-degree murder and released in 2005, state records show. He was not on probation.Sgt. Dave Reagan said Fraser was still affiliated with an outlaw motorcycle gang but declined to say which one.
Marco Antonio Perez, 16, was prosecuted as an adult and sentenced to 50 years to life in prison
Marco Antonio Perez, 16, was prosecuted as an adult and sentenced to 50 years to life in prison, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. Two other gang members have already been sentenced to multiple life sentences for their roles in the shootings; three others are awaiting trial.The shootings happened in 2006, when Perez was 14 years old. According to prosecutors, he took his father’s car and drove with the others into a rival gang neighborhood in Santa Ana, looking for rivals to kill.They found three, ages 14, 15 and 16.They shot the 14-year-old and the 15-year-old in the head, execution style, according to the District Attorney’s statement. They shot the 16-year-old in the stomach, leaving him in a coma. He survived after undergoing seven surgeries.A jury in June found Perez guilty of two felony counts of special-circumstances murder for the benefit of a criminal street gang, one felony count of attempted murder and one felony count of street terrorism. The jury also added sentencing enhancements for criminal street gang activity and the vicarious discharge of a firearm as a gang member causing death and bodily injury.Two co-defendants, Norberto Hernandez, 24, and Angel Garcia, 21, were convicted earlier this year on similar charges; Hernandez was also found guilty of one felony count of assault with a firearm.Hernandez was sentenced to two life sentences in state prison without the possibility of parole plus an additional 93 years to life. Garcia was sentenced to two life sentences without parole plus an additional 50 years to life.Three other co-defendants, all of them juveniles at the time of the crimes but being prosecuted as adults, are scheduled to go to trial early next year. Juan Roldan, 19, and Oiram Roman Ayala, 20, both face the same charges as Hernandez. Prospero Guadarrama, 19, faces the same charges as Perez.
The District Attorney’s Office alleges that Hernandez, Roldan and Ayala also walked into rival gang territory two days before the deadly shooting and confronted members of another gang. The two groups began shooting at each other, and a 47-year-old street vendor who was selling corn from a cart was caught in the crossfire.The vendor was hit in the back and paralyzed from the waist down.
Billy Joe Johnson should be sentenced to death, a jury recommended Thursday.
Billy Joe Johnson, 46,was convicted of murder for luring his childhood friend, Scott Miller, to his death on March 8, 2002, months after Miller gave what he thought was an anonymous interview on Fox11 News about the gang. Miller was gunned down outside an Anaheim apartment complex after he left a party. killed a fellow white supremacist gang member for revealing secrets about the gang should be sentenced to death, a jury recommended Thursday. A judge will decide whether to accept the jury's recommendation. Johnson is already serving a life term for the 2004 slaying of Cory Lamons in Huntington Beach with a claw hammer. Johnson, with his Mohawk-style hair combed down, smiled, chuckled and whispered to his attorney, Michael Molfetta, when the verdict was read. Johnson testified Tuesday that he wanted to be sent to Death Row because he believed it would be a less-restrictive confinement. The four women and eight men on the jury took about two-and-a-half hours to decide Johnson deserves the ultimate punishment, jury foreman John Pearson of Santa Ana said. The jury first voted 11-1 for death, with the holdout saying if Johnson wanted to be put on death row, why give it to him? After the jury went over the evidence again, they convinced the juror to change his mind, Pearson said. Molfetta argued that Johnson's life in prison, dependency on drugs and a rough childhood in Costa Mesa contributed to his downfall. But Pearson said the jury felt Johnson's lengthy rap sheet outweighed all that.
Johnson, when he took the stand Tuesday, admitted to killing two other men, one while in custody and another while free. Deputy District Attorney Ebrahim Baytieh said authorities might be interested in learning more about those slayings so they can close the books on them, but there's "zero chance" he would be prosecuted for them since he will probably be sentenced to death. "I felt he was self-absorbed" and didn't respect the judicial process, Pearson said. "I don't think he cared personally one way or the other." Johnson, throughout the trial, often leaned in to Molfetta to whisper asides and laugh. Molfetta said Johnson has attention-deficit disorder and that he tried to go along with some of the antics to keep him as calm as possible even though he found it difficult to concentrate.
"Trust me, I know who is sitting alongside me," he said, acknowledging Johnson's violent past.
Johnson was pleased with the verdict and told his attorney to not get emotional, Molfetta said. "I told him I was going to get misty eyed and he told me not to," Molfetta said. "I said, `Doesn't this bother you?' And he said, `No, 20 years ago it might have but I've hardened over the years ...' He wants to go to Death Row. Billy Joe Johnson does not care. I've met many over the years who have said that, but he genuinely doesn't care." When Molfetta asked Orange County Superior Court Judge Frank Fasel to have the jury polled after the verdict was read, Johnson asked him why he bothered. "I told him once I did that and someone changed their mind and he said, `Jesus, that person's crazier than I am.' "I told him I didn't think that was true," Molfetta added. Another gang member, Michael Allen Lamb, 34, was sentenced to death for killing Miller Aug. 22, 2008. Also convicted of Miller's murder was Jacob Anthony Rump, 32, who was sentenced to life in prison without parole Oct. 5, 2007.
Prosecutors argued that Lamb delivered the fatal shot to the back of the head of the 38-year-old Miller, who was a founding member of Public Enemy Number One.
Prosecutors said Miller, known as "Scottish," was killed because he aired the gang's dirty laundry in a two-part news report. The piece, broadcast on Feb. 20-21, 2001, focused on the evolution of the gang -- which grew out of the 1980s punk rock music scene in Long Beach, then evolved to racist skinheads to criminal thugs, authorities said. Miller, though his face was obscured, was recognized by gang members in the TV appearance because of a tattoo and his pet pit bull. Johnson may never have been prosecuted for the killing if he had not chosen to testify in the murder trials of Rump and Lamb. In that case two years ago, Johnson testified he was the shooter.
But according to Baytieh, Johnson's role was luring Miller to his death by asking him to join him on a ride to Anaheim to buy drugs. Johnson was found guilty of murder, conspiracy to commit murder and accessory after the fact, with sentencing enhancements for criminal street gang activity, vicarious discharge of a firearm by a gang member causing death, and special circumstance allegations of murder by lying in wait and murder committed for a criminal street gang. Fasel will formally sentence Johnson Nov. 20.
video, shot by closed-circuit cameras, shows a man wearing a baseball cap shooting dead Mariano Bacio Tarracino
bone-chilling execution was caught on a graphic 26-second surveillance feed and is believed to be the first time a hit by the Camorra -- the Neapolitan mob -- was captured on tape.When Tarracino falls on the ground, the killer finishes him off with a bullet to the head.None of the bystanders moves a finger, although it is hard to say if that is from genuine indifference or fear of retaliation.A woman is seen rubbing off her scratch-and-win lottery card as Tarracino is killed in front of her. A cigarette-seller moves his stall a few meters down the road, while a man holding a toddler in his arms looks at the victim and walks away.After five months of investigations, prosecutors have yet to identify the killer, despite the fact that his face is clearly visible in the footage."We have decided to circulate the video as widely as possible, urging the cooperation of whoever can provide information to identify the killer and his lookout," the Naples' office for anti-mafia investigations said in a statement.
Italian prosecutors released a video on Thursday of a mafia-style murder in Naples met with indifference by bystanders, hoping it would help break a wall of silence over the identity of the killer.The video, shot by closed-circuit cameras, shows a man wearing a baseball cap shooting dead Mariano Bacio Tarracino, a 53-year-old man with a mafia criminal record, in broad daylight on May 11 this year.Tarracino is seen smoking a cigarette outside a bar in the central Sanita neighborhood. The killer enters the bar, where there are at least six people, then emerges and shoots Tarracino at point blank range.
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Italian prosecutors released a video on Thursday of a mafia-style murder in Naples met with indifference by bystanders, hoping it would help break a wall of silence over the identity of the killer.The video, shot by closed-circuit cameras, shows a man wearing a baseball cap shooting dead Mariano Bacio Tarracino, a 53-year-old man with a mafia criminal record, in broad daylight on May 11 this year.Tarracino is seen smoking a cigarette outside a bar in the central Sanita neighborhood. The killer enters the bar, where there are at least six people, then emerges and shoots Tarracino at point blank range.
Sunday, 25 October 2009
Seventy-four members of the gang known as the “Rollin’ 40s Neighborhood Crips” were charged
Seventy-four members of the gang known as the “Rollin’ 40s Neighborhood Crips” were charged in 23 federal indictments and 45 state warrants for their alleged roles in a narcotics trafficking conspiracy that operated within a three-square-mile area of Los Angeles. The federal indictments that were unsealed this morning charge 29 gang members with crimes that include conspiracy, possession with the intent to distribute cocaine base ( “crack” ) and methamphetamine, and firearms violations. Forty-five additional members of the gang are named in state charges filed in Los Angeles Superior Court for their roles in the illegal drug distribution operation. Many of the defendants at the federal and state level were arrested this morning; however several defendants were already in custody on both related and unrelated charges. Several subjects of this operation are still being sought by law enforcement, including six federal defendants and 20 state defendants.
FBI/LAPD task force initiated an investigation in 2008 to address gang-related crime and persistent violence fueled by narcotics trafficking being reported in the city of Los Angeles. Using statistics, including offenses reported to the police, and further analysis, the task force identified the Rollin’ 40s Neighborhood Crips territory as among the most violent in the city, and focused on the “shotcallers” who control the criminal activity in the area.
Prior to the charges announced today, this investigation resulted in 51 felony arrests and 35 misdemeanor arrests, separate from those individuals sought today, including members of the Rollin’ 40s gang and members of other gangs. Among those arrested were active parolees and felony probationers. In addition to substantial quantities of narcotics, task force members seized several handguns, rifles and a large amount of cash during this investigation. During today’s operation, narcotics were seized, as well as approximately 10 weapons.The Los Angeles County City Attorney’s Office has brought parallel civil actions as part of this investigation, including five nuisance abatement lawsuits against six separate properties being used by gang members to conduct criminal activity, including drug transactions and illegal weapon storage. For each abatement, the City Attorney’s office will seek an injunction against the owner ordering various improvements, orders to stay away from gang members named as defendants in the lawsuits, civil penalties and additional fees. In addition to the five lawsuits, the City Attorney’s Office is notifying property owners that, by law, tenants conducting illegal drug activity must be evicted. A permanent injunction was filed against the gang in 2008.
Based on federal sentencing laws, the mandatory minimum sentence each federal defendant faces is five years in prison. Eleven of the federal defendants face mandatory minimum sentences of 10 years in prison. If convicted of the charges, several federal defendants face between 20 years to life in prison. Federal defendants arrested today will make an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles this afternoon.This case was investigated by agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and detectives with the Los Angeles Police Department, in coordination with the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office. Multiple agencies participated in today’s operation, including the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Department of Transportation, the California Highway Patrol, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ), the Los Angeles City Fire Department - EMS Services, the Los Angeles County Probation Department, and the Los Angeles County Department of Child and Family Services.
FBI/LAPD task force initiated an investigation in 2008 to address gang-related crime and persistent violence fueled by narcotics trafficking being reported in the city of Los Angeles. Using statistics, including offenses reported to the police, and further analysis, the task force identified the Rollin’ 40s Neighborhood Crips territory as among the most violent in the city, and focused on the “shotcallers” who control the criminal activity in the area.
The Rollin' 40s are organized into four loosely affiliated cliques that control their particular neighborhood area. Its members are known to be involved in a variety of crimes, including murder, assault, robberies, narcotics and firearms violations. Each clique is controlled by a shotcaller who determines the overall strategy relative to the criminal activity within the clique.
The Rollin' 40's Neighborhood Crips is a violent Crips gang that operates primarily in a three-square-mile area of South Los Angeles, an area which falls under the jurisdiction of the LAPD's Southwest Division. The Rollin' 40s have established strong ties to other gangs under the "Neighborhood Crips" umbrella, as well as other Crips gangs in the local neighborhood. The Los Angeles Police Department has identified this gang as one of the 10 most violent gangs in the city of Los Angeles.
Prior to the charges announced today, this investigation resulted in 51 felony arrests and 35 misdemeanor arrests, separate from those individuals sought today, including members of the Rollin’ 40s gang and members of other gangs. Among those arrested were active parolees and felony probationers. In addition to substantial quantities of narcotics, task force members seized several handguns, rifles and a large amount of cash during this investigation. During today’s operation, narcotics were seized, as well as approximately 10 weapons.The Los Angeles County City Attorney’s Office has brought parallel civil actions as part of this investigation, including five nuisance abatement lawsuits against six separate properties being used by gang members to conduct criminal activity, including drug transactions and illegal weapon storage. For each abatement, the City Attorney’s office will seek an injunction against the owner ordering various improvements, orders to stay away from gang members named as defendants in the lawsuits, civil penalties and additional fees. In addition to the five lawsuits, the City Attorney’s Office is notifying property owners that, by law, tenants conducting illegal drug activity must be evicted. A permanent injunction was filed against the gang in 2008.
Based on federal sentencing laws, the mandatory minimum sentence each federal defendant faces is five years in prison. Eleven of the federal defendants face mandatory minimum sentences of 10 years in prison. If convicted of the charges, several federal defendants face between 20 years to life in prison. Federal defendants arrested today will make an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles this afternoon.This case was investigated by agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and detectives with the Los Angeles Police Department, in coordination with the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office. Multiple agencies participated in today’s operation, including the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Department of Transportation, the California Highway Patrol, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ), the Los Angeles City Fire Department - EMS Services, the Los Angeles County Probation Department, and the Los Angeles County Department of Child and Family Services.
suspects are documented Sureno criminal street gang members, and the victim in the case had prior Norteno gang contacts
Fairfield police arrested a 19-year-old man and are looking for an 18-year-old man believed to be involved in a shooting in the city earlier this week. Miguel Angel Lozoya Luis-Juan was arrested Friday in connection with the shooting, which was reported at about 8:15 p.m. Wednesday in the 1300 block of Adams Street, according to police. Officers responding to the shooting found a 28-year-old suffering from a single gunshot wound to the torso. He had just come home and was shot as he walked up to his house, police said. The victim was taken to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries, but he is expected to survive, according to police. Friday Fairfield police gang detectives obtained warrants for two suspects in the case. Luis-Juan, a Fairfield resident, was arrested in the 1600 block of Kidder Avenue at about 4 p.m. and was booked into Solano County jail for attempted murder and criminal conspiracy, police said. Detectives have been unable to locate the second suspect, Jesus Jaimes Patino. Two search warrants were served in Fairfield, one in the 300 block of San Jose Street and one in the 1300 block of Crowley Lane. The firearm used in the shooting has not been found, police said. The shooting is believed to be gang-related. Both suspects are documented Sureno criminal street gang members, and the victim in the case had prior Norteno gang contacts with Fairfield police. Patino is wanted for attempted murder and criminal conspiracy and should be considered armed and dangerous
Gangster Paul Bennett was freed from a Portuguese prison after fighting extradition back to the UK
Gangster Paul Bennett was freed from a Portuguese prison after fighting extradition back to the UK. Fugitive Paul Bennett was arrested in June on the Algarve after eight years on the run. But today the 42-year-old from Anfield was a free man after time ran out and Portuguese officials had to let him go.Bennett was wanted by detectives who suspected him of being involved in a con which led to him and associate John Haase being given a royal pardon in 1996.He fled the UK in 1999 after police uncovered a cannabis farm in Manchester.After his arrest at Faro airport he fought the Metropolitan police’s attempts to bring him home. His extradition case and subsequent appeal was heard by both the Supreme and Constitutional courts in Portugal.But before a decision was reached on the second appeal the time limit for keeping Bennett in custody expired and under Portuguese law he was set free. The ruling is seen as a massive blow for the Met who have already charged 58-year-old Haase, originally from Everton, with perverting the course of justice.Bennett was released from prison in Beja but few in Liverpool’s underworld expect him to come back to Merseyside. A Foreign Office spokesman said: “Paul Bennett was released from detention when his custody time limit expired.
Bennett and Haase were originally arrested in 1993 by customs officers investigating a massive heroin trafficking plot. The following January they were registered as official informers by HM Customs. It led to two “massive” weapons seizures, including 150 firearms and explosives, being made on Merseyside.After pleading guilty in June 1995 to heroin distribution they were sentenced to 18 years in jail.
But 11 months later they were granted a royal pardon by then home secretary Michael Howard on the advice of officials convinced their “cooperation” over the weapons find was genuine.Haase is one of seven people awaiting trial over allegations he and his criminal contacts planted the weapons.
“He had appealed against his extradition and under Portuguese law the authorities had no alternative but to let him go free when that time limit was up.”
Bennett and Haase were originally arrested in 1993 by customs officers investigating a massive heroin trafficking plot. The following January they were registered as official informers by HM Customs. It led to two “massive” weapons seizures, including 150 firearms and explosives, being made on Merseyside.After pleading guilty in June 1995 to heroin distribution they were sentenced to 18 years in jail.
But 11 months later they were granted a royal pardon by then home secretary Michael Howard on the advice of officials convinced their “cooperation” over the weapons find was genuine.Haase is one of seven people awaiting trial over allegations he and his criminal contacts planted the weapons.
"Ballroom Blitz", ballroom of the Royal Pines resort at Carrara
"Ballroom Blitz", which occurred in the packed grand ballroom of the Royal Pines resort at Carrara on March 18, 2006? Police have now released the dramatic television camera footage showing a melee quickly erupting, with chairs and glasses thrown and tables overturned. Gunshots could then be heard.Hells angel that gets shot, is the same guy who killed that person in the melbourne cbd a year or two ago. The apparent reason for the fight was because he left the finks to goto the Hells Angels, he actually got shot in the face and survived.
Saturday, 24 October 2009
major blow against the stateside networks of Mexico's La Familia Michoacana narco gang
La Familia is said to specialize in smuggling methamphetamine, controlling the port of Lázaro Cárdenas, where precursors for the synthetic drug arrive. It manufactures thousands of pounds of the drug strictly for export to the United States.The cartel started 20 years ago as an anti-drug vigilante group, and its leader, Nazario Moreno González AKA "El Más Loco", still spouts paradoxical anti-drug rhetoric. He carries a Bible and a cartel-produced book of his own quotes, and requires the core members of the group to attend church. The organization apparently recruits heavily among drug addicts in Michoacán's rehabilitation clinics."What is distinctive about them is they are messianic," George W. Grayson, a professor of government at the College of William & Mary, told the New York Times' James McKinley. "They justify their actions because they are carrying out divine justice."For years, La Familia was allied with the Gulf Cartel, based in Tamaulipas, and fought against the rival Sinaloa Cartel for control of the local police and officials in Michoacán. But that alliance fell apart in 2004, and La Familia has since gone into business for itself, competing with both the Gulf and Sinaloa cartels.
"This is an organization that just recently we started calling a cartel because of how they've grown and the violence that they spread," DEA administrator Michele Leonhart told the Times. "And it is the first time we have seen a cartel take on meth trafficking, where they are the direct pipeline from Mexico to the US of multi-hundred-pound quantities of methamphetamine."Mexico has claimed some progress against La Familia's leadership in recent years, but Moreno González and his top lieutenants remain at large. One, Servando Gómez Martinez AKA "La Tuta", was indicted on drug trafficking charges in Manhattan as part of the nationwide crackdown. After the murder of Mexican federal officers in July, Gómez gave a recorded statement to a local TV station in which he said the cartel was locked in a battle with the Mexican police, the indictment noted. (El Universal, Oct. 23; NYT, Oct. 22)Caro Quintero brother pleads guilty in massive '80s marijuana operation
As the raids against La Familia went forward, a long-sought Mexican cartel leader—best known as the brother of the man who killed DEA Agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena in 1985—pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges in a federal court in Denver, Colorado. Nearly 20 years after his indictment, Miguel Angel Caro-Quintero, 46, admitted trafficking more than 100 tons of marijuana into several western states between 1985 and 1988, and sending more than $100 million to Mexico. He faces between 10 to 20 years, as well as an additional five years in a separate marijuana case in Arizona.Arrested by Mexican authorities in Sinaloa in 2001, Caro Quintero was extradited to Colorado in February after serving eight years for weapons crimes in Mexico. (CNN, 7News, Denver, Oct. 23)
It was the second such discovery found in the past two weeks. On Oct. 9, the mutilated body of a Baja California state official who authorities said was suspected of giving fake driver's licenses to drug gang members was found hanging from another bridge in Tijuana.
major blow against the stateside networks of Mexico's La Familia Michoacana narco gang this week. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. Oct. 22 announced the arrests of 303 people in the past two days, the culmination of a four-year investigation dubbed "Operation Coronado."
"The sheer level and depravity of violence that this cartel has exhibited far exceeds what we, unfortunately, have become accustomed to from other cartels," Holder said. "While this cartel may operate from Mexico, the toxic reach of its operations extends to nearly every state within our country."
The biggest hauls were in Dallas, Atlanta and Seattle, with significant seizures also reported in San Diego and Riverside, Calif. Holder said authorities seized more than $32 million in US currency, 2,700 pounds of methamphetamine, 4,400 pounds of cocaine, 16,000 pounds of marijuana and 29 pounds of heroin, as well as 389 firearms and 269 vehicles. More arrests are expected, he added. Operation Coronado has led to some 900 arrests in the past four years, Holder asserted.
"These are drugs that were headed for our streets and weapons that often were headed for the streets of Mexico," Holder said. "That's why we are hitting them where it hurts the most—their revenue stream. By seizing their drugs and upending their supply chains, we have disrupted their 'business-as-usual' state of operations."
As the raids were carried out in the United States, the Mexican authorities on Oct. 22 arrested six members of La Familia, including two mid-level commanders in the towns of Taretan and Morelia, Michoacán.
"This is an organization that just recently we started calling a cartel because of how they've grown and the violence that they spread," DEA administrator Michele Leonhart told the Times. "And it is the first time we have seen a cartel take on meth trafficking, where they are the direct pipeline from Mexico to the US of multi-hundred-pound quantities of methamphetamine."Mexico has claimed some progress against La Familia's leadership in recent years, but Moreno González and his top lieutenants remain at large. One, Servando Gómez Martinez AKA "La Tuta", was indicted on drug trafficking charges in Manhattan as part of the nationwide crackdown. After the murder of Mexican federal officers in July, Gómez gave a recorded statement to a local TV station in which he said the cartel was locked in a battle with the Mexican police, the indictment noted. (El Universal, Oct. 23; NYT, Oct. 22)Caro Quintero brother pleads guilty in massive '80s marijuana operation
As the raids against La Familia went forward, a long-sought Mexican cartel leader—best known as the brother of the man who killed DEA Agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena in 1985—pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges in a federal court in Denver, Colorado. Nearly 20 years after his indictment, Miguel Angel Caro-Quintero, 46, admitted trafficking more than 100 tons of marijuana into several western states between 1985 and 1988, and sending more than $100 million to Mexico. He faces between 10 to 20 years, as well as an additional five years in a separate marijuana case in Arizona.Arrested by Mexican authorities in Sinaloa in 2001, Caro Quintero was extradited to Colorado in February after serving eight years for weapons crimes in Mexico. (CNN, 7News, Denver, Oct. 23)
Hideous narco-violence continues across Mexico
In Tijuana Oct. 17, the nude, mutilated body of a man was found hanging from an expressway overpass. Local news outlets reported that the man's tongue had been cut out, suggesting that drug traffickers suspected he was an informant.
It was the second such discovery found in the past two weeks. On Oct. 9, the mutilated body of a Baja California state official who authorities said was suspected of giving fake driver's licenses to drug gang members was found hanging from another bridge in Tijuana.
Also Oct. 17, police reported finding the mutilated body of a woman in a reservoir in another part of Tijuana. The woman's hands and head were missing. That same day, a shoot-out between police and narco-gunmen left one officer and one narco dead, and two police wounded. (AP, Oct. 17)
major blow against the stateside networks of Mexico's La Familia Michoacana narco gang this week. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. Oct. 22 announced the arrests of 303 people in the past two days, the culmination of a four-year investigation dubbed "Operation Coronado."
"The sheer level and depravity of violence that this cartel has exhibited far exceeds what we, unfortunately, have become accustomed to from other cartels," Holder said. "While this cartel may operate from Mexico, the toxic reach of its operations extends to nearly every state within our country."
The biggest hauls were in Dallas, Atlanta and Seattle, with significant seizures also reported in San Diego and Riverside, Calif. Holder said authorities seized more than $32 million in US currency, 2,700 pounds of methamphetamine, 4,400 pounds of cocaine, 16,000 pounds of marijuana and 29 pounds of heroin, as well as 389 firearms and 269 vehicles. More arrests are expected, he added. Operation Coronado has led to some 900 arrests in the past four years, Holder asserted.
"These are drugs that were headed for our streets and weapons that often were headed for the streets of Mexico," Holder said. "That's why we are hitting them where it hurts the most—their revenue stream. By seizing their drugs and upending their supply chains, we have disrupted their 'business-as-usual' state of operations."
As the raids were carried out in the United States, the Mexican authorities on Oct. 22 arrested six members of La Familia, including two mid-level commanders in the towns of Taretan and Morelia, Michoacán.
Wednesday, 14 October 2009
John Ramirez, 25, of Vineland, allegedly wielded a .357 revolver as he approached the porch
John Ramirez, 25, of Vineland, allegedly wielded a .357 revolver as he approached the porch and demanded money from Contreras and two friends. As they rifled through their pockets to comply, the gun went off. The bullet lodged in Contreras' head, killing him instantly, police say.Ramirez and his accomplice fled. Shortly thereafter, police found the gun in the street and Ramirez in a house around the corner on the 600 block of Montrose Street. They searched the house and found evidence they will not detail but that they said links Ramirez to the crime.The gun was not registered as stolen, but police have not determined who it belongs to.Investigators do not believe Ramirez had any connection to Contreras. The men lived more than two miles apart in the city, according to their last-known addresses, provided by police.As Ramirez sat Sunday night in the Cumberland County Jail on $750,000 bail, Contreras' friends continued the vigil they started shortly after the 43-year-old's violent death.Sunflowers, tulips and carnations surrounded a cluster of candles and a few photos of Contreras. His wide smile beamed from beneath a hard hat in one, and from a comfortable seat on a couch in another. Several large containers filled with $1, $5 and $10 bills - donations for his family - rounded out the memorial.Ramirez has told police he belongs to the Latin Kings street gang, which they already knew from previous dealings with him. Besides that, Ramirez refused to talk, Vineland police Lt. Thomas Ulrich said.
Ramirez's gang affiliation and aliases - "John John" and "King Bliss" among them - drew little reaction from older adults gathered there. Some scoffed that Ramirez is much like other kids today: They think they are gangsters, or they want to be, but aren't really.
Regardless of whether Ramirez, like others his age, has imagined or exaggerated his status within the criminal underworld, the gun was real. So was the bullet. And so are the charges: homicide, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, according to a statement from police.
Ramirez, who will turn 26 on Oct. 21, got out of prison in November 2008 after a seven-month stint for weapons possession, aggravated assault and loitering to distribute drugs, according to the state Department of Corrections Web site.
He also faces two counts of contempt of court for failing to appear for offenses police could not specify Sunday.
Ramirez wore a hospital gown in the booking photo provided by Vineland police. Police provided the gown after they took his clothing as part of the evidence for the case, Ulrich said.
Police got a call shortly before the shooting from a taxi driver in the area who had picked up a fare when two other people tried to get into his taxi. He would not let in the others - believed by police to be Ramirez and his accomplice - and immediately called police for help and to report what he said was an attempted robbery.
Police have not found Ramirez's accomplice. They described him as a Hispanic male clad in a gray sweatshirt.
Tuesday, 6 October 2009
alleged member of the Rebels Outlaw Motorcycle Gang arrested
Police say that a St Clair man arrested while trying to obtain a false passport at Hurstville post office was in a drug-manufacturing ring. Matthew Espagne, 33, was in Sutherland Local Court last week charged with commercial manufacture of drugs, possessing fraudulent identification and obtaining a fraudulent passport. He is allegedly a member of the Rebels Outlaw Motorcycle Gang and allegedly had connections to a clandestine drug laboratory discovered south of Moruya this year. He will appear in court on November 5.
Courtney High, Dejon Cagle, Ciara White and Dutchess Lykes were all arrested and charged with two counts each of aggravated arson.
Courtney High, Dejon Cagle, Ciara White and Dutchess Lykes were all arrested and charged with two counts each of aggravated arson. The arrests were related to two firebombing incidents that occurred simultaneously at 4813 and 4814 Tomahawk Trail last Wednesday. Victims and witnesses to both incidents were able to provide investigators with suspect descriptions, police said.Based on information received during the investigation, it is believed that the bombings were the result of an on-going feud between two rival gangs - the Gangster Disciples and the Bloods, police said. High and Cagle are both known members of the Bloods gang, it was stated.
Police said a third firebombing was attempted Sunday at 736 Georgia Ave. However, details are not yet available on that incident. Members of the Alcohol, Tobacco and Fire Bureau, the Chattanooga Fire Department, the Chattanooga Police Department and the Tennessee Bomb and Arson Division are all working on the incidents.
Police said a third firebombing was attempted Sunday at 736 Georgia Ave. However, details are not yet available on that incident. Members of the Alcohol, Tobacco and Fire Bureau, the Chattanooga Fire Department, the Chattanooga Police Department and the Tennessee Bomb and Arson Division are all working on the incidents.
Jamie Bacon’s rights are being violated by his living conditions at a Surrey, B.C., jail
Reputed gangster and accused murderer Jamie Bacon attended a special B.C. Supreme Court hearing in Vancouver Monday, where his lawyer argued that Bacon’s rights are being violated by his living conditions at a Surrey, B.C., jail while he awaits trial.Reputed gangster and accused murderer Jamie Bacon attended a special B.C. Supreme Court hearing in Vancouver Monday, where his lawyer argued that Bacon's rights are being violated by his living conditions at a Surrey, B.C., jail while he awaits trial.Bacon is charged along with three others with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in connection with the slayings of six people in a Surrey highrise in October 2007. Two of the victims were innocent bystanders, police said.Bacon claims his constitutional rights are being violated because he's being held in solitary confinement, his mail is not being handled properly and visits and telephone access are too restrictive.His lawyer, Kim Eldred, also said Bacon's cell is cold, he was given just one blanket with no pillow, and also that the cell was dirty, the walls apparently smeared with undetermined bodily fluids.Bacon's trial is not scheduled to begin until September 2010, and Eldred is seeking to have him moved to another facility or Bacon might suffer "grave psychological harm," she said.
The mother of one of the six victims from the 2007 murders, Eileen Mohan, attended Monday's hearing.Her son, Chris Mohan, was leaving his apartment to play basketball when he apparently stumbled on the murder scene and then was killed."What about our constitutional rights?" said Mohan during a break in proceedings."We families have lost our loved ones forever because of these thugs," she said.Bacon is the only one of the four accused — all currently incarcerated at the Surrey Pre-Trial Centre — to apply to the court to be moved.
The mother of one of the six victims from the 2007 murders, Eileen Mohan, attended Monday's hearing.Her son, Chris Mohan, was leaving his apartment to play basketball when he apparently stumbled on the murder scene and then was killed."What about our constitutional rights?" said Mohan during a break in proceedings."We families have lost our loved ones forever because of these thugs," she said.Bacon is the only one of the four accused — all currently incarcerated at the Surrey Pre-Trial Centre — to apply to the court to be moved.
Saturday, 3 October 2009
Ayala, better known as "Angelo Millones," was captured last month
Ayala, better known as "Angelo Millones," was captured last month following a seven-year investigation."It was his domain," Pedro Janer, assistant special agent in charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration in Puerto Rico, said of the Jose Celso Barbosa project, a collection of concrete, three-story yellow buildings in the San Juan suburb of Bayamon. "He lived there his entire life. People liked him. They protected him."Arrest teams from the DEA, FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Puerto Rico police assembled at a nearby Army base, Fort Buchanan, before speeding into the complex before dawn."We use overwhelming force to guarantee the safety of our agents," DEA spokesman Waldo Santiago said.Suspects were rounded up without incident and loaded onto a bus for processing at a sports stadium in San Juan. By midafternoon Friday, 38 of 65 defendants indicted by a U.S. grand jury on drug trafficking charges had been arrested at the project and other spots in the metropolitan area."I think we've cut this tree down," said Joseph Shepherd, acting special agent in charge of the DEA in this U.S. Caribbean territory.Despite the project's grim exterior, there was clear evidence of drug riches inside.At one apartment, FBI agents broke down the door and found leather couches, custom recessed lighting and a lavish entertainment system including a large flat-screen television. Luis Fraticelli, the top FBI official in Puerto Rico, said the traffickers used that unit as a command center.Ayala, who was targeted by a long-running DEA investigation, is accused of importing cocaine from Colombia, often by way of the Dominican Republic, and distributing the drug to the U.S. mainland and other cities in northern Puerto Rico. Cocaine was allegedly shipped to New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Florida.Ayala's lawyer has said his client is innocent of charges that could send him to prison for life.
U.S. prosecutors say the ring generated roughly $100 million in profits since the mid-1990s. Authorities have seized cash and property in that amount from the defendants, including a $250,000 Lamborghini.Ayala was generous with the project's poor residents.For Christmas he put on lavish parties featuring well-known reggaeton artists, U.S. Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodriguez said. She said at a news conference that Ayala used drug profits to pay for the parties "as a way to maintain control over the housing projects."The trafficking ring also used violence and intimidation to control the Barbosa project, according to Rodriguez, who said the gang installed iron bars at some building entrances to facilitate drug sales and block the way for police. Ayala is suspected of ordering the slaying of rival traffickers, including a shooting that killed a 3-year-old girl in May.The DEA says Ayala used his wealth to provide back the career development of the island's reggaeton acts. Two that performed at his holiday parties, Don Omar and the duo Wisin y Yandel, were among witnesses called to testify before the grand jury.
U.S. prosecutors say the ring generated roughly $100 million in profits since the mid-1990s. Authorities have seized cash and property in that amount from the defendants, including a $250,000 Lamborghini.Ayala was generous with the project's poor residents.For Christmas he put on lavish parties featuring well-known reggaeton artists, U.S. Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodriguez said. She said at a news conference that Ayala used drug profits to pay for the parties "as a way to maintain control over the housing projects."The trafficking ring also used violence and intimidation to control the Barbosa project, according to Rodriguez, who said the gang installed iron bars at some building entrances to facilitate drug sales and block the way for police. Ayala is suspected of ordering the slaying of rival traffickers, including a shooting that killed a 3-year-old girl in May.The DEA says Ayala used his wealth to provide back the career development of the island's reggaeton acts. Two that performed at his holiday parties, Don Omar and the duo Wisin y Yandel, were among witnesses called to testify before the grand jury.
Jamal Shakir, hoped to renew his Rollin' 90 Crips criminal enterprise
Federal authorities say a gang leader had developed an elaborate plot to escape from prison in a homemade helicopter flown by his underlings.The Tennessean of Nashville reported Friday that the case against one of the gang leader's associates, 35-year-old Faith Readus, will be heard by a grand jury. She is accused of researching different types of helicopters and flight training.Authorities say the plot was orchestrated by Jamal Shakir, who hoped to renew his Rollin' 90 Crips criminal enterprise. He was convicted in May 2008 of orchestrating a nationwide drug ring, laundering money and killing nine people between 1994 and 1997.Readus' attorney, Jennifer Thompson, could not be reached Friday. But she said at a Thursday hearing that such a plot was ridiculous.
Cameron Taylor, gang member remains at large six months after a roadway shooting that left a passing motorist dead from a single rifle shot.
Cameron Taylor, a documented member of one of the city's most notorious street gangs, disappeared after the March 24 shooting in which rival gang members fired across afternoon traffic on South 16th Street. south Phoenix gang member remains at large six months after a roadway shooting that left a passing motorist dead from a single rifle shot.Earlier this week, Phoenix police's Silent Witness program listed Taylor, 22, among its most-wanted suspects. The 5-foot-11, 150-pound suspect, who goes by the nickname Woo, is accused of attempted murder and other crimes in the shooting north of Broadway Road. The stray bullet killed Gilbert Leon, 54, who was driving home after taking his nephew to lunch just blocks from the neighborhood where he grew up. Leon's parents said they continue to work with Silent Witness to share their son's story in hopes that others will learn from his memory.
"That's all we have - memories," said Leon's mother, Clemencia Leon, 77.
"We don't mind it because we hope it will help . . . to tell these gang members what they did, killing an innocent person," she said.While Taylor has gone missing, police arrested a 17-year-old gang member in May on suspicion of firing the fatal rifle shot in Leon's murder. Arkeem Coleman was indicted on 12 felony counts ranging from first-degree murder to endangerment and assisting a criminal street gang. He pleaded not guilty, and his next scheduled hearing is slated for later this month in Maricopa County Superior Court. Police believe Taylor and Coleman were two of the gang members shooting at or threatening each other from vehicles traveling north on 16th Street. disappeared after the March 24 shooting in which rival gang members fired across afternoon traffic on South 16th Street. Earlier this week, Phoenix police's Silent Witness program listed Taylor, 22, among its most-wanted suspects. The 5-foot-11, 150-pound suspect, who goes by the nickname Woo, is accused of attempted murder and other crimes in the shooting north of Broadway Road.
The stray bullet killed Gilbert Leon, 54, who was driving home after taking his nephew to lunch just blocks from the neighborhood where he grew up. Leon's parents said they continue to work with Silent Witness to share their son's story in hopes that others will learn from his memory."That's all we have - memories," said Leon's mother, Clemencia Leon, 77. "We don't mind it because we hope it will help . . . to tell these gang members what they did, killing an innocent person," she said.While Taylor has gone missing, police arrested a 17-year-old gang member in May on suspicion of firing the fatal rifle shot in Leon's murder. Arkeem Coleman was indicted on 12 felony counts ranging from first-degree murder to endangerment and assisting a criminal street gang. He pleaded not guilty, and his next scheduled hearing is slated for later this month in Maricopa County Superior Court. Police believe Taylor and Coleman were two of the gang members shooting at or threatening each other from vehicles traveling north on 16th Street.
Eric S. Chambers shot Ronald L. Kenney, 19, in the stomach outside the CFE club in Forestville
19-year-old from District Heights was sentenced Thursday to four years in prison for trying to kill a member of a rival gang outside a nightclub last year, Prince George's State's Attorney Glenn F. Ivey said. Circuit Court Judge Larnzell Martin Jr. sentenced Eric S. Chambers in connection with the Dec. 26 shooting, prosecutors said. Chambers shot Ronald L. Kenney, 19, in the stomach outside the CFE club in Forestville, said prosecutors. Chambers is a member of the Hilltop Crew, which prosecutors said is a rival of the Walker Mill Crew. Members of the groups got into a fight at the club, according to prosecutors, and a member of the Hilltop Crew called Chambers at home. Chambers went to the club, authorities said, shooting and wounding Kenney after another fight outside the nightspot.
Two gang members who are thought to have fled to Spain after raiding HSBC .
Two gang members who are thought to have fled to Spain after raiding HSBC .As reported yesterday Patrick McDonagh and Carl Hargin were jailed for stealing more than £300,000 from the Westbourne Road branch in an armed, daylight robbery in June.
Hargin, 24, got eight years and eight months and McDonagh, 28, got seven years and four months after admitting the offence.Det Chf Insp McDermott, of West Yorkshire Police’s crime division, said: “They were obviously dangerous and very professional in the way they planned and prepared the offence, using stolen vehicles, one of which was later burned out and abandoned.“The level of violence used at the scene was horrific and it was lucky the bank staff were not seriously injured.“It’s a good result to have got the sentences they received.”Hargin, of Salford, and McDonagh, of Cheetham Hill in Manchester, were part of a four-strong gang who armed themselves with a sledgehammer, a machete and a crowbar when they targeted the bank on the afternoon of June 26.After forcing staff to open the safe, they fled in a Vauxhall Vectra with hold-alls full of cash.The car was later burned out and the gang got in a van, which was spotted by police.It sparked a dramatic chase from Huddersfield to Manchester city centre, where Greater Manchester Police caught up with them in the Arndale Shopping Centre car park.Det Chf Insp McDermott said one of the gang attempted to strip off his clothes and hide behind cars before he was caught.Hargin and McDonagh were arrested, but the others escaped.Det Chf Insp McDermott added: “It was a great team effort between West Yorkshire Police and Greater Manchester Police. They reacted quickly to information we gave to them and in difficult circumstances managed to safely arrest two violent offenders.”He confirmed the other two gang members were thought to have fled to Spain and added: “We have identified who the other two suspects are, and they have been circulated as wanted.“The case is still a live inquiry and we are still actively pursuing them.”
Hargin, 24, got eight years and eight months and McDonagh, 28, got seven years and four months after admitting the offence.Det Chf Insp McDermott, of West Yorkshire Police’s crime division, said: “They were obviously dangerous and very professional in the way they planned and prepared the offence, using stolen vehicles, one of which was later burned out and abandoned.“The level of violence used at the scene was horrific and it was lucky the bank staff were not seriously injured.“It’s a good result to have got the sentences they received.”Hargin, of Salford, and McDonagh, of Cheetham Hill in Manchester, were part of a four-strong gang who armed themselves with a sledgehammer, a machete and a crowbar when they targeted the bank on the afternoon of June 26.After forcing staff to open the safe, they fled in a Vauxhall Vectra with hold-alls full of cash.The car was later burned out and the gang got in a van, which was spotted by police.It sparked a dramatic chase from Huddersfield to Manchester city centre, where Greater Manchester Police caught up with them in the Arndale Shopping Centre car park.Det Chf Insp McDermott said one of the gang attempted to strip off his clothes and hide behind cars before he was caught.Hargin and McDonagh were arrested, but the others escaped.Det Chf Insp McDermott added: “It was a great team effort between West Yorkshire Police and Greater Manchester Police. They reacted quickly to information we gave to them and in difficult circumstances managed to safely arrest two violent offenders.”He confirmed the other two gang members were thought to have fled to Spain and added: “We have identified who the other two suspects are, and they have been circulated as wanted.“The case is still a live inquiry and we are still actively pursuing them.”
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