Feuding between Deep-C gangsters and traditional rival groups in North Richmond accounted for many bodies during the past two years

More than 200 law enforcement officers swarmed city streets beginning at 7 a.m., serving dozens of search warrants and arresting more than 40 gang suspects accused of fomenting violence, drug-dealing and prostitution.Feuding between Deep-C and traditional rival groups in North Richmond accounted for many bodies during the past two years, authorities say."They make their money through narcotics, prostitution and violence. And they make sure their area is clear of other gangs," said John George, special agent in charge of the BNE's San Francisco office. "This operation targeted the shot-callers ... and we also tracked the drug dealers who were supplying Deep-C and bringing illegal drugs into Richmond."The Contra Costa District Attorney's Office will prosecute all cases in Superior Court, George said. The bulk of charges involve drug-dealing, weapons violations and gang enhancements. The investigation also uncovered pimping at a hotel immediately outside Richmond, George said.

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Reputed chief enforcer of the Gangster Disciples in the Chicago area has been ordered to spend 40 years in prison for illegally purchasing guns

Reputed chief enforcer of the Gangster Disciples in the Chicago area has been ordered to spend 40 years in prison for illegally purchasing guns in in northwest Indiana. Bernard Ellis, 41, of Country Club Hills, seemed surprised by the long prison term handed down Monday.“You’re giving me 40 years for guns?” Ellis exclaimed, insisting he never killed anyone.He told the judge the sentence was “crazy” and said he’ll appeal. But U.S. District Judge Robert L. Miller Jr. said the sentence was justified, calling Ellis an “armed career criminal.”In May, a federal judge in Chicago had sentenced Ellis to seven years in prison for possession of firearms by a felon. That judge didn’t give Ellis the maximum 20-year sentence then, in part, he said, because he found “redeeming” qualities in him.In 2004, Chicago police recovered a gun from Ellis after arresting him on charges he beat his girlfriend and her daughter. Tests linked the gun to a killing earlier that year.
But Ellis hasn’t been charged in that slaying, which remains under investigation.

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Henry Fortich Coneo and Wilmer Villadiego Coneo were flown to Miami

Henry Fortich Coneo and Wilmer Villadiego Coneo were flown to Miami on Tuesday. They were captured last month and have been wanted by U.S. authorities since 2001. They're suspected to be former members of a dismantled gang in the Dominican Republic accused of drug smuggling and murder.Col. Reverol didn't specify the charges or the quantity of drugs involved.The U.S. has accused Venezuela of doing little to prevent trafficking of Colombian cocaine. President Hugo Chavez's government denies the accusations.

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Former Hell's Angel Steven Gault testified in the murder conspiracy trial of Mark Stephenson and Remond Akleh

Former Hell's Angel Steven Gault testified in the murder conspiracy trial of Mark Stephenson and Remond Akleh, both senior members of the Ontario Hell's Angels. The alleged murder contract was never carried out.Akleh and Stephenson are charged with recruiting Gault to murder Frank Lenti of the rival Bandidos Motorcycle Club in the summer of 2006, after Lenti refused to become a Hell's Angel. "Mr. Stephenson put his arm around me and told me I got my patch, but if he ever found any paperwork on me, he would kill me," Gault said.Court heard that a biker's patch is the trademark winged skull logo of the Hell's Angels, and that even members wives weren't allowed to touch them.Court also heard that paperwork was any strong evidence that a member was a police informer. Gault sometimes smiled as he outlined the practices and rules of the Hell's Angels, the world's largest outlaw motorcycle gang. Gault said that a member had to wait a year after joining before he could have the Hell's Angel winged skull logo tattoed on his body. If he was kicked out of the club he was expected to immediately remove the tattoo from his body, or someone else would do it roughly for him.Asked how a former member's tattoo would be removed, Gault replied softly: "I've heard everything from a cheese grater to burning it off to a knife."Crown attorney Mitchell Flagg asked Gault what it meant to him when he was given his Hell's Angel colours."That you weren't to be messed with," Gault replied. "Anywhere that you went, people feared you...You were at the top of the food chain."Gault told court that tensions were high between the Hell's Angels and the Bandidos and Outlaws Clubs in the early 2000's in the Greater Toronto Area.
"It's like oil and water," Gault told court.
"Are you saying they didn't mix well?" Flagg asked.
"They'd pretty well kill each other," Gault replied.
The three Hell's Angels were the best dressed people in the courthouse, each wearing a neatly tailored business suit. Gault was flanked by two plainclothes police officers as he testified, since he is now in a witness protection program.Court has not heard how much Gault was paid by police for telling them secrets of his biker life.

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Danny Neace testified in the Sioux Falls trial of two Hells Angels bikers charged with shooting him

Danny Neace of Indiana testified Thursday in the Sioux Falls trial of two Hells Angels bikers charged with shooting him and four other people.Chad Wilson of Lynnwood, Wash., and John Midmore of Valparaiso, Ind., are charged with attempted murder and commission of a felony while armed.Their lawyer says as Wilson and Midmore tried to leave a resort, several Outlaws members attacked them so they fled to save their lives.But Neace said none of the Outlaws pulled a gun before the shooting.Because Neace is charged with an unrelated federal crimes in Michigan, federal prosecutors gave him immunity for his testimony.

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Gang members are getting trained in the military and using their knowledge to come back and fight on American streets.

Gang members are getting trained in the military and using their knowledge to come back and fight on American streets. While in California a month ago, we interviewed two L-A County gang investigators in south central Los Angeles. Just listen to what Detective Adan Torres told us."One of the biggest gangbangers around here actually has on his license plate, ‘Iraq veteran, or veteran Iraq'," he said. "He's got F-13 on the back of his head. Florencia on back. F-13 on his arms... and two purple hearts. Been on two tours of duty. He's trained than half the officers here anyway, fighting him."That's the "gotcha" -- hearing veteran gang detectives say some gang members are purple heart recipients who are a better shot than most police.
Those detectives in California listed a couple examples of problematic gang members they see all the time, who are also American soldiers.

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Ger Dundon walked into Limerick court offices yesterday evening

Ger Dundon (21) had been sought by gardai to begin a 10-month jail sentence since he failed to appear for a Circuit Court appeal on October 24 last. He was handed the jail term after he pleaded guilty to a total of 34 motoring offences, including illegally driving a bullet- proof and armour-plated BMW supplied by his gang, the notorious McCarthy-Dundons. Gardai believe the same outfit is responsible for the brutal slaying of Mr Geoghegan on Sunday. Dundon, of Hyde Road, Ballinacurra-Weston, Limerick walked into Limerick court offices yesterday evening. He contacted gardai and gave himself over to officers. He was last night spending his first night of a 10-month sentence in Limerick prison. Investigating officers are certain to ask Dundon if he played any role, or had any knowledge of the network behind Mr Geoghegan's killing. His arrest came just hours after Limerick came to a virtual standstill for the funeral of the latest innocent victim of the city's murderous feud. On a bitterly cold day, more than 2,000 attended the emotional funeral service while hundreds more lined the three-mile route to the cemetery. Bishop of Limerick Dr Donal Murray issued a plea for an end to the 'evil feud' between the city's gangs.
In a letter to the congregation, he said: "The death of Shane has shocked all of Limerick and beyond. This senseless killing of an innocent man, with his whole life before him, is further evidence of the futility of this evil feud, and the callous inhumanity with which it is pursued." As Mr Geoghegan's remains were carried through the city, gardai stepped up their search for the murder weapon. Yesterday morning, Ger Dundon failed to appear at a district court sitting in the city on public order offences, and a second bench warrant was issued for his arrest. He was arrested on October 13 at Mill Lane, Henry Street, Limerick and charged with offensive behaviour and intoxication -- after he allegedly urinated on a garda patrol car.
Court staff were said to be shocked when the criminal appeared before them yesterday to begin his jail sentence. But his older brother, John Dundon (28), failed to appear before Judge Tom O'Donnell yesterday. A bench warrant has been issued for his arrest. John Dundon was also charged on October 13 last of using threatening and abusive behaviour in Pineview Gardens, Moyross. His whereabouts were still unknown last night. Despite his young age, Ger Dundon has now amassed almost 50 convictions. Last August, he was jailed for nine months after he attempted to use a false passport in Cork airport to board a European flight. In April 2004, he received a three-year suspended prison sentence for possessing €30,000 worth of drugs for sale or supply. He was 15-years-old. Within four months he had committed three breaches of the Public Order Act including, on one occasion, roaring and jeering outside the St Mary's Park home of Owen Treacy -- the nephew of murdered crime boss Kieran Keane. As a result Dundon had broken his bond to keep the peace and the suspended sentence was activated in 2005. The McCarthy-Dundons have been to the forefront of crime in Limerick since the return of gang members from the UK in the late 1990s. Officers investigating the weekend murder say it is progressing well. More than 50 gardai are involved. Justice Minister Dermot Ahern yesterday reiterated his vow to wage war on the country's criminal gangs, as he promised to push resources into policing the streets and busting gangland bosses. The minister said he had secured additional money for next year to increase the allocation ringfenced to tackle serious crime -- from €20m to €21m. The budget available to the Criminal Assets Bureau has also been increased by 20pc.

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Marcello Lucero, 37, of Patchogue, was beaten, stabbed and was pronounced dead at Brookhaven Memorial Hospital.

Marcello Lucero, 37, of Patchogue, was beaten, stabbed and was pronounced dead at Brookhaven Memorial Hospital. Jeffrey Conroy, 17, of 189 Jamaica Ave., Medford, Jordan Dasch, 17, of 5 Lyndsie Court, Medford, Anthony Hartford, 17, of 94 Greenport Ave., Medford, Nicholas Hausch, 17, of 36A Middle Island Ave., Medford; Christopher Overton, 16, of 9 Yacht St., East Patchogue, Jose Pacheco, 17, of 244 Hospital Road, East Patchogue and Kevin Shea, 17, of 301 Jamaica Ave., Medford were arraigned in first district court in Central Islip. All defendants were charged with first degree gang assault. Conroy has also been charged with first degree manslaughter as a hate crime.The defendants were arraigned Monday before Judge Toni Bean. All seven defendants pleaded not guilty.District Attorney Thomas Spota said “A thorough and deliberate presentation of all the facts and circumstances surrounding this brutal and wonton act will be made to the grand jury in the coming days. The right of all individuals to be free from fear and attack regardless of their race, religion, ethnicity and sexual orientation is paramount and will be vigorously defended.”The judge remanded Conroy to the Suffolk County jail without bail. Bail was set at $500,000 bond with a $250,000 cash alternative on Overton and $300,000 bond with a $150,000 cash alternative for each of the remaining defendants.All defendants are scheduled to return to court on Friday, Nov. 14. On Monday, Gov. David Paterson issued a statement related to the case.“Today, I ask New Yorkers to join me in mourning the death of Marcello Lucero, a Hispanic man of Ecuadorian descent who was the fatal victim of a vicious hate crime over the weekend in Suffolk County. This disgraceful act should serve as a source of outrage for all of us.

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Three people dead and five wounded by gunfire in renewed Gang violence

violence has returned to the Salinas, leaving three people dead and five wounded by gunfire. Most of the victims in the latest surge of shootings that began Nov. 2 have been younger than 25. The youngest victim, Romeo Gose, 15, was killed after being shot multiple times in the upper body about 9 p.m. Sunday in Northgate Park on the city's northwest side off Cherokee Drive. Gose died at a local hospital a short time later, becoming the city's 23rd slaying victim of 2008. Salinas police Cmdr. Kelly McMillin said Gose was near an outbuilding in the park when two people approached him and opened fire at close range. "We have no reason to believe this had anything to do with gangs," McMillin said. He declined to elaborate. Less than 90 minutes earlier, in what police are investigating as a gang-related shooting, the 22nd slaying of the year was marked. Edgar Hernandez, 19, was fatally shot about 7:50 p.m. Sunday when someone opened fire on him and two 33-year-old men in the driveway of their home on the 1100 block of Pacific Avenue. Hernandez had just returned home from a store and was standing with the men when a car pulled up, McMillin said. "The passenger exited the vehicle, didn't say a word and opened fire," McMillin said the investigation has determined. Hernandez died at the scene. The two men with him were wounded and were taken to a San Jose hospital for treatment. They are expected to recover. McMillin said that though investigators are probing possible gang motives, there is nothing to suggest Hernandez or the men with him are involved in gangs.
Police did not provide a description of suspects or a vehicle in either shooting.
McMillin said there is nothing to suggest the two incidents are connected or are related to the other four shootings in the last nine days. Two 16-year-old boys were wounded by gunfire about 4 p.m. Friday when the driver of a gray or brown Ford Thunderbird shot at them near Florence Place and Fairview Drive. Police have made no arrests. Francisco Cabrera, 23, was shot several times about 11 p.m. Thursday on the 1000 block of North Sanborn Road. Officers who happened to be in the area responded and stopped a Mazda Protege that was speeding away. Driver Luis Placencia, 20, Diego Ramirez, 18, and two male juveniles were arrested. Shots were fired at a house in the 1800 block of Margaret Street about 8 p.m. Nov. 3, striking some vehicles. No one was injured and the shots were apparently fired from a tan 1990s two-door Honda Accord. Jose Alonzo, 22, was fatally shot about 10 p.m. Nov. 2 after he answered a knock at the door of his Lewis Circle home. No arrests have been made and police have not named any suspects. "We don't have any reason to believe anything unique is going on," McMillin said.
But the three recent slayings have pushed Salinas to the cusp of tying the record 24 slaying of 1994. In an effort to try to reduce the level of violence, police launched an initiative Oct. 16 dubbed Operation Impact to target gangs with the help of the California Highway Patrol and Monterey County Sheriff's Office. The agencies agreed to lend their support to patrol the city. In the final weeks of October there were no shootings of any kind reported in Salinas. "Sometimes we go through these periods of calm," McMillin said.
Police, though, have declined to say when officers are actively working Operation Impact. "It is an ongoing operation," Deputy Police Chief Cassie McSorley said Monday.
She said the operation at some point would have to end, but would not elaborate on the current status or say if the assigned officers were working in the last week.
The CHP said that since the operation began Oct. 30, its officers have conducted 330 traffic stops, written 164 citations, impounded 47 vehicles and have arrested 36 people, including 18 for felony violations. A complete report with the details of the operation will be provided when the operation is finalized, McSorley said.
"It may not be until the first of the year," she said, adding that the results will be positive. "We will see that it has had an impact."

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Robert Daniel Thompson,Hells Angels motorcycle club member was in fair condition at U.C. Davis Medical Center after he was gunned down outside

Robert Daniel Thompson, a 43-year-old convicted sex offender and Hells Angels motorcycle club member was in fair condition at U.C. Davis Medical Center after he was gunned down outside The Shanty in Eureka late Friday night. In 2006, Merced County Sheriff's deputies arrested Thompson on suspicion of killing 12-year-old Jodi Marie Ragsdale and 15-year-old Sheila Carter on Dec. 13, 1986. The two girls' mangled bodies were found dumped alongside a rural road, their heads badly battered.
”These young girls were savagely bludgeoned to death and left out in a dirt road,” said Larry Morse, the Merced County District Attorney. “It really shocked the community.” According to Morse, Thompson was a suspect early on in the case. Department of Corrections information indicates Thompson had been released from prison just months before after serving time for weapons and drug possession.
”This was one of the most horrific crimes I've ever seen,” Morse said. “It was the kind of crime that was fueled by an incredible rage.” There was DNA evidence linking Thompson to the suspected murder weapon -- a car jack. And there was a witness. Thompson kidnapped a woman 10 days after the two girls were murdered, and drove her into a forested area to rape her. According to Morse, Thompson never raped the woman, but she later testified at the murder trial that Thompson had confessed to her he had recently murdered two girls. ”It was a very difficult case because of the time here,” Morse said. “Many of the players frankly were not around, or memories had dimmed.” The first trial ended with a jury that hung eight to four in favor of his guilt. The second trial ended with his acquittal. ”We were delighted he left Merced County,” Morse said. “There were a lot of people here who believed he escaped justice.” Throughout the course of the trial, Morse said members of the Hells Angels routinely came in to observe. Although no motive has been confirmed, authorities have stated that the shooting may have stemmed from an ongoing feud between the Hells Angels and a rival biker gang, the Mongols. Detective Patrick O'Neill, Eureka Police Department investigative supervisor, said no motive has been established, but four suspects have been arrested, and a handgun has been retrieved. The suspects -- Eric Gunner Lundin, 28, Dustin Christopher Liebes, 36, Brad Lee Miller, 26, and Redding resident Eric Dean Garcia, 28 -- have been booked into the Humboldt County jail. Lundin, Liebes and Miller are held on $500,000 bail, while Garcia is held on $500,000 plus an additional $10,000 stemming from an arrest warrant out of Manteca, Calif.

O'Neill could not say whether those men have any connection to the Mongols or the Hells Angels, and the Humboldt County District Attorney's Office has yet to file formal attempted murder charges. The men are expected to be arraigned later this week. At least one of the suspects has a violent criminal history. On Aug. 3, 2006, Liebes pleaded guilty to threatening his former girlfriend, and mother of two of his children, with a knife. According to court documents, the woman escaped Liebes by hiding in her vehicle and calling the police, while Liebes stood outside her car, scratching the door with his knife. The men were arrested while driving shortly after the shooting. O'Neill said a handgun was found with the men inside their car, but could not say whether it has been positively identified as the weapon used in the shooting. Morse said he is familiar with the feud between the biker gangs. ”He's running with a tough crowd, and there's obviously a lot of hostility between the Hells Angels and the Mongols,” Morse said. “I don't know why he was targeted. But (he was) playing a dangerous game, and this is sometimes what happens.” Eureka Police investigators continue to investigate the shooting, and new information is expected soon, O'Neill said.

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MEXICO CITY .- The Mexican Army on Friday seized the largest arsenal of weapons captured in one day in Mexico.

MEXICO CITY .- The Mexican Army on Friday seized the largest arsenal of weapons captured in one day in Mexico.



It comprised of 5,000 cartridges, 278 rifles, 126 handguns, 98 grenades and 86,740 U.S. dollars in cash, official sources announced

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convicted John Price,Nazi John, I'm very, very pleased. There was no body, no forensics and no weapon

A King County jury has convicted John Price, a Ghost Riders motorcycle gang member, of first-degree murder and related charges. The jury issued its ruling just more than 24 hours after arguments in the case concluded, finding that Price, 37, had killed Don Jessup at a Ravensdale trailer in December 2004. Price was also found guilty of two counts of witness tampering, charges that resulted from Price sending threatening letters to witnesses against him. Price, known as “Nazi John” in the gang because of his numerous neo-Nazi tattoos, had been accused of killing Jessup after an argument about a motorcycle. Though Jessup’s body has not been found, prosecutors believe Price beat him with an ax handle before shooting him in the head.Price was a member of the Ghost Riders motorcycle gang and known among fellow bikers as "Nazi John," O'Toole said. Jessup was a past president of the Gypsy Jokers, a rival gang."I'm very, very pleased. There was no body, no forensics and no weapon," O'Toole said of the verdict.Defense attorney Julie Gaisford told jurors that the testimony by many of the witnesses should be discounted because of their drug addictions, criminal histories and anger at Price.The 23-year-old mother of Price's three children testified against him during the first week of the trial.

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Rio Grande Valley gang members are now in a war with national "violent hate gangs," such as the Texas Syndicate, Mexican Mafia and the Latin Kings

prosecution witness on Thursday told jurors how confessed police shooter Abraham Mar assaulted a rival gang member in a courthouse holding cell on Monday.A jury in the 357th state District Court is hearing testimony to decide Mar's sentence for the attempted capital murder of Harlingen police Officer Carlos Diaz, who Mar admitted to shooting on June 25.Thursday's testimony also included Diaz's account of the shooting, as well as testimony from Mar's mother, who said her son was beaten by his alcoholic father and had attempted suicide.Mar, who had vomited twice during Wednesday's testimony, vomited again when his mother reached the witness stand.
Cameron County sheriff's Lt. Dionicio Cortez, testifying as a gang expert, said he was seated in a break room behind the courtroom Monday when he heard a scuffle in a nearby holding cell, where he found two bailiffs trying to break up a fight.
Mar, 19, and a Los Vallucos gang member were beating a member of the rival Texas Syndicate gang, Cortez said. Los Vallucos, or "Valley guys," is a name for members of Lower Rio Grande Valley gangs from Brownsville, Harlingen and San Benito.
Earlier testimony revealed Mar is a member of a local Harlingen gang called the West Side Aquas.Rio Grande Valley gang members are now in a war with national "violent hate gangs," such as the Texas Syndicate, Mexican Mafia and the Latin Kings, said Cortez, who formerly was a California police officer.Diaz took the witness stand next, giving an emotional account of how he received a radio call about someone smoking marijuana at the Corner Mart on F Street in Harlingen.When he arrived, he at first did not see anyone using drugs, but there were a lot of people in the store, he testified.He then saw Mar driving away with one of his car's tail lights out, Diaz said. As he drove toward Mar, he saw the teen get out with a rifle.Mar then aimed the rifle straight at him, he said."It didn't go off," Diaz told the court. "He turned it over and did something to it and then he started shooting at me."Diaz had to shut his eyes because glass from the windshield was striking his face, he said."I felt something hit me. I felt myself bleeding," he said, choking on his words.He tried to reach for his handgun but couldn't grip it because a bullet had struck his knuckle, he said. He couldn't get his seatbelt off and his hand dropped the radio microphone, he said.Diaz described how he felt bullets strike his hand, arm, chest and head and felt "blood gushing from my shoulder." He turned on his portable radio and screamed for help, identifying Mar as the shooter because Diaz feared the teen would succeed in killing him."I wanted everyone to know who did it," the officer testified.He then saw Mar get into his car and leave, Diaz told the court. When other officers arrived, they helped him out of his car.He walked to another patrol car, opened the rear door and climbed in, asking a fellow officer to drive him quickly to the hospital, Diaz said.At Valley Baptist Medical Center-Harlingen, he began walking to the emergency room with help from other officers, he told the court. Nearby paramedics stopped him and lifted him onto a gurney.
Prosecutors then showed the jury the video captured by the onboard camera in Diaz's patrol car.The recording shows Mar approaching with the rifle and firing directly at the officer. Bullet holes quickly appear in the windshield.Diaz, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Somalia, testified he has had two surgery sessions since the attack and faces more operations. He hopes to return to duty.He is undergoing physical therapy and is also seeing a psychologist, he said. But he has exhausted his medical insurance benefits.As the visibly shaken Diaz left the witness stand, nearly everyone in the courtroom stood in his honor.After prosecutors rested their case, defense attorneys put Mar's mother, Virginia Mar, on the witness stand.She said that although she and her other children all have documents to legally work in the United States, she went to Mexico in 1989 to give birth to Abraham because she didn't have $5,000 to pay a hospital in Harlingen.At that point in her testimony, Abraham Mar became ill in the courtroom, as he had done on Wednesday, and the judge ordered a recess.When she resumed testifying, Mar's mother said she had been cleaning houses seven days a week at $25 a day in 1989, but made even less in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, by baking bread and sewing, so she returned to Harlingen with her children.
When Abraham was about a year old, his father returned from working in North Carolina, she said. Her husband saw the baby's curly hair and denied he was the boy's father, Virginia Mar said tearfully.Her husband, an alcoholic, had a violent temper and once threw a hammer at her, she said. And he regularly beat Abraham with a piece of rope for making bad grades in school.He told the boy he was worthless and called him obscene names, Virginia Mar testified. Her other children all made better grades.She once caught Abraham, 15 at the time, trying to hang himself, Virginia Mar said, weeping on the witness stand. Her son had to turn to his friends for love and happiness.Defense testimony is set to resume today in Judge Leonel Alejandro's courtroom.Mar faces up to life in prison, said a spokesman for the Cameron County district attorney's office. Because Mar's lengthy police record consists mostly of juvenile offenses, he does not fall under the "three strikes and you're out" law, which calls for a minimum 25-year sentence.

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Tracy Harris, Clinton Knight and Chester Randall Wichita police said all are Crips gang members

Rapper 40 Glocc Denies Being A Crip. Rapper 40 Glocc a/k/a Lawrence White protests that he is not a Colton City Crip after being included in a civil gang injunction brought by the San Bernardino County district attorney in California. The rapper argues that his previous references to a gang affiliation simply was to enhance his image and sell records:
"I am an entertainer trying to make a name for myself in the rap industry where image is everything. It is common in the rap industry to make music with violent lyrics and gang references. However, this in no way represents reality. It sells records, which is why rap artists say what they say."
The jury has convicted three members of the Crips gang -- Tracy Harris, Clinton Knight and Chester Randall -- on federal racketeering charges in Wichita, Kansas:
The jury of eight women and four men delivered the verdicts after nearly four days of deliberation. The trial lasted nearly three weeks and is the first in a series of trials linked to federal charges against gang members. The defendants were among 28 people charged with participating in a "pattern of racketeering activity" that dates to December 1990. Wichita police said all are Crips gang members.

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Herbert Melvin May, a former Red Lake police officer. He got 48 months in prison and one year of supervised release.

Sixteen people have been sentenced in Bemidji this week in connection with a large-scale cocaine distribution ring on the Red Lake Indian Reservation.South Dakota's U.S. Attorney Marty Jackley announced the sentencings Thursday. His office is handling the case because the Minnesota U.S. Attorney's Office recused itself due to a potential conflict.Jackley says the investigation led to a total of 34 indictments. Two defendants were previously sentenced, charges against one person were dismissed and 15 defendants await sentencing.One of the people sentenced is Herbert Melvin May, a former Red Lake police officer. He got 48 months in prison and one year of supervised release.The other people sentenced this week received anywhere from one day in prison to 12 years .

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Domenico Magnoli was taken into custody by plainclothes officers

Mafia suspect was arrested Thursday after undergoing liposuction surgery at a private Italian clinic. After nearly a year on the run, Domenico Magnoli was taken into custody by plainclothes officers who posed as visitors after his surgery. Magnoli, 27, underwent surgery to remove fat from his thighs and stomach late Thursday at the La Madonnina clinic in southern Italy. When he awoke from the operation, plainclothes officers carrying flowers and boxes of chocolate surrounded his bed.Magnoli was arrested on a French warrant for drug trafficking charges. He has been linked to the Piromalli crime family.

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Homicide squad is investigating links between the Hells Angels motorcycle gang and the disappearance of Shepparton man Engin Ozdemir

Homicide squad detectives are investigating links between the motorcycle gang and the disappearance of Shepparton man Engin Ozdemir, 46. Detectives believe Mr Ozdemir - who has not been seen for more than four months - was murdered in an ambush. The Hells Angels had become part of the investigation because they had previously threatened Mr Ozdemir. The missing man was a key witness in the prosecution of a Melbourne businessman on serious taxation and fraud charges.
Police say witnesses in that trial - including Mr Ozdemir - were threatened by interstate members of the Hells Angels and another bikie gang, warning them not to give evidence. Mr Ozdemir and another man, who was later to testify by video link, went ahead with their evidence at a preliminary hearing. The man charged was jailed for four years and was released from prison about a month after the disappearance of Mr Ozdemir. Mr Ozdemir had helped the businessman launder money, set up shelf companies and open dodgy bank accounts. Mr Ozdemir, who also went by the names Can Koray and John Koray, was last seen on June 19. He left his home in Carlisle Court, Shepparton, just before 5pm, saying he was going to meet someone at 6.30pm about three properties he was to manage. His car, a 1990 Toyota Camry, was parked at the Shepparton railway station at 5.13pm. Detectives suspect a late-model Ford station wagon parked in the next car space within minutes may be connected to the disappearance. The cars were parked at the far perimeter of the car park, well away from the station's terminal. Security footage showed the Falcon left within minutes of the Camry arriving. Sen-Det Steve Trewavas of the homicide squad said he believed Mr Ozdemir was not the driver of the Camry and it might have been parked there to give an impression he had left by train. "There's a 20-minute period where something's happened," he said. Mr Ozdemir has not used his bank account or mobile phone since vanishing. Det-Sgt Trewavas said there were other possible motives for the killing. Mr Ozdemir was a heroin and morphine user who dealt cannabis and prescription drugs in the Shepparton area. "He had a lot of people coming around," Det-Sgt Trewavis said. Mr Ozdemir regularly travelled to Fitzroy to buy heroin. He was believed to have owed money to several drug dealers and was badly assaulted about a month before vanishing. He told friends he was forced to fire a shot to repel his attackers. Mr Ozdemir's sister Hulya said she had contacted psychics to help find her brother, one of whom said he was alive and being held somewhere.

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Geelong Shooting in the head and chest at a house in Fairbairn Drive, Corio,

The man, aged in his 30s, was shot in the head and chest at a house in Fairbairn Drive, Corio, shortly after 10pm (AEDT) on Monday. The man, who does not live at the address, was flown to the Royal Melbourne Hospital in a critical condition, where his condition has stabilised. Police tonight charged two residents of the house, a 51-year-old man and a 27-year-old woman, with five counts of being a prohibited person in charge of a weapon and one count each of possessing cartridge ammunition.
The man appeared before a bail justice late yesterday and was remanded in custody to appear in the Geelong Magistrates Court today. The woman was bailed to appear in the same court on December 17. Police have ruled out any connection between Monday's shooting and the death of Torquay bikie Ross Brand, who was fatally wounded when he and three other men ambushed by a gunman in a twin-cab utility parked outside the Bandidos Geelong headquarters on October 22. Another man was wounded in the shooting, one of a series involving motorcycle gangs in the region in the past two years.

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88 mafia members were arrested on Tuesday in Naples

88 mafia members were arrested on Tuesday in Naples. Police also confiscated their assets in the amount of 80 million euros. The arrested belong to the Gionta clan and are suspected of having committed several crimes, including extortion, drug smuggling and gathering into a criminal organisation, Croatia’s Vecernji list daily reported.The arrest operation was conducted by police from Naples in cooperation with police forces from Milan, Catania and Pistoia. The head of the clan, Valentino Gionta, was convicted, among other things, for the murder of a journalist of a Napoli daily “Il Matino”, Giancarlo Siani, in September 1985. He is currently in jail. His wife was among those arrested in Tuesday’s operation.Police confiscated real-estate and other property, bank accounts and company shares of those arrested, all amounting to 80 million euros. According to the Italian law, all assets confiscated from the mafia belongs to citizens.

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Russian immigrants had opened several pawn shops that were being used as fronts to traffic stolen property

Arrests were made:Edgar Feldman, 34. He is facing charges of possession of marijuana for sale, use of electronic in drug transaction and transportation of marijuana for sale. He is being held at the Maricopa County jail.Gurgen Arakelov, 23. He is facing charges of trafficking in stolen property and conspiracy to transport marijuana. He is being held at the Pima County jail.Eduardo Mataov, 23. He is facing charges of possession of marijuana for sale, use of electronic in drug transaction, transportation of marijuana for sale and possession of a weapon during a drug offense. He is being held at the Maricopa County jail.Georgiy Yagudayev, 24. He is facing charges of possession of marijuana for sale and transportation of marijuana for sale. He is being held at the Maricopa County jail.Bergey Yeroshkin, 31. He is facing charges of possession of marijuana for sale and transportation of marijuana for sale. He is being held at the Maricopa County jail.Russian crime mafia operating in the Tucson and Phoenix areas has been busted after a six-month investigation by Tucson police.
The large group of Russian immigrants had opened several pawn shops that were being used as fronts to traffic stolen property, police said Tuesday.
The members also are believed to have been involved in burglaries as well as weapons and narcotics violations.
The bust was made after undercover officers infiltrated the group and began trading and selling purported stolen merchandise to the owners of the stores, according to Sgt. Mark Robinson, a Tucson Police Department spokesman.
It was determined that the group in Tucson was closely connected to another group of Russian immigrants in Phoenix who were operating a pawn shop there, Robinson said.
On Oct. 29, four search warrants were served in Tucson — two at pawn businesses and two at residences. Three search warrants were served in Phoenix.
As a result, authorities seized stolen handguns, other weapons, purported high-value coins and jewelry, narcotics, marijuana and other items.
The organized crime group has national and international connections with money transfers going to Russia and New York, police say.

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Post Deleted and Apology posted.

$pirit has left a new comment on your post "Simon City Royals gang leader Thomasa Parker,Addit...":

Ok..First off,I AM the female that is spoken of, although mostly in error, in this article. Just to clarify for anyone who may wish to know the TRUTH, I have never been addressed as "Queen Bee" or as "Madam" until now, and was only called that by uninformed sources. I am NOT a drug dealer, did NOT have "beat-downs" at my house, did NOT approve of violent behavior and most especially, HAVE NEVER LED ANYTHING THAT WASN'T ALREADY FOLLOWING!! I would LOVE to know who actually was the source of information for these mindless pieces that keep popping up all over the Internet. It's not us that society needs protection from, it's the fallout that ensues when some people are allowed to speak without a license!! I appreciate a persons' opinion just on principal alone, but it should not be spread in a public forum when it is just that....a uninformed OPINION.I mean, really, is there not more to worry about than a Election year "round up" in hopes of getting more votes? Come on, folks....Weren't these tactics used before in the past, like in Salem with the witch trials and more recently during the 60's with the civil rights movement and trying to force all to look alike in the eyes of a already scared public? I know that this is a life choice and they (the civil rights workers and affected African-Americans) had none, but really, does anyone know any of us other than what the papers and new reports stated? I'm sure few do. Judge not least you be judged....if you think that may still apply. All I have seen lately is "guilty until proven innocent", which is very sad indeed. God forgive all who may have done any wrong within the Nation, but mainly, God forgive all those who set the wrong facts out knowing better and purposely harmed individuals and their very existences. It has destroyed lives. Discrimination comes in many forms and from many diverse angles. Don't follow the Pied Piper..sometimes he will lead you wrong.

Thanks for your full and eloquent comment. I would draw your attention to our terms. Please follow our guidelines and do not post:Potentially libelous statements or damaging innuendo, such as accusing somebody of a crime, defaming someone's character, or making statements that can harm somebody's reputation.Obscene, explicit, or racist language.Personal attacks, insults, threats, harassment, or posting comments that incite violence.Comments using another person's real name to disguise your identity.Commercial product promotions.Comments unrelated to the story.Links to other Web sites.

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Chad Wilson,is a Canadian citizen and member of the Dago Chapter of the Hells Angels in San Diego. Wilson Midmore is a prospect of the Haney chapter

Chad Wilson,is a Canadian citizen and member of the Dago Chapter of the Hells Angels in San Diego. Wilson Midmore is reportedly a prospect of the Haney Chapter of the Hells Angels in British Columbia. Both have pleaded not guilty to five counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count of commission of a felony while armed.
The shooting happened on Aug. 8, 2006 at Legion Lake Resort in Custer State Park, South Dakota where the Outlaws gathered for the Sturgis motorcycle rally.
The five Outlaws wounded are Thomas Haas, 50; Allen Matthews, 59; Danny Neace, 61; Claudia Wables, 20; and Susan Evans-Martin, 35. Crystal Schuster, 29, suffered injuries unrelated to a gunshot.The trial, which was moved from Custer, is expected to take several weeks.

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Yee Tong and Sing Wah gangs are believed responsible for the scalping of a man in Auburn

Yee Tong and Sing Wah gangs are believed responsible for a number of violent crimes across Sydney including the scalping of a man in Auburn in July, a vicious kidnapping in April and a multiple stabbing at World Square two months ago.In the past membership has belonged exclusively to the Asian community but now there’s reports other school students are being targeted by the gang, with recruitment based on a social basis and no longer an ethnic line.

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Dwayne Carter Aka 'Lil Wayne' shot after Show In Hometown Of New Orleans rumour or fact ?

" Dwayne Carter Aka 'Lil Wayne' shot After Show In Hometown Of New Orleans
Dwayne Carter known by his rap alias of 'Lil Wayne' is the latest victim of the notorious feud between the 'Bloods' And 'Crips'. Shortly after performing at the New Orleans Arena, Lil Wayne was involved in an altercation with members of rival gang the 'Crips', and brutally shot 6 times with a semi automatic 9mm Smith & Wesson handgun Paramedics rushed to the scene and attempted to resuscitate the rapper, however were unable to prevent colossal blood losses and Dwayne Carter was pronounced dead at 02:36 Am, November 1st,shortly after arriving at Tulane University Hospital.
This will be seen as a huge loss to the hiphop community, as the self proclaimed 'Best Rapper Alive' has been an integral part of the revival of the genre, going platinum with his latest release Tha Carter III within one week.
New Orleans police Chief Warren J.Riley appealed to any witnesses to come forward with any information about the 4 gunmen" Fake Website ?

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Shaneka Penix was caught selling crack cocaine because of her affiliation with the Maryland division of a drug gang known as the Tree Top Piru Bloods

Shaneka Penix was caught selling crack cocaine in August and September of last year. It was her first serious infraction. But because of her affiliation with the Maryland division of a drug gang known as the Tree Top Piru Bloods, she was charged and convicted of conspiracy under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations act, or RICO. At 23, Penix, the mother of a 3-year-old girl, was facing a minimum mandatory prison sentence of 10 years. "When you're convicted under RICO, the sentences are a lot longer than they are for the base offenses," said Frank Razzano, an adjunct law professor at the University of Maryland School of Law and an editor of a RICO law journal. That is among the reasons prosecutors like it. The law was enacted nearly 40 years ago to take down traditional, Godfather-style Mafia members, though it is rarely used for that anymore. Instead, it has become a widely used tool against more contemporary mobsters, the drug gangs terrorizing U.S. cities.
It allows prosecutors to charge multiple members of a gang simultaneously with the crimes of their colleagues, simply because of their connection. They are charged and tried in federal court, which offers tough sentences and, unlike state courts, no parole. Penix was one of 28 defendants listed on an indictment; 26 of them are charged with racketeering. Four people, including Penix, have pleaded guilty in the case so far. But Quarles appeared unconvinced yesterday that it was an appropriate conviction for Penix, in part because of the mandatory sentence it carries. The length of the term "will in fact create an injustice," he said. He sentenced her to 120 months anyway. "I am bound by the law," he said.In Baltimore, more than 1,800 adults belong to about 45 criminal street gangs - including the Bloods and Crips - according to a database developed by the University of Maryland and the Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention. The Tree Top Piru Bloods are accused of planning and committing robberies, drug trafficking, murders, circulating firearms and committing violent acts "as deemed necessary," according to the Maryland U.S. attorney's office. They grew out of the Los Angeles Bloods gang as a subset named after a group of streets in Compton, Calif. Members spread throughout the country, with a division beginning in Maryland about nine years ago in the Washington County Detention Center in Hagerstown. Steve Willock was said to have led the gang's operations from prison; he was sentenced last month as part of this case to 25 years in prison. People join gangs for varied reasons, researchers say. Some because it is what is expected - a family legacy; others because they have no family and are looking for brotherhood. Penix got caught up in it because there was something "lacking in her own heart," her attorney, Richard C. Bittner, told the judge. "She was missing a father; that led her to get involved with these men."
Penix was raised by her mother, who sat in the nearly empty courtroom yesterday. She was still trying to come to terms with what happened to her daughter, Bittner said.
Penix apologized for her actions but offered no explanation. Quarles recommended that she be placed in Alderson Federal Prison Camp in West Virginia so that her family, including her daughter who lives in Cumberland, would be close enough to visit regularly. In an interview, Bittner called the sentence and RICO conviction "overreaching.""This woman was a low-level young lady who really was taken advantage of by some corrupt, evil people," he said. "Now we have a disproportionate sentence because of it."But Maryland U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein said the sentence reflected the woman's crimes. "The reason why we prosecuted her was not just because she distributed the crack cocaine but because of the evidence that she was an active member of the racketeering enterprise. In fact, she admitted that," he said. She reported to Willock and gave him money in addition to the drug dealing, according to the indictment. Rosenstein's office has charged dozens of gang members with racketeering, including Maryland participants in the deadly MS-13 crime organization.

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Englewood sub-chapter of the nationwide "Grape Street Crips," including its two top local leaders: Shawn Smith, and Brandon Randolph arrested

arrested eight members of two notorious street gangs operating in the New Jersey towns of Englewood, Hackensack and Bergenfield, prosecutors said Friday.
The operation is part of a statewide initiative to disrupt gang activity and remove gang members from streets before they are involved in violent crimes, Bergen County Prosecutor John L. Molinelli said at a press conference in Hackensack.
"How do we get them off the streets before they shoot someone?" asked Jose Cordero, statewide director of gangs, guns and violent crime control with the state Attorney General's Office.
The operation led to the arrest of all five members in the Englewood sub-chapter of the nationwide "Grape Street Crips," including its two top local leaders: Shawn Smith, of Kaplan Avenue in Hackensack, and Brandon Randolph, of Grand Avenue in Englewood, authorities said.
Both Smith and Randolph are charged with drug distribution, sale of a handgun and criminal weapons possession.
Also arrested were Julio Joseph, Jeremy Nunnally and Christian Griffin, all of Englewood. All three are charged with distribution and possession of cocaine. Griffin faces additional charges of selling and illegally possessing a handgun.
Molinelli said two members of the Bloods street gang Lee A. Donawa and Quincy Goldman of Bergenfield were arrested as part of the operation. Donawa is charged with illegal sale of a handgun, while Goldman is charged with distribution of marijuana.
Also arrested was Keon Wiggins of Hackensack, a suspected Bloods member, Molinelli said. He is charged with distribution and possession of cocaine.
All eight defendants were arrested at different times since September, after a months-long undercover investigation, Molinelli said.
Authorities have also seized seven handguns and are investigating if any of those guns were used in shootings in Englewood, Molinelli said.
"The message we are trying to convey is that, if you are a gang member, sooner or later, we are going to arrest you," Molinelli said.

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Tuan Tran, 50, apparently switched jail wristbands with an inmate who was scheduled to be bailed out of custody

Tuan Tran, 50, apparently switched jail wristbands with an inmate who was scheduled to be bailed out of custody, and he was mistakenly released from the George Bailey Detention Facility on Oct. 9, sheriff's Sgt. Russ Moore said.
Moore said information was not released earlier because Tran is not considered a threat and authorities wanted to pursue other options to locate him. Tran swapped wristbands with an inmate who has the same last name and same physical description. When the bail was posted, Tran was released instead of the correct inmate.
Authorities realized what happened a few hours later, when the mother of the man who was supposed to be released called the jail asking where her son was, Moore said.
Authorities say Tran is believed to be in the San Diego area. He was in custody awaiting sentencing on burglary and fraud convictions. He is described as Vietnamese, about 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighing 140 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.

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Arrests of three key gang members from the V-Boys and Tiny Oriental Crip gangs

arrests of three key gang members from the V-Boys and Tiny Oriental Crip gangs, two violent Southeast Asian street gangs “terrorizing California’s cities and towns.”
“We can never let up in our relentless campaign to crack down on the street gangs that are terrorizing California’s cities and towns,” said Attorney General Brown. “With the takedown of these key members of the V-Boys and Tiny Oriental Crip gangs, we’ve made significant progress in our work to make our streets safer for everyone.” Starting at 7:00 a.m. yesterday morning, California Department of Justice Gang Suppression and Enforcement Team (GSET) agents joined other state and local law enforcement agencies in serving search warrants in two counties and arresting three leaders of the “V-Boys” and “Tiny Oriental Crip” street gangs. Both gangs have a long history of violence in San Diego County, but several of the gang leaders have relocated and now live in the Temecula Valley area of Riverside County. The investigation started in November 2006, when GSET agents learned that the San Diego-based street gangs were active in the southwest portion of Riverside County. Prior to yesterday’s takedown, police have already arrested 27 gang members and their associates for murder, robbery, burglary, identity theft and other crimes.
The California Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the San Diego Police Department’s Street Gang Unit and Mid-City Division and the Murrieta Temecula Regional Gang Task Force, served 7 search warrants on the Southeast Asian street gangs. Agents made 3 arrests and seized weapons, including rifles, a sawed-off shotgun, semi-automatic handguns, and a cache of ammunition. Agents also seized a Tech-9 machine pistol with the serial number filed off and night-vision equipment. Agents plan to seek additional arrest warrants for several suspects who were not found during the operation.
The gang demonstrated its potential for violence during a surveillance operation in November 2007. While agents were conducting surveillance on a suspect, Tri Minh Vo, the suspect and his companion, Cao Lam, entered a home in City Heights, a community in San Diego. They shot six people in the home, killing one of them. When the surveillance team and members of the San Diego Police Department’s Gang Suppression Team confronted the suspects, Cao Lam fired at the officers and struck a DOJ agent. Tri Minh Vo was taken into custody at the scene. Cao Lam fled on foot while continuing to fire at the responding officers. During the pursuit, Cao Lam was shot by officers and died of his wounds. The wounded DOJ agent has since recovered from his gunshot wound. The California Department of Justice GSET program assists local law enforcement with severe gang problems that bleed osinto neighboring jurisdictions. State agents have recently shut down a Norten street gang, a violent Cambodian street gang in Stockton, and a Sureño gang in Atwater. Attorney General Brown’s special agents have also participated in recent crime crackdowns in East Palo Alto, Compton and Oakland.

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Los Zetas, the enforcer of Mexico´s infamous Gulf Cartel, is reinforcing its ranks and stockpiling weapons in safe houses in the U.S

Los Zetas, the enforcer of Mexico´s infamous Gulf Cartel, is reinforcing its ranks and stockpiling weapons in safe houses in the U.S. in response to recent crackdowns in the U.S. and Mexico against drug traffickers, said the FBI San Antonio Field Office's Joint Assessment Bulletin. The bulletin was dated Oct. 17 and was sent to law enforcement officials in the Texas region. The bulletin said the cartel's regional leader, Jaime Gonzalez, has ordered the reinforcements to a tactical operational territory, or "plaza," in the area around the southern Texas towns of McAllen and Mission, about 235 miles south of San Antonio and less than five miles from the border with Mexico. "In direct response to recent United States law enforcement activities against Los Zetas members of the McAllen-Mission, Texas Plaza, Jaime Gonzalez, AKA 'HUMMER,' has ordered additional personnel to the Plaza to regain control and engage law enforcement officers if confronted," states the bulletin, which was produced by the FBI's McAllen Intelligence Center. "These replacements are believed to be armed with assault rifles, bullet proof vests, and grenades, and are occupying safe houses throughout the McAllen Texas area," the bulletin states. Richard Kolko, a spokesman for the FBI in Washington, confirmed the authenticity of the report. "The FBI, with our gang task force members are well aware of Los Zetas and their violent nature. A bulletin not intended for the media was provided to law enforcement throughout Texas to alert them of potential new tactics," he said. Los Zetas is thought to be composed of former members of Mexico´s special forces who deserted or retired to work for the Gulf Cartel, a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) official familiar with the group told The Times. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of ongoing operations in the area, said that Los Zetas is thought to have taken control of the Gulf Cartel's operations. Its home base in Nuevo Laredo, a Mexican border town about 160 miles southwest of San Antonio, has been brutalized by ongoing cartel wars and witnessed a surge of violence in recent years. Recent arrests by the FBI of several members associated with the McAllen-Mission plaza led to the information on the drug cartel's intentions and on Mr. Gonzalez. Mr. Gonzalez, who operates out of Reynosa, Mexico, about 10 miles south of McAllen and Mission, instructed his cells to "engage law enforcement with a full tactical response should law enforcement attempt to intervene in their operations" and also is "believed to have established loose relationships with street and prison gangs to facilitate their movement and operations within the United States," according to the bulletin. An FBI search warrant on a rural location in Mission resulted in the seizure of multiple weapons including assault rifles, tactical vests, and an assortment of paintball weapons, which the Zetas have used for "regular paint ball training for tactical raids and car stops," the bulletin states. According to the bulletin, the "main responsibility of these cells" stationed in the United States "is to seek out people owing the Cartel money for lost, stolen, seized drug loads or profits." Those people are forced to "either pay their debt or are kidnapped. In addition, the plaza cells are proactively seeking out and eliminating rival drug and alien smuggling groups," the bulletin states. Since the summer, drug wars have escalated along the more than 2,000-mile U.S. border with Mexico, with thousands killed. Los Zetas, continues to control the drug routes in the south Texas area, which includes access to Interstate 35 and Highways 59, 359 and 83. The interstates run from south Texas to as far north as Canada and provide the drug cartels access to major U.S. cities, where they distribute billions of dollars in narcotics annually. The FBI McAllen Resident Agency, a division of the bureau's San Antonio Field Office, recently received the information that the Zetas have segregated the Rio Grande Valley area into tactical operational territories, or plazas, and "currently have standing orders to confront U.S. law enforcement agencies to zealously protect their criminal interests," the bulletin states. Each territory or "plaza" has a designated leader to oversee all enforcement operations conducted on behalf of the cartel. Increased pressure by U.S. and Mexican law enforcement has pushed the cartels "into a defensive mode," the DEA official said. "These particular types of activities by the cartels show their increased strength and the serious threat they pose to the national security in the U.S.," the official said. "It's not getting better but worse along the border. Unfortunately, the drug wars we've seen in Mexico are now spilling significantly into the United States."

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Steven Armento,accused with "Sopranos" actor Lillo Brancato Jr. of fatally shooting an off-duty police officer

Steven Armento,accused with "Sopranos" actor Lillo Brancato Jr. of fatally shooting an off-duty police officer during a burglary has been convicted of murder.Steven Armento, 51, faces a possible sentence of life in prison without parole after jurors found him guilty Thursday of first-degree murder while committing a felony in the Dec. 10, 2005, death of Daniel Enchautegui. Sentencing was scheduled for Nov. 14.
Armento and Brancato broke into a basement apartment to steal prescription drugs after a night of drinking at a strip club, according to investigators. Enchautegui, who lived next-door, confronted them after hearing noises in the apartment.Prosecutors said Armento fired at the 28-year-old officer with a .357 Magnum, hitting him once in the heart. The dying officer fired back and wounded both men.A nurse's aide testified during the trial that Armento bragged from his hospital bed that he would be "a king in jail" for killing a police officer.Brancato, 32, who appeared in the 1993 movie "A Bronx Tale" with Robert De Niro as well as "The Sopranos," is scheduled to be tried on second-degree murder charges next month.

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The Black Mafia Family All got prison time ranging from four years to more than 16 years for drug conspiracy.

A man authorities said is a member of a multi-state drug ring called the Black Mafia Family is to be sentenced Thursday, a day after nine other members were sentenced in Atlanta. One by one, for nearly nine hours Wednesday, members of the Atlanta branch of the Black Mafia Family stood before U.S. District Judge Orinda Evans to hear their sentence. All got prison time ranging from four years to more than 16 years for drug conspiracy. They also got probation once they're released. Franklin Nash is to be sentenced Thursday. Authorities said the Black Mafia Family began with two brothers, Demetrius Flenory and Terry Flenory, selling crack cocaine in Detroit high schools in the mid-1980s. Within a few years, their Black Mafia Family had moved into 11 states.

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Daniel James Rodd's jail term increased from nine to 10 years.

Daniel James Rodd's jail term increased from nine to 10 years. Under Queensland legislation, a 10-year sentence automatically carries with it a serious violent offender declaration. This means Rodd - who was 34 in June when he was sentenced for a string of offences including trafficking and producing methylamphetamine - will serve at least eight years behind bars before he is eligible for parole. During the original sentence hearing, the Supreme Court in Brisbane was told Rodd was the head of a large-scale drug ring in south-east Queensland between 2002 and 2004. The court was told Rodd ran his business through the use of "gangster-style violence''.
"Rodd used violence and threats of violence to control and manipulate his minions,'' reads a written judgment handed down today in the Court of Appeal. "During the trafficking he used violence to make others confess to crimes they had not committed to absolve him of responsibility... "He always carried a gun and fired guns in close proximity to others to intimidate purchasers and assert his power over his associates and customers.'' Queensland Attorney-General Kerry Shine appealed Rodd's original nine-year sentence, claiming it did not reflect the seriousness of the offending. The Court of Appeal agreed, saying it was a "clear case for a serious violent offence declaration''.

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Nguyen-Tran, known as Jackie Tran arrested at his mother's home Tuesday night for breaching curfew

At a detention review on Thursday, the IRB said that Tran will stay at the Calgary Remand Centre because he broke his release conditions and is considered a flight risk. The bonds posted for someone's release is forfeited to the Canadian government if release conditions are not met, according to the Canada Border Services Agency.
The Calgary police and the CBSA supported keeping Tran in custody. Calgary gang investigators said previous attempts on Tran's life and his gang involvement created security risks for both him and the public if he was freed. A permanent resident who moved to Canada in 1993, Tran racked up a criminal record in Calgary that includes two convictions for drug trafficking and one for assault with a weapon, so immigration officials issued a removal order for him on April 20, 2004. Earlier this month, Tran's appeals of the removal order led to a federal court ruling that granted him a new deportation appeal hearing. That review began late Thursday afternoon. At previous IRB hearings, Tran has pleaded his case as a hard-working glass cutter who earns $26,000 a year and has been paying taxes for the past seven years. Nguyen-Tran, known as Jackie Tran, listened by phone as proceedings took place to determine whether he breached release conditions set by Immigration and Refugee Board officials. Const. Scott Bertrand told the hearing he was looking for an offender behind a fight in Kensington about 1 a.m. on Oct. 25 -- just days after Tran was released -- when he noticed three men hurrying to an SUV. He said he pushed past a man he believes was trying to prevent him from approaching the SUV to question the men inside -- a Caucasian man bleeding from his hand in a rear seat, the driver and another man in the passenger seat who appeared drunk and didn't acknowledge police. He said he received driver's licences from the two more lucid men but made no arrests, as none of the SUV's occupants matched the description of the suspect.
While later running computer checks to confirm identities of the two men, Bertrand found they were in high-profile gangs while the intoxicated man with them matched a police photo of Tran. "I am 100% confident the person I dealt with in the vehicle was the same individual I reviewed in the photographs," Bertrand told the hearing. Tran was consequently arrested at his mother's home Tuesday night for breaching curfew. Jolene Fairbrother, one of Tran's lawyers, said Bertrand's evidence did not prove her 26-year-old client was caught in a breach. "We have a police officer in a dark alley who apparently saw a person with his eyes closed, his chin on his chest and then three days later going to Mr. (Tran) and saying 'that's you,' " she said. Immigration division member Otto Nupponen disagreed, ruling to keep Tran in custody until a Nov. 6 detention review hearing on grounds he's a flight risk and public danger. "He was in the midst of another violent-type situation or very close at hand, and found to be with known gang members," said Nupponen. CBSA hearing officer Dan Davidson suggested Tran's lack of commitment to the appeal process has seen him avoid deportation for four years.

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Pagan Mongol alliance deadly combination of Mongols and Pagans could spell trouble for the area.

California-based Mongols approached the Pagans Outlaw Motorcycle Club, which had dominated the East Coast and recently helped drive the Hells Angels the Mongols' archrivals out of Philadelphia.The would-be partnership between two tough biker clubs was revealed in an 86-count racketeering indictment, released last week, which charged 79 Mongols and associates in several states with murder, hate crimes and drug trafficking.The charges came after federal agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives infiltrated the Mongols for the second time in 10 years.According to the indictment, Mongols president Ruben "Doc" Cavazos talked - in code - to confidant Lawrence "Lars" Wilson about creating an alliance with the Pagans during an Aug. 1, 2007 telephone call.Cavazos, author of a recently published Mongols memoir, "Honor Few, Fear None," and Wilson wanted the Pagans to help them fight the "Sons of Silence" gang in Indiana, according to the indictment.
Six weeks later, leaders of the Mongols met the Pagans in a face-to-face encounter in Atlantic City.The indictment identified the Mongols' national officers who attended as the president, Cavazos; his son, Ruben "Little Rubes" Cavazos, Jr.; and William Michael Munz, in addition to members Al "Al the Suit" Cavazos, Jr. and Wilson. The indictment did not identify the Pagans at the Sept. 13, 2007 meeting.
The Mongols president talked to the Pagans about expanding his gang's authority on the East Coast. The Mongols already have chapters in New York, Maryland, Virginia and Florida, the indictment stated. To make an alliance enticing, Cavazos indicated that the Mongols maintained a supply of weapons - handguns, shotguns, assault rifles and machine-guns - which were stolen, unregistered or non-traceable. They also were involved in methamphetamine distribution, the indictment stated.The indictment does not indicate whether the guns and drug were offered to the Pagans, nor the Pagans' response.The Pagans, who are friendly with the Sons of Silence, did not join the Mongols in warfare against them, said a source familiar with the Sons of Silence.
Four months after the Atlantic City meeting, the Mongols were calling the Pagans a "rival," according to the indictment. In a Jan. 10 telephone call, Wilson ordered an unidentified Mongols member to beat members of the Pagans gang in Baltimore, Md., according to the indictment.Locally, however, members of the Mongols and Pagans have been observed being "friendly" by law enforcement sources at the "Roar of the Shore," a biker weekend last fall in Wildwood, in Atlantic City casinos and in the Philadelphia area.Last fall, members of the Pagans flew to California to party with the Mongols, who put them up in a high-priced hotel, said a law enforcement source.
"We believe there is an alliance," the source added.
Last weekend, law enforcement sources observed the Pagans Mother Club president David "Black Bart" Barbieto and vice president Floyd "Jesse" Moore in the area to meet with the Devils Disciples, a New England-based biker club expected to "patch over" to become Pagans.Moore later partied with California-based Mongols approached the Pagans Outlaw Motorcycle Club, which had dominated the East Coast and recently helped drive the Hells Angels - the Mongols' archrivals - out of Philadelphia.The deadly combination of Mongols and Pagans could spell trouble for the area.The would-be partnership between two tough biker clubs was revealed in an 86-count racketeering indictment, released last week, which charged 79 Mongols and associates in several states with murder, hate crimes and drug trafficking.The charges came after federal agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives infiltrated the Mongols for the second time in 10 years.According to the indictment, Mongols president Ruben "Doc" Cavazos talked - in code - to confidant Lawrence "Lars" Wilson about creating an alliance with the Pagans during an Aug. 1, 2007 telephone call.Cavazos, author of a recently published Mongols memoir, "Honor Few, Fear None," and Wilson wanted the Pagans to help them fight the "Sons of Silence" gang in Indiana, according to the indictment.Six weeks later, leaders of the Mongols met the Pagans in a face-to-face encounter in Atlantic City.The indictment identified the Mongols' national officers who attended as the president, Cavazos; his son, Ruben "Little Rubes" Cavazos, Jr.; and William Michael Munz, in addition to members Al "Al the Suit" Cavazos, Jr. and Wilson. The indictment did not identify the Pagans at the Sept. 13, 2007 meeting.The Mongols president talked to the Pagans about expanding his gang's authority on the East Coast. The Mongols already have chapters in New York, Maryland, Virginia and Florida, the indictment stated. To make an alliance enticing, Cavazos indicated that the Mongols maintained a supply of weapons - handguns, shotguns, assault rifles and machine-guns - which were stolen, unregistered or non-traceable. They also were involved in methamphetamine distribution, the indictment stated.The indictment does not indicate whether the guns and drug were offered to the Pagans, nor the Pagans' response.The Pagans, who are friendly with the Sons of Silence, did not join the Mongols in warfare against them, said a source familiar with the Sons of Silence.Four months after the Atlantic City meeting, the Mongols were calling the Pagans a "rival," according to the indictment. In a Jan. 10 telephone call, Wilson ordered an unidentified Mongols member to beat members of the Pagans gang in Baltimore, Md., according to the indictment.Locally, however, members of the Mongols and Pagans have been observed being "friendly" by law enforcement sources at the "Roar of the Shore," a biker weekend last fall in Wildwood, in Atlantic City casinos and in the Philadelphia area.
Last fall, members of the Pagans flew to California to party with the Mongols, who put them up in a high-priced hotel, said a law enforcement source.
"We believe there is an alliance," the source added.Last weekend, law enforcement sources observed the Pagans Mother Club president David "Black Bart" Barbieto and vice president Floyd "Jesse" Moore in the area to meet with the Devils Disciples, a New England-based biker club expected to "patch over" to become Pagans.Moore later partied with Pagans, a few Mongols and Disciples at a Halloween bash on Mechanicsville Road near Maureen Drive, in the Northeast, according to knowledgeable sources.

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Clashes between rival Norteño and Sureño gangs in Cutler and Orosi

Tulare County Sheriff's Department, meanwhile, continued its show of force in the Orosi-Cutler area. Sheriff Bill Wittman vowed an even stronger law enforcement presence Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.Wittman also appealed for help from those who may have witnessed the shootings, one Saturday night and two Sunday night.Sheriff's deputies arrested a 17-year-old youth Tuesday night after serving a search warrant at a residence in the 13000 block of Quinto Court, Cutler.
There was no information about whether anything investigators found at the residence led to the arrest. The name of the suspect was not released because of his age. He was booked at the Tulare County Juvenile Facility. The youth is a suspect in the death of Daniel Mesa, 16, and the shooting of a 13-year-old boy. Mesa was shot Sunday night at Highway 63 and Avenue 413 in Orosi. It was the first of two shootings Sunday night.Wittman said eight detectives are working on the shootings around the clock.He said the sheriff's department's two gang units would be assigned to street duty in Cutler and Orosi over the weekend.Clashes between rival Norteño and Sureño gangs in Cutler and Orosi are what one former sheriff's gang unit supervisor, Kevin Cotton, once called "a constant struggle."Most street gangs there were once affiliated with the Norteño gang confederation. But in the last three years, Sureño gangs moved north from Southern California. Now Cutler is Norteño territory and Orosi, barely half a mile away, is Sureño country.While investigators believe the shootings are gang-related, Wittman said evidence is limited regarding the Saturday night shooting.Witnesses reported gang hand signs being flashed by occupants of a car that drove alongside a Jeep SUV as it traveled southbound on Highway 63 near El Monte Way.A gunshot fired from the car killed the Jeep's driver, James Vincent Meza, 18, of Visalia.The second shooting Sunday night, in the 37000 block of Avenue 408, killed Roci Martinez, 37, and left her domestic partner, Evaristo Enruquez Hernandez, 44, seriously wounded.They were shot as they sat on their front porch.Also wounded at the Avenue 408 location was Antionette Hernandez, 42. Wittman said investigators had not been able to determine the relationship, if any, between Antoinette Hernandez and the others.Wittman said investigators had been unable to determine whether an incident Oct. 23 in Sultana, west of Cutler, was related to the weekend shootings.In that incident, a 25-year-old man said he was attacked, kicked and beaten by 10 to 15 men. Later, deputies arrested two people, Noealdo Patino, 18, and a 15-year-old, on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.

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Thirteen members of the 9-Tek Grenades, part of the Bloods street gang, were arrested on organized crime charges.

Thirteen members of the 9-Tek Grenades, part of the Bloods street gang, were arrested on organized crime charges.The gang made its money off armed robberies and home invasions for four years. Their crimes were spread all over Central Florida, more than 40 of them. One of them happened a few months ago when a gang member got into a fight with another customer and police found his pockets stuffed with drugs.
The suspects made no secret about their affiliation. The 9-Tek Grenades were part of the East Coast Bloods. They had amassed an arsenal of handguns and assault rifles used in home invasions and armed robberies.But with the arrest of 12 men and one woman, investigators said they've ended the gang's four-year run."The Bloods are a violent criminal gang in this community and had the potential to terrorize any community in northeast Florida," said Dominick Pape, Florida Department of Law Enforcement.The gang literally grew up in the county, with several members starting as juveniles, possibly recruited from schools. They went through initiations to get in. One may have been in Daytona Beach in April, when two men were randomly cut with knives by men wearing red bandanas."The one we arrested today, frankly, is one of the worst we have arrested in our state," said state prosecutor William Shepherd.
The sheriff's office said there would be more arrests, but they had cut the head off the organization. After some denials this year, though, about gang activity in the county, Eyewitness News asked why it took four years to take the gang apart.
"When you talk about why, it takes a long time to build a RICO case, and it shows evident when you look at the bail we're putting on all these people," said Flagler County Sheriff Don Fleming.Not only have the gang members been charged for their crimes, but also on state racketeering charges. The bail the sheriff mentioned is $1 to $2 million for each gang member.

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Roberta Williams,The former wife of gangland murderer Carl Williams, emerged smiling from court after the nine counts of failing to lodge a tax return

Roberta Williams,The former wife of gangland murderer Carl Williams, emerged smiling from court after the nine counts of failing to lodge a tax return were quashed.When asked by reporters if she had lodged her tax returns she replied "no, have you?".
Crown Prosecutor Linda Skoblar made an application at the Broadmeadows Magistrates Court this morning to have the nine counts of failing to lodge a tax return between June 1998 and June 2006 stamped out, meaning Ms Williams, 39, was free to go.
Outside court Ms Williams said she was happy with the decision but refused to detail how or why the charges were dropped. Ms Williams appeared in court wearing a white t-shirt with the silhouette of a woman holding a gun on the front. This week, it was reported she had launched a fashion label trading on the notoriety of former husband Carl and featuring his five-digit Victorian prisoner number.The new business has printed 1200 gangland-themed T-shirts under the label name Robya C.R.E.A.M -- standing for Cash Rules Everything Around Me. But angry crime victims' advocates say the shirts glamorise and profit from crime. Crime Victims Support Association president Noel McNamara said the line should be offensive to all reasonable people.
"Instead of trying to bludge on their disgusting pasts, they need to get off their backsides and get a real job,'' he said. But Ms Williams said she would donate some profits to homeless and domestic violence charities and needed the income for a ``getting square'' life of rent, food, supporting her children and one day getting a home loan. "I'm trying to get a real job,'' she said. Ms Williams said she would sell the T-shirts to "friends on Facebook'' and four shops had expressed interest in them. The $50 T-shirts are decorated with slogans such as ``Williams Crew'' and ``Gangland War'' and feature images including bullet holes, handcuffs, a gun, a pile of powder on a scale and a tombstone. The number 35 is shown in reference to the number of years' jail given to Williams for the murders of three underworld rivals, along with his prisoner number, 88986.

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Alton Dewayne "Popeye" Sanders, has been charged with shooting a man

Alton Dewayne "Popeye" Sanders, has been charged with shooting a man on Hoover Road in August. He was jailed in lieu of $532,500 bail.Sanders, 24, of Wabash Street, faces charges of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, discharging a firearm into an occupied dwelling and discharging a firearm within the city limits.The charges stem from a drive-by shooting at an apartment complex at 1126 South Hoover Road at 11:50 p.m. on Aug. 4. A 22-year-old male who was standing in front of an apartment building was shot in the leg and buttocks by occupants of two vehicles.

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Men allegedly torched the Hells Angels compound this month for "personal motives."

The suspects in a spectacular fire at a Hells Angels compound northeast of Montreal had no ties to organized crime, provincial police say. The Sûreté du Québec said yesterday the men allegedly torched the bunker this month for "personal motives."
The fire at the Sorel-Tracy clubhouse sparked fears of a renewal of violence among criminal biker gangs. However, a Montreal newspaper has reported that a love triangle was behind the blaze, which gutted the first Hells Angels clubhouse in Canada. Three men are in custody and face charges.

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Rotterdam region has the most street gangs with 193, including 11 which are involved in crime. The Amsterdam police area has 12 criminal gangs

The police are keeping a close eye on 1,800 street gangs, at least 100 of which are involved in serious crimes, report several Dutch newspapers on Tuesday. The figures come from an investigation carried out by RTL news.According to the council of chief police officers, the police cannot deal with all the gangs and need hundreds of extra police to cope with the trouble they cause.Many police forces are concerned at the age of gang members and several report that children younger than 12 are joining, and sometimes even leading, the groups.They are also unhappy that parents are not willing to cooperate with them on alternative punishment and seem happy to pay fines and take their offspring home.Eric Akerboom of the chief police officers council told Radio 1 news on Tuesday morning that arresting the gang members is not enough. 'You also have to do something with the family,' he said.The Rotterdam region has the most street gangs with 193, including 11 which are involved in crime. The Amsterdam police area has 12 criminal gangs, the highest in the country, says RTL news.

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Police are yet to establish if Brand's killer is from rival gang the Rebels or indeed if the slaying is gang-related.

Bandidos bikie gang holds discussions with the family of murdered member Ross Brand about his funeral, messages of condolence and fury continue to flood the gang's website.Supporters from across Australia and as far afield as the US, Finland and Germany have posted their anguish after the gun slaying of enforcer Brand outside the gang's Geelong clubhouse. They include an inmate at Barwon Prison and a member of the United States Marine Corp based in Texas, who wrote "Stay cool brothers".
Some painted Brand as a hardcore bikie, but others revealed a different side.
Convicted criminal Brand, 51, shot in the head by a hitman last Wednesday night, was a father of two young boys and, apparently, a lover of antiques and gardening.
"I will miss fossil hunting, the antiques roadshow and your interpretations of Confucius," one mate wrote. Another said: "I will look after George the cactus for you. I know how much you loved him." On a less gentle note, another mate disclosed: "I met Rosco in Luxembourg 2003 and made one hell of a party that lasted eight days." A lawyer for the Bandidos, Michael Wardell, said yesterday he expected no more statements from the gang. "Now that they've set a couple of things straight from their perspective, they're hoping everything will run its course and the focus will move away from them," he said.
Police are yet to establish if Brand's killer is from rival gang the Rebels or indeed if the slaying is gang-related. But one website visitor warned his assassin: "As for the gutless f---, karma's a wonderful thing. Cut one, we all bleed."

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Gangland shooting inside a Calgary restaurant early Sunday killed a man and woman

gangland-style shooting inside a Calgary restaurant early Sunday killed a man and woman who were both in their early twenties, police said. Two other young men were injured during the shootout, which occurred in a strip mall in the city's northeast end. One of the injured is in critical, but stable, condition. "It's believed one or more male persons entered the restaurant, walked directly to the table and committed the crime," said Calgary police Insp. Frank Reuser. He added that police have no suspects, but there were "numerous witnesses." Calgary Police Staff Sgt. Kevin Forsen said the killings carry some of the hallmarks of a gang hit. "Right now it appears to be very consistent with a targeted shooting that involves gangs," he told The Canadian Press. "It was very sudden and there were no precursors that we know of." Forsen added that the investigation is still in its early stages as police work to establish a motive and find out how many shooters were involved. "We're still trying to determine why this would have happened," he said, adding that the victim's identities were also unknown Sunday afternoon. About 30 officers were on the scene early Sunday, interviewing people who watched the shooting.
CTV Calgary's Shelly Makrugin said the neighbourhood has had problems with vandalism and drug dealing, but the strip mall has never seen gang violence. Earlier this month, another shooting at a city restaurant injured four men and a woman.
Local residents living near the strip mall said they were concerned about escalating violence in the community. "We're moving away," resident Jean Tremblay told CTV Calgary. "I'm in the buying process but it's not going to be in this area. I'm going to look for any 'for sale' signs but it's not going to be here. My mind is made up."
Andre Chabot, the local alderman, said the problem of violent crime is affecting the entire city. "We as a city are way understaffed (by police) on a per capita basis, compared to other large municipalities," he said.

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Trial of Remond Akleh and Mark Stephenson is set to take place in Superior Court in Whitby

Opening statements are scheduled Monday morning in the trial of two Hells Angels officers accused of conspiring to commit murder.The trial of Remond Akleh and Mark Stephenson is set to take place in Superior Court in Whitby, following a lengthy jury selection process that concluded Thursday. Mr. Stephenson and Mr. Akleh were charged in September of 2006 of plotting with another man to murder a rival. They are also charged with counselling to commit murder.The prosecution case will be presented by Durham Region Crown Attorney John Scott and assistant Crown attorney Mitchell Flagg. Mr. Stephenson is represented by Brian Grys and Mr. Akleh is represented by Glen Orr. The trial will be presided over by Justice Bruce Glass.

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Las Vegas Metro Police arrested seven Mongol motorcycle gang members on a variety of charges out of an estimated 10 to 11 gang members believed to be

Las Vegas Metro Police arrested seven Mongol motorcycle gang members on a variety of charges out of an estimated 10 to 11 gang members believed to be in Southern Nevada.
Its members and their charges include:
-- Harold Reynolds, known as "Face," 40, of Las Vegas, charged in federal warrants with racketeering influenced and corrupt organizations (RICO) conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine.
-- David Padilla, also known as "Lazy Dave," 36, of Las Vegas, charged in federal warrants with RICO conspiracy, racketeering influenced and corrupt organizations, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
-- Ismael Padilla, also known as "Milo," 33, of Las Vegas, charged in federal warrants with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine.
-- William Ramirez, also known as "Moreno," 38, of Las Vegas, charged in federal warrants with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine.
-- Jason Hull, also known as "Big Jay," 33, of Las Vegas, charged in federal warrants with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine.
-- John Babcock, also known as "Sinister," 43, of Las Vegas, charged in a state warrant with unlawful transfer of a firearm.
-- Gary Lawson, also known as "T.C.," 49, of Las Vegas was taken into custody in California as part of the operation.
"This has effectively dismantled both chapters in Southern Nevada," said Lt. David Logue, head of Metro's intelligence unit. Mongol chapters operated in Las Vegas and Henderson, he said.ro Police said at least nine motorcycles were confiscated, along with five revolvers, a chrome-plated pistol, three shotguns, numerous rifles and semi-automatic weapons. Some weapons and money were on display at a Tuesday news conference, said Bill Cassel, public information officer for Metro Police.
The federal racketeering indictment unsealed in Los Angeles also alleges the name "Mongols," which was trademarked by the gang, is subject to forfeiture.
The massive law enforcement crackdown against the Mongols, dubbed "Operation Black Rain," began three and a half years ago by various agencies, including local police, the U.S. Attorney's Office and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said Lt. David Logue, Metro Police intelligence chief.
Four agents outside of Nevada went undercover and earned a patch, becoming Mongol members, Logue said.Former national Mongol president Ruben Cavazos was arrested at his home near South Hills Country Club in West Covina, authorities said.
Law enforcement officers served a total of 110 federal arrest warrants and 160 search warrants in Southern California, Nevada, Oregon, Colorado, Washington state and Ohio. Seven of those warrants were served in Las Vegas by members of Metro Police, Henderson and North Las Vegas SWAT teams. No one resisted arrest and there were no injuries, Logue said.Mongol members have been involved in previous criminal activity in Las Vegas.Nine men, two of them Mongol members, were named in a federal grand jury indictment unsealed in April 2004 in Las Vegas on 73 counts of murder in connection with a shootout at Harrah's Laughlin casino at a 2002 gathering known as the River Run that left three people dead. Others involved were from the rival Hell's Angels motorcycle gang, authorities said. The shootout killed Salvador Barrera, Robert Tumelty and Jeremy Bell.About a half dozen people formed the gang in the 1970s because they were banned from joining the notorious Hell's Angels motorcycle group due to their Hispanic heritage. The Mongol gang began attracting members with criminal tendencies as it grew and was then labeled "outlaw" by law enforcement officials.The Mongols tend to recruit younger, more violent people from street gangs, said Thomas L. Chittum III, resident agent in charge in the Las Vegas branch of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

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Norberto Jose Montes, who goes by the nickname "Villain," and Klint Austin Melcer, who goes by "Danger." alleged killers

"Everybody deserves a second chance," he said. "My son lost his."
Detectives believe people are reluctant to provide information about the February 14 death of Leon Huddleston, 26, because they fear retribution by the Mongol Motorcycle Club, whose members are suspected in the slaying. "Any time you have gangs involved, whether it's motorcycle gangs or rival street gangs, it's extremely difficult to get people to come forward because of the fear of retaliation," Los Angeles County sheriff's Detective Steve Lankford, the lead investigator on the case, told the Los Angeles Times in a story posted Saturday on the paper's Web site. Huddleston was shooting pool in a crowded Lancaster bar when he was cracked over the head with a pool cue and kicked repeatedly in the ribs by two men who appeared to be members of a motorcycle gang, authorities said. Huddleston's alleged killers are Norberto Jose Montes, who goes by the nickname "Villain," and Klint Austin Melcer, who goes by "Danger." Montes was arrested along with more than 60 other Mongols during a series of raids Tuesday across Southern California and in Nevada, Oregon, Colorado, Washington and Ohio. Melcer remains at large. The slaying is one of four mentioned in a federal racketeering indictment that included charges of murder, attempted murder, assault, as well as gun and drug violations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives officials said.
Lankford, the lead investigator on the Huddleston case, said Montes and Melcer were identified as suspects based on a tip implicating the two Mongols from an informant who wasn't even in the bar the evening of the killing. That information was used as leverage to persuade a couple of witnesses to cooperate, he said.
Huddleston, a high school dropout from the Central Valley, was living in Lancaster to serve his probation on a drug conviction, according to his father, who asked not to be named because he was fearful of the Mongols. Huddleston's father said the loss was particularly painful because he believed his son was beginning to turn a corner in his life.

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Britney R. Galindez,had known links to Vatos Locos 13, Detectives are investigating the death as a homicide.

Snoho­mish County medical examiner identified the girl found floating Tuesday in Lake Ballinger as Britney R. Galindez, 17, of Seattle.She had known links to gangs, Mountlake Terrace police said Thursday. Detectives are investigating the death as a homicide."The lifestyle she led was a lifestyle of gang activity with the attendant drugs and the criminal activity that goes along with the lifestyle," Mountlake Terrace police Sgt. Doug Hansen said.
Galindez had connections with Vatos Locos 13, a street gang that has been active in the north Seattle area, Hansen said.Her MySpace page included text that was an apparent reference to the gang.When police divers pulled her from the water Tuesday, Galindez was wearing a gold-colored belt buckle with "13" on it. The number 13 is commonly affiliated with various Hispanic gangs.The teenager also told Seattle police earlier this year she was harassed by Sarah Black, a notorious MS-13 gang member, Hansen said. Black is now behind bars for her part in a June 11 drive-by shooting in Everett.Galindez apparently told police Black was trying to recruit her to run with MS-13, a gang that has a history of violent confrontation with Vatos Locos, Hansen said.Police do not have evidence that the teenager's death was a result of a gang rivalry, he said.The cause of her death remains under investigation. Officials are waiting for toxicology results, which can take weeks.
Earlier this year, three MS-13 members, including Black, pleaded guilty to the south Everett drive-by shooting that left a rival gang member wounded. Police suspect the shooting was in retaliation for gunfire outside a Seattle mall that hit an MS-13 member.Black, who has gang tattoos on her face, admitted recruiting new members to join the ranks, court records show.Mountlake Terrace detectives are working with law enforcement agencies around the region to collect evidence in Galindez's death, Hansen said.Regional gang task force members and federal immigration agents are being tapped for information, the detective said.Detectives are trying to re-­create the teen's final days and talk to anyone who may have seen her.Galindez was last seen around 7:30 p.m. Oct. 13 headed from the Northgate Transit Center to the Everett area, said Daniel Bittick, her stepfather.Relatives and friends on Monday put up signs and contacted the media, looking for the girl. Witnesses called police Tuesday to report a possible mannequin floating in the water near the Lake Ballinger boat ramp.Bittick, 34, of Bonney Lake, said his stepdaughter never talked to him about gangs."You never think your little girl would be into that," he said.

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"Slow Pain," "Psycho" and "Kapone" operated in a violent, Mission District street gang that shook down drug dealers,

"Slow Pain," "Psycho" and "Kapone" operated in a violent, Mission District street gang that shook down drug dealers, punished suspected informants and resorted to murder to eliminate rival gang members, according to a federal indictment unsealed Thursday. The indictment filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco accuses 29 people allegedly tied to the notorious Mara Salvatrucha or MS-13 gang of engaging in murder, attempted murder, drug trafficking, witness tampering, car theft and extortion.Those indicted include alleged senior leaders in San Francisco's faction of the MS-13 gang, which originated in Los Angeles, has ties to El Salvador and is renowned for its savage tactics, federal prosecutors said.Most recently, authorities say, members of the faction, known as 20th Street clique, have been tied to at least five slayings in the city, including the June 22 killings in the Excelsior district of Tony Bologna, 48, and his sons Michael, 20, and Matthew, 16. Police say the killer was trying to avenge a gang shooting from earlier in the day and mistook the Bolognas for rivals.An alleged MS-13 member, Edwin Ramos, has been charged with three counts of murder and has pleaded not guilty.The indictment ties members of the gang to two other San Francisco slayings: the July 31 stabbing death of 14-year-old Ivan Miranda during a robbery in the Excelsior involving an iPod, and the July 11 shooting of Armando Estrada, 30, of Rodeo, at 20th and Mission streets, officials said. Guillermo Herrera, 20, was identified in the federal indictment as the gunman in that killing, which occurred on turf the gang claims as its own.Walter Chinchilla-Linar, 22, and Cesar Alvarado, 18, reputed members of the gang, face federal charges in Miranda's death. Two juveniles, ages 16 and 17, also were charged Thursday in state court with Miranda's killing, the district attorney said.The latest arrests culminated a three-year investigation dubbed "Operation Devil Horns" - a reference to MS-13's gang sign - in which federal authorities set up an export warehouse in Richmond where undercover agents bought several guns and 16 vehicles allegedly stolen by gang members and their associates, prosecutors said. U.S. Attorney Joseph Russoniello, who alternatively referred to the suspects as hoodlums and thugs, hailed the arrests as a major takedown of gang members during a press conference Thursday at which he was joined by San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris and Police Chief Heather Fong. Twenty-two of those indicted face federal racketeering charges, which carry a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole. The other seven are accused of committing 17 separate violent crimes, including one count involving murder, to assist racketeering. Prosecutors will seek "maximum possible penalties so we don't have to play cat and mouse in the future," Russoniello said.
All told, 31 people with suspected ties to the gang have been charged in the recent sweep. Two others were charged separately from the 29 suspects who were indicted. Of the total, 15 were already in custody in separate cases, while three remain at large, federal authorities said. One suspect, John Briez, was arrested in Guam after boarding a flight bound for the Philippines Tuesday evening, said Virginia Kice, spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Briez had more than $10,000 cash on him when he was arrested by federal agents, Kice said.
Most of the arrests were made in raids Wednesday in San Francisco, Richmond, South San Francisco, Reno and elsewhere. The raids were denounced as heavy-handed by immigrant rights groups. Some San Francisco supervisors and candidates for supervisor seats also were critical of the raids. Supervisor Tom Ammiano's office issued a statement saying federal agents brutally attacked a woman during one raid, "causing her to lose consciousness and require hospitalization."ICE agent Mark Wollman disputed that account, saying the woman fainted, was treated by medical personnel already on call, and released.At one Bayview home, Alexander Revelo said agents awakened him at about 6:30 a.m., handcuffed him, and marched him into his yard. Revelo, 22, a former Mervyns sales representative in the process of enrolling in City College of San Francisco, said police searched him for tattoos, seized his computer, left his room a mess and checked his criminal record, which came back clean."Being born here and growing up here, not having a criminal record at all, and I'm handcuffed outside my house in front of my family?" he said. "I don't think they had any right to handcuff me."Russoniello said he was sympathetic to innocent people embroiled in police operations, but agents are going after dangerous "gangsters" and "may not be in the most sensitive or compassionate mode."

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