74 Hoovers gang from South Seattle shooting

Man was shot in the leg at 24th Ave S and S Lane St. He is alert and conscious. The suspect is wearing a yellow jacket and is driving a silver Cadillac sedan with three passengers last seen heading Southbound.This all started with a call to 911 reporting that several kids were hiding from a gunman in Red Apple at 23rd & Jackson. When police arrived, they were flagged down by a witness in the parking lot who reported seeing a man with a gun in his waistband who got into a black Impala and drove away to the south. A search of the area found that Impala about one block away at 24th & S. Lane, where police found one occupant with a gunshot wound to the leg. Medics responded to the scene and were seen to be applying bandages to what was apparently a relatively minor wound.It appears that he was shot around the corner in the 500 block of 25th Ave S. Police were collecting spent shell casings and projectiles from the area in front of a house in that block.
Witnesses reported the shooters as being associated with the silver Cadillac, which was spotted by officers and stopped in the South Precinct at Rainier & S. McClellan. The witnesses were taken to that location and provided a positive ID for the vehicle and one suspect, described as wearing a yellow jacket. That suspect was taken into custody by police and taken to the East Precinct for further questioning and investigation.The scanner traffic indicates that there are a total of three parties involved here: the kids in Red Apple, the victim and his associates, and the suspect(s) who were stopped down South. Reportedly one of those groups contains known members of the 74 Hoovers gang from South Seattle, but it's not clear which at this point.Update: 3:55PM A silver Cadillac has been stopped at Rainier & McClellan and four men are being detained, the driver is wearing a yellow jacket.
I just got back from the scene where the victim was being treated for his wound. Police also appeared to be looking for shell casings one block over on 25th, just a couple of houses north of the intersection with S. Lane. There were two other occupants of the victim's vehicle who were being searched by police.Police are finding spent projectiles and shell casings in the 500 block of 25th

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One man was killed but another survived after shooting happened outside a restaurant at 1176 Kennedy Rd, just north of Lawrence Ave.

One man was killed but another survived after shooting happened outside a restaurant at 1176 Kennedy Rd, just north of Lawrence Ave.Emergency crews who rushed to the scene found only one victim, believed to be a man in his 20s. Despite frantic efforts to save his life, he died in ambulance.About 20 minutes later, police allege that a second victim walked into Scarborough General Hospital. He had allegedly been shot in the groin.Officers have said the two shootings are linked. Toronto Police are investigating the homicide, the city's 10th of the year. While witnesses reported seeing suspects running south on Kennedy after the attack, there's no word on a description.

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Dwaine St. MICHAEL ISRAEL wanted

Police Officers investigating the supply of Class A drugs are looking for Dwaine St. MICHAEL ISRAEL.ISRAEL is from the South East area of London and is known to frequent the Lewisham and Southwark area’s.Officers from Lewisham Borough’s Crime Squad are asking members of the public to keep a look out for Israel and contact them if they see him or know his whereabouts.ISRAEL is described as a black man who is approximately 5′9 in height and of medium build. Israel also has significant scarring to his torso.

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Criminal groups composed of Canadians of East Asian origin (primarily Vietnamese and Chinese), outlaw motorcycle gangs, and Indo-Canadian gangs

Criminal groups composed of Canadians of East Asian origin (primarily Vietnamese and Chinese), outlaw motorcycle gangs, and Indo-Canadian criminal groups are the most significant illicit drug producers and traffickers in Canada.”The report cites Canadian data indicating Canadian-produced meth has turned up around the world, including in Australia, Japan and New Zealand.The State Department also cast a critical eye on harm-reduction programs across Canada, such as a controversial supervised injection site in Vancouver.It pointed to a 2007 report of the United Nations International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), which said a Vancouver Island “safe crack kit” program violated the 1998 UN Drug Convention.

“Canada should implement the INCB’s recommendations to eliminate drug injection sites and drug paraphernalia distribution programs because they violate international drug treaties.”

The report also quoted Canadian officials as saying Prime Minister Stephen Harper wanted to increase penalties for drug production and trafficking, but not for drug use.

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Alberto Alvarez, 25, has been charged with shooting and killing of an East Palo Alto cop

Alberto Alvarez, 25, of East Palo Alto, has been charged with shooting and killing May on the afternoon of Jan. 7, 2006. May had responded to reports of a fight outside a restaurant near University Avenue and Weeks Street in East Palo Alto and chased Alvarez down Weeks before Alvarez allegedly shot and killed May.
About 250 officers from Peninsula agencies locked down the area of the shooting, searching cars that were leaving the area, and Alvarez was discovered hiding in the back seat of a car trying to leave the area the next morning.Alvarez was described by East Palo Alto police as a member of the Sacramento Street gang, which has since been largely dismantled through arrests.San Mateo County Deputy District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe, who will be prosecuting the case, said that there may normally be 10-15 pre-trial motions regarding evidence before a felony trial begins. Wagstaffe said he expects as many as 60 motions in this case, all of which must argued before Judge Craig Parsons, before a jury is seated and testimony begins.Jury selection isn't scheduled to begin until March 23, after all the motions regarding which evidence the jury will hear have been decided.Because the prosecution is asking for the death penalty, the jury selection could take a month to five weeks, when it normally takes about a week, Wagstaffe said. The jurors will be selected, in part, on their willingness to accept a death penalty if Alvarez is found guilty.Such delays are not unusual for capital punishment cases, Wagstaffe said, nor is the delay of more than three years since the arrest and beginning of the trial.

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Gregory Wooley, 37, an associate of the Hells Angels who's alleged to have created the Syndicate, appeared before a judge via a video link-up

Gregory Wooley, 37, an associate of the Hells Angels who's alleged to have created the Syndicate, appeared before a judge via a video link-up with the Collins Bay Institution in Ontario, where he's already serving a 13-year sentence for conspiracy to commit murder and other crimes.A new date was also fixed in the case of Pasquale Mangiola, who became the centre of media attention last week when it was revealed he was close friends with Canadiens players Sergei and Andrei Kostitsyn.Mangiola, who is facing drug-trafficking and conspiracy charges but is not considered to be part of the major conspiracies uncovered by Project Axe, was released on conditions last week.entire week of court time has been set aside for bail hearings for some of the reputedly hard-core Montreal gang members arrested in a police roundup this month.
More than 50 people have been arrested since the Montreal police launched Project Axe on Feb. 12. The operation targeted three criminal organizations. The arrests were the result of a three-year-long investigation into drug trafficking in Montreal.
Many have since been released on conditions, but at least seven men, known for their ties to the Syndicate street gang, remain in custody. They include Emmanuel Zephir, 36, and his younger brother Jean-Ismarl.During an appearance at the Montreal courthouse Friday, their bail hearing, along with those of five other men, was scheduled to begin March 30.

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Satan Disciples - Gangland - The Devil's Playground

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Mongols motorcycle gang snitches,government believes that the threat of retaliation is credible and raises significant concerns for there safety

Members of the Mongols motorcycle gang intend to plead guilty to federal charges related to their participation in the violent, outlaw organization, according to court records made public on Thursday. Federal prosecutors say those who admit their guilt will also cooperate in the prosecution of fellow gang members, putting themselves and their families at risk for violent retaliation and murder. In anticipation of the guilty pleas, federal prosecutors have asked a judge to seal all court records pertaining to plea bargains and sentencings. "The government believes that the threat of retaliation is credible and raises significant concerns for the safety of the persons involved," federal prosecutors say in a 5-page document filed in U.S. District Court. Authorities arrested more than 60 reputed Mongols in October as part of a nationwide, federal crackdown on the gang. The arrests concluded a three-year undercover investigation. All were named in an 86-count federal racketeering indictment that included allegations of murder, attempted murder, assaults, hate crimes, gun violations and drug trafficking. Many of the arrests in "Operation Black Rain" were made in the San Gabriel Valley. The Mongols originated in Montebello in the 1970s, but later moved their headquartered to West Covina. In their written request, prosecutors say they believe guilty pleas are coming based on conversations with attorneys representing some of the accused.
They say secrecy is needed in the pleas because gang members would likely harm any fellow member who turned on them. The gang also has ties to the Mexican Mafia, a violent prison gang, meaning any Mongol who cooperates with prosecutors might even be in danger behind bars, prosecutors claim.

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Norteno and Sureno gangs fought each other at the Washington state Penitentiary’s new West Complex for gang members

Thirty prisoners fought each other at the Washington state Penitentiary’s new West Complex for gang members.The prison says the 23 who fought Wednesday and seven who were indirectly involved are all members of the Norteno and Sureno gangs, Hispanic gangs from California.Guards broke up the fight in two minutes, and three had minor injuries. No inmates were seriously injured.The 30 have been segregated while the Department of Corrections and Walla Walla police investigate.Superintendent Steve Sinclair says the fight broke out when offenders who don’t normally have contact with each other were being moved.The Corrections Department sends gang members from other prisons to Walla Walla for special management.

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Crips street gang arrests in Oceanside

Oceanside police announced today that more than 25 people have been arrested during a six-month undercover sting targeting drug dealers and gang members.The so-called Operation Rock Solid began last September in response to street level narcotics activity, Oceanside police spokesman Sgt. Kelan Poorman said, adding that many of those arrested belong to the Crips street gang.

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Seventeen members of a gang,and associates of the Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation, who authorities say committed gang-related killings

Seventeen members of a gang,and associates of the Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation, who authorities say committed gang-related killings in West Texas, face drugs and weapons charges, according to an 11-count indictment unsealed Thursday.The 17, who are members and associates of the Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation, are charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana. Three of the defendants were also charged with conspiring to deal in firearms.The indictment also includes drug distribution charges and various firearms charges, including using and carrying a firearm to commit murder during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.Four of the 17 were arrested Wednesday and Thursday in Midland, Big Spring, Mission, Texas and Chicago. Eleven suspects were already in federal or state custody on related and unrelated charges and two remain at large. The defendants will appear before a federal judge in Abilene on Friday.An affidavit filed in the case says two members of the gang were involved in a drive-by shooting using an AK-47 where a pregnant woman and a man. Four others were wounded. The affidavit says the shooting was ordered against a rival gang.The indictment alleges the group distributed cocaine and marijuana throughout Texas and elsewhere, which they imported from Mexico and South Texas for distribution. The indictment also said some members of the organization may have committed murder, aggravated assault or arson.The indictment was returned earlier this month by a federal grand jury in Lubbock and unsealed Thursday

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Judge this morning rejected a plea deal for 28-year-old Futo Charles, an alleged Top 6 gang member

Judge this morning rejected a plea deal for 28-year-old Futo Charles, an alleged Top 6 gang member charged with racketeering, part of a statewide strategy to put gangs out of business.Assistant Statewide Prosecutor Todd Weicholz told Circuit Judge Karen Miller that Charles had given three cooperating statements to the prosecutors, and in exchange was offered a deal of eight years in prison followed by five years probation.Miller immediately declared she would not accept the deal in light of sentences she has handed out in other Top 6 cases. Miller sentenced each of two other accused members — Ernst Exavier and Jessee Thomas — to a quarter-century in prison earlier this year following their convictions on the charge.The lawyers set Futo Charles for another court date in April, following the next trial of an alleged Top 6 member, 23-year-old Wilbertson Noelzinord.Exavier and Thomas' conviction was the first significant victory in Palm Beach County for statewide prosecutors now applying racketeering laws to dismantle criminal gangs.
Defense attorneys for Exavier and Thomas argued at their sentencing that it was a case of guilt by association, that the men never had admitted to being members of the gang, and if they were involved at all, it was as lesser players. Exavier testified his only intention was to make music with Top 6.
Futo, Exavier and Thomas are among 12 alleged Top-6 gang members arrested within the past year during a coordinated operation by the attorney general's office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office and the Lantana and Boynton Beach police departments.Attorney Gerald Salerno, who represented Exavier, said in 17 years of practicing criminal law he had never seen a case like this one with a huge investigative effort but thin evidence. Salerno offered the example of Exavier's song lyrics about pushing kilos of cocaine being prominently emphasized at trial. "Despite that we never saw one shred of evidence" of any drugs, he said.

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Juwan Johnson returned from an Iraq deployment as a member of the Gangster Disciples

A soldier charged in the 2005 gang initiation beating death of Sgt. Juwan Johnson returned from an Iraq deployment as a member of the Gangster Disciples, Army prosecutors said during Pvt. Bobby Morrissette’s court-martial Tuesday.Morrissette — one of seven servicemembers accused in Johnson’s death — is facing charges of involuntary manslaughter; conspiracy to commit aggravated assault; conduct contrary to good order and discipline; obstruction of justice, disobeying an order, indecent acts and use of a controlled substance.Johnson died of multiple blunt force injuries on July 4, 2005, after an alleged initiation ceremony, which took place at a gazebo in a small town near Kaiserslautern.Similar charges against Morrissette relating to Johnson’s death were withdrawn and dismissed in June 2007 because of legal concerns. The Army refiled charges against Morrissette in June 2008.At Tuesday’s trial, government prosecutor Capt. Derrick Grace told the court that the evidence would show that Morrissette returned from Iraq as a member of the Gangster Disciples street gang.

Grace presented the court with photographs that, he said, show Gangster Disciples’ graffiti in the barracks building that Morrissette occupied at Camp Speicher, in Tikrit, when his unit — the 66th Transportation Company — was deployed there from 2004 to 2005.

Sgt. Ronald Barnhart, a former member of the 66th who lived in the same barracks as Morrissette in Iraq, told the court he saw several soldiers beating Sgt. Rodney Howell in a latrine at Camp Speicher in April 2004. Howell, who is serving six years’ confinement for his role in Johnson’s death, was jogging on the spot and grunting each time he was hit, Barnhart said."I took it as horseplay and walked out of the room," he said.Another soldier stationed at Camp Speicher at that time, Sgt. John Koerner, described walking in on the same beating."There were six people in a circle. I saw a punch thrown," he said.Another member of the gang, Air Force Staff Sgt. Themitrios Saroglou, told the court that he was treasurer of the Kaiserslautern branch of the Gangster Disciples at the time of Johnson’s death.Saroglou said he joined the gang in 2004, after surviving his own jumping-in ceremony.At the time members did not refer to themselves as the Gangster Disciples, although they participated in the gang’s rituals, such as the jumping-in ceremony, which involved members beating an initiate for six minutes inside a six pointed star marked with candles, he said.
The temperament of the gang changed after Morrissette’s unit returned to Germany from Iraq in 2005, Saroglou said.
"After the guys came back from deployment ... that’s when they started calling it the ‘Gangster Disciples,’ " he said.The gang became more violent, he said."We called the gang members who came back from Iraq the ‘Young ‘Uns’. Their behavior was rowdy. They would act without thinking. The entire organization just went more negative. Drugs were used frequently. Fights would start from people looking at each other wrong or flashing gang signs," he said.
"They would say things like: ‘Aw hell no. Get up, Get the [expletive] up,’ " Saroglou said, adding that Morrissette hit and kicked Johnson many times during the ceremony.If convicted, Morrissette faces up to 55 years’ confinement, a dishonorable discharge, reduction to private and forfeiture of all pay and allowances. The trial was scheduled to continue Wednesday.

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Attempted assassination of a Carolina deputy sheriff was a gang initiation carried out by three illegal immigrants were supposed to "kill a cop"

Attempted assassination of a South Carolina deputy sheriff was a gang initiation carried out by three illegal immigrants including a 15-year-old boy who was supposed to "kill a cop" in order to be admitted as a member, according to a confidential Department of Homeland Security advisory. Lexington County, S.C., Deputy Sheriff Ted Xanthakis and his K-9 police dog, Arcos, were attacked by the three illegals armed with a 12-gauge shotgun during a Feb. 8 incident in West Columbia, S.C., shortly after 3 a.m. The deputy and his dog survived. Two of the men were identified in a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) report as members of the Surenos gang, or SUR-13, a collection of Mexican-American street gangs with origins in the oldest barrios of Southern California.
Hundreds of SUR-13 gangs operate in California and have spread to many other parts of the country. The paramilitary organization has been described by federal law enforcement agencies as actively involved in illegal-immigrant and drug smuggling. According to the ICE report, the attack occurred as the deputy responded to a call about a suspicious vehicle. The 15-year-old and two others, Carlos Alfredo Diaz De Leon, 17, and Lucino Guzman Guttierrez, 20, were later arrested by sheriff's deputies and members of the U.S. Marshals Service. Diaz De Leon and Guzman Guttierrez were charged with assault and battery with intent to kill. Deputy Xanthakis and his dog were in a marked patrol car at the time of the shooting.
The 15-year-old was taken to a pre-trial detention facility, where he was awaiting a hearing in family court. Prosecutors said they would recommend that the boy be prosecuted in family court on a charge of assault and battery with intent to kill. Under state law, law enforcement officials cannot identify the boy because he is a juvenile. Lexington County Sheriff James R. Metts told reporters that Diaz De Leon, Guzman Guttierrez and the 15-year-old illegally entered the United States from Mexico. He said Diaz De Leon and Guzman Guttierrez were living in West Columbia and a search of their house netted items thought to have been stolen in vehicle break-ins in Lexington County, including a Global Positioning System devices and car stereo systems. The sheriff also said that deputies recovered the shotgun that was used to shoot at Deputy Sheriff Xanthakis. ICE detainers have been lodged against the adults. The ICE report, made public Wednesday by the Americans for Legal Immigration PAC (ALIPAC), said interviews determined that the 15-year-old was the shooter and the incident was a gang initiation. It said gangs "have long posed a threat to public safety and law enforcement but the threat is now increasing in scope. ... Never before have the street gangs in South Carolina actively targeted law enforcement officers for gang initiation."

ICE agents, as part of a nationwide crackdown on gangs, have arrested members of SUR-13 in Tennessee and Georgia on charges ranging from felony theft and illegal re-entry after deportation to murder, attempted murder, carjacking, armed robbery and drug dealing.

William Gheen, president of ALIPAC, described the attack as the "beginning of America's nightmarish future as we descend into the type of anarchy found in Mexico.
"In Mexico, things have deteriorated so much that police are demoralized and are being killed by these gangs of a weekly basis," he said. "That's what happens when your nation loses respect for the rule of law as we see with the effect of millions of illegal aliens in America." He said the U.S. needs to secure its border and enforce its immigration laws "or we will begin to lose more officers and as we loose officers, gang rule will replace the rule of law."

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Dwayne Marks called ‘Bully’, 25,shot and killed alleged mastermind of the spate of gun crimes at Bartica

Joint service officers shot and killed the alleged mastermind of the spate of gun crimes at Bartica and two of his gang members yesterday during an early morning operation at Arimu backdam, Cuyuni; a third gang member who was reportedly wounded, escaped.
The gang reportedly ambushed the officers when they went into the area, opening fire and hitting a policeman identified as Lance Corporal Isaacs. Isaacs sustained a gunshot injury to his right forearm and was said to have escaped further injury because he was wearing a bulletproof vest.Dwayne Marks called ‘Bully’, 25, of Bartica, who was known to the police, was identified among the dead gunmen. He was said to have orchestrated the string of recent criminal attacks in the community that led to Regional Chairman Holbert Knights calling for increased and active law enforcement at Bartica.Police named Antwan Singh called ‘Deportee’, 35, of Linden and Gavin Gray called ‘Sweet Eyes’, 27, of Bartica as the other two gunmen who were shot dead.Marks was recently before the courts on a charge of discharging a loaded firearm and simple larceny. He was out on bail. He was also a suspect in the murder of gas station owner Brandis Roberts who was found in his home with marks of violence to his body on November 20, 2008.A police press release issued yesterday afternoon said the joint services officers were responding to a report of an armed robbery at the backdam when they came under fire on the Arimu trail. Police said two.38 revolvers along with eight rounds and one .32 pistol with six matching rounds were recovered from the dead gunmen.
While the police made no mention of the fourth man who escaped Stabroek News has been reliably informed that there was a fourth gunman, and that joint services officers were combing the backdam in search of him.According to the police, the All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) that was stolen from Brazilian miner Osmar Oliveira Da Silva, and which was in possession of the gunmen, was also recovered. Da Silva had been attacked in his camp at Arimu backdam on February 18, by two men armed with firearms and two women.
Da Silva was in his camp along with another Brazilian when they were confronted by the perpetrators. The robbers took Da Silva’s ATV. Da Silva tried to resist his attackers and was shot in his left leg by one of the men. The robbers then escaped on the ATV.
Additionally, the police said yesterday that a resident of Bartica who was the victim of an armed robbery at Mongrippa Hill, Bartica, on February 2, has identified a cell phone found on the body of Gray as his property which was stolen during the robbery.
Miners, particularly Brazilians have been attacked within the past few days, and according to informed sources at Bartica the attacks have been more frequent than reported.
Stabroek News was told yesterday that police at Bartica had information on the gang and that several attempts were made to capture them, none successful. However, the police received information late Friday night that the men were spotted at Arimu backdam and a team was mobilized.Sources said that a heavily armed joint services patrol left Bartica for the Arimu backdam just before midnight. This newspaper was told that the police had some intelligence as to the gang’s exact location but when they got there the men ambushed them.
It is believed that Marks might have been alerted about the joint services operation and organized the ambush, but the police reportedly outnumbered the gang. The operation lasted for about 30 minutes.As the bodies of the men were transported into Bartica yesterday the atmosphere was one of sorrow and relief, some lamenting the fall of their “own” while others openly thanked the joint services for bringing an end to the gang.Nearly the whole community gathered to get glimpses of the gunmen who were pronounced dead on arrival at the Bartica Hospital. Police were forced to control the crowd as people surged forward to make positive identifications of the men.“You want to celebrate, but at the same time you are aggrieved because these are people that we see around the community and we know their families. It is hard to take a position openly,” he said. However, others did not hesitate to say that they could now sleep in peace at night knowing that the gang had been destroyed. One man said residents were terrified and every night persons were forced to retire early out of fear of being attacked. Even then he said the chances of “them not coming for you were slim”.
“I am glad they are gone, just glad,” were the words of another resident.

While there were mixed emotions, many in the community were united in their praise for the joint services. One man told this newspaper that he was particularly impressed with the work of the new Office-in-charge at Bartica Police Station, Superintendent Kevin Adonis.

The general feeling in the community is that the residents expect the police force to step-up law enforcement and keep tracking criminals who are hiding out and living among them.Knights had recently expressed alarm at what he said was the “very sudden upsurge in crime at Bartica” and he charged that the police were making zero progress with respect to the crimes.
Knights had issued a press release saying that the community had suffered a string of robberies; seven armed robberies within two weeks. He said it appeared as though a day or two would not pass without some family wailing and anguishing over the loss of their hard earned cash, valuables and experiencing the fear of being vulnerable.Knights had called on all stakeholders, the government and the joint services, to step up to the challenge and take the necessary and appropriate action.
“We need action; we need to feel safe and comforted knowing that our policy makers and security forces are not forsaking us, or leaving us to the mercies of criminals. We are too close to having to live through again, that night in February of 2008,” Knights had said.February 17 marked the anniversary of the Bartica massacre when around 20 gunmen attacked Bartica slaughtering one dozen people including three policemen during an hour-long strafing. It had been reported that the gunmen attacked the police station first, killing three policemen and freeing prisoners. They then took the vehicle assigned to the police station and went on a rampage, terrorising the community and murdering nine others.
According to reports, the gunmen arrived in the area by boat and departed in similar fashion taking with them firearms they had grabbed from the police station and from a mining company. Persons are before the courts charged with the murders at Bartica.

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Finks member has been arrested after he allegedly a bashed another person at Mawson Lakes.

Bikie has been arrested after he allegedly a bashed another person at Mawson Lakes.
The Finks member was arrested yesterday after a series of raids by the Crime Gangs Task force on properties linked to him.The assault is alleged to have taken place on February 16 and the Salisbury Downs man was bailed to appear in court on March 3.

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Young man is hospitalized, shot in the head over the weekend in what police are calling a gang-related shooting.

Young man is hospitalized, shot in the head over the weekend in what police are calling a gang-related shooting.Raul Gonzalez, 20, has been identified as the suspect. He was arrested by Carlsbad Police during a traffic stop on Sunday evening.Carlsbad Police responded to reports of a shooting in the 2300 block of Pio Pico Drive early Saturday morning.Witnesses said the shooting had taken place out in the street, and the 18-year-old victim had been taken to the hospital by friends, according to police.Gonzalez was arrested for attempted murder, assault with a firearm, participation in a street gang and a probation violation. On Monday he was held without bail, according to the North County Times.The victim's name has not been released.

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Wanted:Bryan Campbell reportedly a gang leader and should be considered armed and dangerous.

Thirty-three-year-old Bryan Campbell has been the target of a nationwide manhunt since January. He's one of eight people charged in connection with a joint investigation between the FBI and Chicago police.
The FBI says Campbell is reportedly a gang leader and should be considered armed and dangerous.His last known address was in the 6400-block of North Claremont.

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Arrests of several members of Evonnie Boyz and Gyrlz gang could cut down on the amount of crack cocaine being distributed in Washtenaw County.

On Tuesday, five members of what police call the "Evonnie Boyz & Gyrlz" street gang pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute crack cocaine.Arrests of several members of a Jackson street gang could cut down on the amount of crack cocaine being distributed in Washtenaw County.Special Agent John Felton, who runs the Ann Arbor office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said the gang had a "drug pipeline" from Detroit to Jackson. He said some of the drugs were distributed in Washtenaw County, and one suspect lives in Ann Arbor but has not yet been charged in the case.A total of eight people have been charged and face sentences of 10 to 27 years in prison, depending on prior convictions.Authorities said several of the defendants sold crack cocaine to undercover officers.
Those who pleaded guilty Tuesday included gang leader Deondre Mullen, 33; Dwight Fullilove, 22; Jarrell Fullilove, 24; Dionte Reed, 20; and DeShawn Sweet, 21. Other defendants who previously entered pleas were Sharonda Bailey, 23; Jamie Wagner, 20; and Delano Tarpley, 19

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Biggest mass murder in modern Ontario history and the biggest known biker mass murder in the world.

Biggest mass murder in modern Ontario history and the biggest known biker mass murder in the world. The eight victims were all connected to the Bandidos Motorcycle Club Worldwide. The size of the jury pool is roughly the size of the Bandidos club, and more than six times the size of downtown Shedden, the hamlet a half-hour's drive west of here, where the bodies of eight men were found shot to death in vehicles abandoned on a muddy farmer's field on April 8, 2006.The Bandidos are the world's second biggest outlaw motorcycle club, behind only the Hells Angels.Justice Heeney is presiding over more than a dozen defence lawyers and a half-dozen prosecutors in the trial of Winnipeggers Brett (Beau) Gardiner, 24, Michael (Taz) Sandham, 39, Marcello Aravena, 32, and Dwight (Big D) Mushey; Wayne (Weiner) Kellestine, 59, of tiny Iona Station, outside London; and Frank (Frankie) Mather, 35, of no fixed address. There were so many potential jurors that lawyers for the Crown and defence teams won't even begin questioning them until next week.This week is expected to be spent organizing the jurors into groups and scheduling their return to court.Heeney told potential jurors that if they are selected to the jury panel, they can expect a "challenging and rewarding experience ... one which they will never ever forget."Among the defence team are Tony Bryant and Clay Powell. Bryant, who is the former lawyer for sex killer Paul Bernardo, is representing Aravena. Powell, who successfully prosecuted former Toronto Maple Leafs owner Harold Ballard for fraud in the early 1970s and who also defended Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards on heroin charges, is representing Kellestine.

Eight first degree-murder charges were laid against each of the six accused after the discovery of the bodies of George (Pony) Jessome, 52; George (Crash) Kriarakis, 28; Luis Manny (Chopper, Porkchop) Raposo, 41; Frank (Bam Bam, Bammer) Salerno, 43, all of Toronto; John (Boxer) Muscedere, 48, of Chatham, Ont.; Paul (Big Paul) Sinopoli, 30, of Sutton; Jamie (Goldberg) Flanz, 37, of Keswick; and Michael (Little Mikey) Trotta, 31, of Mississauga. The trial had earlier been scheduled to begin last September, but was postponed. There is a publication ban on the reasons why it was postponed.

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MS-13, Surenos, Brown Pride, SUR-13 and Latin King street gangs arrested were illegally present in the United States and are now in ICE custody

Ten foreign-born gang members with ties to local violent street gangs were arrested Charlotte, NC, Wednesday following an Immigration and Customs Enforcement led operation, according to reports obtained by the National Association of Chiefs of Police's Liaison Committee.The operation, dubbed Community Shield, was a multi-agency effort spearheaded by ICE. Among the participating agencies were the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD); the United States Marshals Service and the North Carolina Department of Crime Control and Public Safety's Alcohol Law unit (NC-ALE).The operation targeted foreign-born members and associates of MS-13, Surenos, Brown Pride, SUR-13 and Latin King street gangs. Those arrested were illegally present in the United States and are now in ICE custody; however, four of them, although administratively arrested, were referred to the United States Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina for possible criminal prosecution due to criminal offenses that include possession of marijuana, re-entering the United States after deportation, and possession of a firearm."We will continue teaming with our law enforcement partners to target those terrorizing our communities," said Joan Nash-Scavazzon, acting assistant special agent in charge of ICE's Office of Investigations in Charlotte."Through these partnerships, we will use all of our combined law enforcement tools to thwart the criminal efforts of street gangs."

Transnational gangs pose a growing public safety threat to communities throughout the country. It is estimated that there are over 900 different criminal gangs in the United States. These gangs no longer own turf in just the inner city but have spread their criminal networks throughout suburban and rural communities.

These transnational street gangs have a significant number of foreign-born members and are frequently involved in human and contraband smuggling, immigration violations and other crimes. Like any street gang, these transnational gangs also have a propensity toward violence. Their members commit a myriad crimes including robbery, extortion, assault, rape and murder.Operation Community Shield is an ongoing national initiative in which ICE partners with other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to address the significant public safety threat posed by transnational street gangs. Partnerships with local law enforcement agencies are essential to the success of the initiative, and they help further ensure officer safety during the operations.Since ICE began Operation Community Shield in February 2005, more than 11,800 gang members belonging to more than 700 different gangs have been arrested nationwide.

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U.S. military assessment expressed concern that the war could cause a “rapid and sudden collapse” of the Mexican government

Fighting between rival drug cartels began in earnest after the 1989 arrest of Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo who ran the cocaine business in Mexico. There was a lull in the fighting during the late 1990s but the violence has steadily worsened since 2000. Former president Vicente Fox sent small numbers of troops to Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, on the US-Mexico border to fight the cartels with little success. It is estimated that about 110 people died in Nuevo Laredo alone during the January-August 2005 period as a result of the fighting between the Gulf and Sinaloa cartels. In 2005 there was a surge in violence as a drug cartel tried to establish itself in Michoacán. Although violence between drug cartels has been occurring long before the war began, the government held a generally passive stance regarding cartel violence in the 1990s and early 2000s. That changed on December 11, 2006, when newly elected President Felipe Calderón sent 6,500 federal troops to the state of Michoacán to put an end to drug violence there. This action is regarded as the first major retaliation made against the cartel violence, and is generally viewed as the starting point of the war between the government and the drug cartels. As time progressed, Calderón continued to escalate his anti-drug campaign, in which there are now well over 25,000 troops involved.

In April 2008, General Sergio Aponte, the man in charge of the anti-drug campaign in the state of Baja California, made a number of allegations of corruption against the police forces in the region. Among his allegations, Aponte stated that he believed Baja California’s anti-kidnapping squad was actually a kidnapping team working in conjunction with organized crime, and that bribed police units were being used as bodyguards for drug traffickers. These accusations of corruption suggested that the progress against drug cartels in Mexico have been hindered by bribery and corruption.

On April 26, 2008, a major battle took place between members of the Tijuana and Sinaloa cartels in the city of Tijuana, Baja California], that left 17 people dead. The rival cartels are using not only handguns, but semi-automatic weapons such as variants of the AK-47 and AR-15 purchased in the United States. The battle also brings about concern about the violence spilling into the United States, as Tijuana and a number of other border cities become hotspots for violence in the war.
In September 2008, grenade attacks in Morelia by suspected cartel members killed eight civilians and injured more than 100.In January 2009, a U.S. military assessment expressed concern that the war could cause a “rapid and sudden collapse” of the Mexican government due to the military strength of organized crime.

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Graffiti for the Insane Blood Piru - featuring a five-pointed star or other designs associated with the number five - started appearing in North Colle

Graffiti for the Insane Blood Piru - featuring a five-pointed star or other designs associated with the number five - started appearing in North College Hill 18-24 months ago, said Officer Michael Henn.Henn, an eight-year veteran of the department, said there have been small splinter gang groups in the city for as long as he can remember.With the IBP, "this is the first time they've really started becoming a genuine threat," Henn said.The word "Piru" is popular in gang culture and is mentioned in some rap music, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office.
The Bloods, a gang that has engaged in violence, drug trafficking and other criminal activity, were founded on Piru Street in Compton, Calif., in 1972.The IBP has been implicated in at least one recent assault in North College Hill.Henn said that with help from the North College Hill City School District, 13 gang members have been identified. The actual number is likely higher, he said.Gary Gellert, superintendent of the district, said school officials are aware of the gang's presence and that issues related to the IBP have been "minimal" during the school day.Gellert did say he was concerned about what happens between 3 and 7 p.m., when some students have unstructured and unsupervised time, leaving them open to influence from people outside of the community that come to North College Hill during those hours.To combat that, Gellert said the district is working with police and school staff in increasing its presence on school grounds after school.On the police side, Henn said the department is stepping up enforcement activities and trying to raise community awareness in addition to asking for the public's help."If they see groups congregating, if they see graffiti popping up, if they see anything that's suspicious, notify police," Henn said.

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28-year-old man was pulled over while driving his car in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district. He was armed with a loaded 357 magnum pistol

suspected street gang member was arrested late Friday night by the North Shore anti-gang squad. Police made the arrest after receiving an anonymous tip last week.
The 28-year-old man was pulled over while driving his car in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district. He was armed with a loaded 357 magnum pistol, and officers discovered rocks of crack cocaine in the vehicle. The suspect's arrest was followed by a search of his residence in Laval, where he lives with his parents and a sister.
Police discovered nearly $5000 in cash, along with a large quantity of cocaine, several ounces of marijuana, and a number of BlackBerries and cell phones. The suspect will appear in court on Monday to face weapon and drug charges.

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Tri-City Bombers, the Texas Chicano Brotherhood, the Texas Syndicate and the Hermanos Pistoleros Latinos are believed to be competing with each other

Tri-City Bombers, the Texas Chicano Brotherhood, the Texas Syndicate and the Hermanos Pistoleros Latinos - are believed to be competing with each other to become the designated South Texas enforcers for the Tamaulipas-based drug trafficking organization, according to reports from gang informants fielded by federal and local police agencies.To earn the job, the gangs need to show they have the infrastructure to stash drugs, an ability to protect them and the prison network to pressure detained smugglers into keeping their mouths shut, law enforcement officials said.
More importantly, they need to edge out their competition. Some fear violence could erupt as the gangs try to prove their mettle and exert control over their turf.
"It's like a bidding war for a contract," said one local gang investigator. "It's not something you just get. You have to prove yourself."But other law enforcement officials question those recent reports, saying that while they have tracked a growing relationship between Mexican drug traffickers and U.S. gangs in recent months, the extent of their connection remains unclear."We haven't confirmed anything detailed," said Will Glaspy, head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency's McAllen office.Traditionally, the cartel has relied on local smugglers to move their product north of the border but lacked the control over those routes that it had established within its home country.As recently as last October, however, law enforcement intelligence suggested that top cartel leaders sought to expand their control by taxing traffickers operating in the Rio Grande Valley.Known in Mexico as "el piso," the taxes serve as a type of toll. Those who pay gain the privilege of moving their product with impunity through cartel-dominated areas. Those who refuse face threats of violence and even death.Last fall, the reported former head of cartel operations in Reynosa - Jaime "El Hummer" González Durán - reportedly sent out orders to kidnap and extort taxes from U.S. smugglers operating in the Valley, federal and local law enforcement officials said.Two men arrested in connection with a broad-daylight shooting Oct. 3 at a San Juan medical plaza later told police they had been sent by González and opened fire when their intended target resisted.
But since González's arrest Nov. 7 by Mexican authorities in Reynosa, authorities have noted an ebb in cartel-related violence on this side of the border.Some law enforcement officials believe that new quiet may have more to do with local gangs taking the reins.As kidnappings and attacks linked to the cartel have quieted down, investigators have charted an increase in gang-related violence.
At least three separate gang-on-gang attacks have erupted across the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo area in the past month - the most recent of which shows signs of a direct link between local gangs and the Zetas, the Gulf Cartel's paramilitary wing.On Jan. 31, an unknown individual tossed a live grenade into the Pharr nightspot, El Booty Lounge. The ordnance failed to explode and no injuries were reported.But the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives has since linked the grenade to a cache of South Korean weapons uncovered in a suspected Zeta stash house near Monterrey, according to a report the agency distributed to local law enforcement.
Investigators don't suspect the Zetas of direct involvement in the attack on the Pharr bar. Instead, they believe members of the Tri-City Bombers gang may have been targeting top leaders of the rival Chicanos gang.Sheriff Lupe Treviño said Monday that he had seen no indication that the gangs were fighting over Cartel work, but that the Booty Lounge incident has made one thing clear."It's become very obvious that there is some sort of relationship between the cartel and our local gangs," Treviño said.

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San Antonio ,Two men were shot to death outside a Northwest Side bar

Two men were shot to death outside a Northwest Side bar early Saturday after a fight began between two groups of people, police said.The double-homicide occurred around 12:40 a.m. at the Extreme sports bar on West Avenue near the Frost Street intersection.The victims appeared to be in their early 20s but their exact ages and their identification was not known immediately following the shooting.
San Antonio Police Sgt. Michael Starnes said when police arrived the bodies of the two men were in the parking lot. One man had been shot multiple times. It was unclear if the other man was shot more than once, he said.Witnesses told police the shooting started after one group of people at the bar began fighting with another group that had just arrived. However, Starnes said because so many people were at the bar at the time of the shooting, police were getting conflicting statements.
Starnes said it wasn't clear if the two men shot were even involved in the disturbance or if they just happened to be in the parking lot at the wrong time.
Police also received differing descriptions of the shooter and conflicting accounts of what type of vehicle the shooter used to flee the scene."There's a combination here of a lot of witnesses and a lot of confusion when it actually happened," he said.

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Blood who couldn’t hit the target had killed a bunch of innocent bystanders.

ex-convict from Trenton lied about his criminal record to join the firing range in Bristol Township, Pa., that he brought Blood gangsters from the city to for practice with a dozen different kinds of handguns.Former champion bodybuilder Marvin Ward, 37, was charged in a federal indictment made public yesterday that outlined how he was able to connect gangsters with the wide variety of guns for practice at a range off Route 13 called Ready, Aim, Fire.It started with Ward not admitting on a RAF membership form that he had felony convictions making it illegal for him to own or even handle a gun. As a member, the indictment alleged, Ward was free to bring gangster friends, including other felons, to the indoor firing range to rent guns for target practice at $10 an hour.An RAF employee said there is no requirement for a background check on gun renters. RAF is required to run background checks on gun purchasers, he said, but not those who rent weapons for use at the range. No rented guns can leave the building, which is on Ellwood Avenue behind a motel on 13 at the entrance to the Pennsylvania Turnpike.Yesterday’s federal bust occurred the day after township police and the Bucks County district attorney made an arrest in the 2006 murder of scholar-athlete Ahman Fralin in part due to investigation of gun purchases by qualified buyers who turn the weapons over to criminals.In addition, Ready, Aim, Fire has been the subject of past news reports, the first in The Trentonian a decade ago, about how the 11-lane indoor firing range is popular with cops as well as gangsters looking to sharpen their shooting skills.U. S. Attorney Laurie Magid announced the indictment of Ward, saying a federal grand jury in Philadelphia handed it up Wednesday. He’s charged with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.“Ward has two 1992 convictions in New Jersey for narcotics felonies, and in 1996 he has a conviction on drug charges in Trenton and later in 1996 he was convicted of resisting arrest in Harrison Township,” said Patty Hartman, Magid’s press aide. If convicted, she added, Ward faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.Five-foot-one and 125 pounds in his days as a bodybuilder a decade ago, Ward was charged with inciting a riot in September of 1994 for allegedly screaming out for friends to surround the cops trying to arrest him on drug charges.An investigation by federal ATF agents and New Jersey troopers showed that Ward continually broke the law at RAF between July 25, 2005, and March 3, 2006.
Ward and his gangster buddies reportedly took videos of themselves shooting at the range, including one in which they joked that a Blood who couldn’t hit the target had killed a bunch of innocent bystanders.The Ready Aim Fire Training Center, which opened in 1998, also once had a firearms training simulator that showed real-life situations to help shooters improve their reaction time and aim — the skills needed by today’s gangbangers.The life-size video shooting game, which uses lasers, is no longer at RAF, but was used by Ward and his friends and now has become a common training tool for law-enforcement groups, including the FBI and the CIA.The RAF worker, who would not give his name, said CEO Joe McGinty was not available for comment yesterday. He did report, however, that certified gun instructors work for RAF and that all shooting safety procedures are followed at the range.
“You need only a driver’s license, a valid identification and must sign waivers to use the guns in the facility,” said the anonymous employee. “We can only do a background check on someone when they buy a gun. That’s the state law.”

Among the RAF guns used by Ward and his Blood colleagues were, according to the indictment, a Smith & Wesson 45-caliber pistol, and .50-caliber revolver; Glock and Heckler & Koch brand 9-mm automatics; a Glock 40-caliber pistol; and Sig Sauer pistols with calibers of .40 and .45.

Magid said the Ward case was of Project Safe Neighborhood, a federal initiative aimed at identifying and prosecuting firearms offenders in federal court so they can be hit with more severe punishment when convicted.

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Gang tensions on the Chicago Southeast Side ended in a hail of bullets Friday as three Chicago teens died in an attack

Gang tensions on the city's Southeast Side ended in a hail of bullets Friday as three Chicago teens died in an attack that included at least one assault rifle, according to police and witnesses. It's unclear whether the victims—ages 13, 15 and 17—were targets or whether they were caught in the crossfire as bullets were fired from a moving car. At least one— 15-year-old Raheem "Chiko" Washington—had been waiting on the street corner for a friend when the shooting began, his friend said.
The other victims included Johnny Edwards, three days shy of his 14th birthday, and Kendrick Pitts, 17, who spent three months in juvenile detention for gang-related activity.Pitts and Washington attended Bowen High School. Edwards was a 7th grader at Mireles Academy, located about three blocks from the crime scene.So far this school year, at least 24 Chicago public school students have been slain. Last year, there were 26. "It's just tragic, that based on the guns that are on the streets, that three young men have lost their lives today," Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis said. No one was in custody as of late Friday, police said.

Witnesses say the shootings occurred after a boy was beaten up by teens flashing gang signs near 87th Street and South Exchange Avenue around 3 p.m. Friday. The boy left the scene after the fight, but quickly returned with armed friends, said Deonte Martin, 14, who was standing on the street corner with Washington.

Martin, who was waiting to meet another teen, said he saw gang signs being flashed from the car. "Chiko, I really think we should go," he said, urging Washington to come with him. When Washington refused, Martin took off. He made it only a block from the intersection when he heard the shots ring out.He tried to reach his friend on his cell phone, but got no answer. He ran back to the scene. "I see tape everywhere, I see blood everywhere, in [a] gangway, and then I see his jacket," Martin said.The gunman fired several rounds with what is believed to be an AK-47 before fleeing in a dark-colored car with as many as two other occupants, a law-enforcement source said. Police are investigating whether there was more than one gunman.The shootings came after a week in which gang members battled for control of their Southeast Side neighborhood, residents said. "The last couple days, there's been a lot of gang activity," said Martin, who described himself as a gang member. "We've had to fight a lot of people." The skirmishes escalated Friday when gang violence disrupted classes at Bowen. Students said tensions ran high on campus following a large brawl on the school's breezeway Friday afternoon. "Security tried to break it up, but people just kept fighting," said LaTrace Thompson, 16. "I saw a guy punch a girl. It was crazy."Police say they are investigating what role, if any, the melee played in the shootings. Officials hope surveillance video cameras near the crime scene will lead to clues, said Chicago Police Cmdr. Eddie Welch.

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Targeted members and associates of the MS-13, Surenos, Brown Pride, SUR-13 and Latin King street gangs.

ICE officials say the operation targeted members and associates of the MS-13, Surenos, Brown Pride, SUR-13 and Latin King street gangs. Those arrested were in the United States illegally, authorities say, and they are in federal custody. But authorities say four suspects were referred to the U.S. Attorney's office for possible additional charges, including possession of marijuana, possession of a firearm, and re-entering the United States after deportation.Federal agents have arrested 10 foreign-born gang members with ties to Charlotte-area street gangs, according to federal officials.The arrests took place Wednesday in the Charlotte area, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
ICE agents were supported by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police, North Carolina's Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE) agency, the N.C. Department of Crime Control, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
"We will continue teaming with our law enforcement partners to target those terrorizing our communities," said Joan Nash-Scavazzon, acting assistant special agent in charge of ICE's operations in the Charlotte area.

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Suad Karic, 20, was one of two people charged in connection with the shooting April 22 at the Roy Watson Youth Sports Complex

Suad Karic, 20, was one of two people charged in connection with the shooting April 22 at the Roy Watson Youth Sports Complex, 854 Essex Parkway N.W. Police said two gangs gathered to fight. Shots were fired, and a 20-year-old man was wounded in the arm and stomach. Officers learned that rival gang members met in the parking lot so an individual from each group could fight.
Police were unable to pinpoint who fired the weapon so only gross misdemeanor third-degree riot charges were filed. Karic pleaded guilty to the charge Tuesday. Judge Joseph Chase stayed execution of a one-year jail sentence and gave Karic credit for 128 days already served in jail. No additional jail time was ordered. He was put on probation for two years and fined $132. Co-defendant Ahmed Omar Abukar, 24, pleaded guilty to the gross misdemeanor charge in January, and a felony first-degree aggravated robbery charge stemming from an unrelated incident was dismissed.

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Deshawn Broadnax, 22, was found guilty in December of two counts of first-degree murder

Deshawn Broadnax, 22, was found guilty in December of two counts of first-degree murder and other charges, plus special-circumstance allegations including multiple murders. He and another man identified as the getaway driver were arrested and later indicted by a grand jury in the deaths of Brandon Hammond and Marcelles McElvaine, both 19. The victims were shot Dec. 6, 2006 in a Bay Terraces neighborhood cul-de-sac. They were not gang members, authorities said. During an emotional hearing Thursday in San Diego Superior Court, Judge John Thompson denied a motion for a new trial, noting the jury heard “overwhelming evidence” that Broadnax fired the fatal shots. Taking each crime separately, the judge sentenced Broadnax to two terms of life without parole, and an additional 57 years to life. Prosecutors argued in trial that Broadnax committed the murders in rival gang territory as retaliation for another killing the day before. Ahmad Lewis, 19, was gunned down Dec. 5, 2006 on Gwen Street in Valencia Park.
“He did, in fact, go hunting,” said Deputy District Attorney Mark Amador in court Thursday, referring to Broadnax. “He assassinated Mr. McElvaine and Mr. Hammond.” According to court documents, Hammond lived on Deep Dell Court where he was killed. The spot is near the Meadowbrook Apartment complex, a known stronghold of a Skyline-area gang. The getaway driver, Anthony Torian, testified in trial that Broadnax approached him the night of the murders, showed him a gun, and asked for a ride to the Meadowbrook complex. When they got there, the two men smoked cigarettes and waited by one of the entrances.
At one point, Broadnax walked around a corner and Torian heard gunshots. He then ran back to Torian's car and the two men drove off. Broadnax boasted later about how he duped the victims into lighting a cigarette for him, then shot them, Torian said.
Torian, 23, pleaded guilty to two counts of voluntary manslaughter and could be sentenced to a minimum of 13 years in prison or a maximum of 26 years and fours months.
Several members of the victims' families attended the Thursday hearing. Hammond's uncle, Wilfred Jackson, spoke about his nephew's plans to move to San Francisco and his dream of designing clothes and shoes. “He was at a point in his life where he was trying to do something. He was trying to make those changes,” Jackson said.
Broadnax's mother spoke angrily to the judge, saying the witnesses who testified in trial had lied and that her son is not a gang member.

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Convicted Erick Daniel Davila, 21, of capital murder in the deaths of Queshawn Stevenson and Annette Stevenson

Convicted Erick Daniel Davila, 21, of capital murder in the deaths of Queshawn Stevenson and Annette Stevenson, 48 who hosted the party for another grandchild. Annette Stevenson was shot as she threw herself over several youngsters, neighbors had said.Several others were wounded that April night after a dark car pulled up and a man got out and began firing at the corner tan-and-brick duplex decorated with a "Happy Birthday" banner and balloons, authorities said.The jury began hearing additional testimony Thursday afternoon to determine punishment for the Fort Worth man.Davila intended to kill the victims when he focused the semiautomatic rifle's scope and laser beam on a porch full of women and children and fired at least eight shots, prosecutor Tiffany Burks told jurors in her closing arguments.Prosecutor Robert Gill reminded jurors of Davila's statement to police saying he was trying to get back at a rival gang that shot him in 2005, and about a gang expert's testimony that gang members often retaliate against rival gang members' relatives.Defense attorneys Robert Ford and Joetta Keene told jurors that Davila did not intend to kill those two victims but at the most, he was guilty of lesser charges of murder or manslaughter. Ford said Davila went to the house that night looking for Annette Stevenson's son and Queshawn's father — a man said to be a member of a rival gang.

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John Carroll, a 33-year-old father of three, was gunned down as he sat drinking in Grumpy Jack’s pub in the Coombe, Dublin

John Carroll, a 33-year-old father of three, was gunned down as he sat drinking in a pub in the city centre on Wednesday night.The killing was the sixth fatal gangland-style shooting of the year
The victim of Wednesday’s attack had been living at addresses in Kilbarrack and Baldoyle in recent times, but was originally from Charlemont Street in the south inner city. He was drinking with a number of friends in Grumpy Jack’s pub in the Coombe, Dublin, shortly after 9.30pm when two men pulled up outside the premises on a blue motorbike.The pillion passenger got off the bike and went into the pub. He singled out his victim and discharged a number of shots from a handgun. The victim tried to run but was hit six times in the stomach, hip, buttocks and arm.The gunman escaped the scene on the waiting motorbike. Both the gunman and his accomplice wore helmets with dark visors pulled down throughout the attack.Carroll, who worked as a car salesman, was taken by ambulance to St James’s Hospital, where he died shortly after 11pm. He had initially been expected to survive, but is believed to have suffered a cardiac arrest.The dead man had earlier been drinking in a pub in Rialto before moving to Grumpy Jack’s. Gardaí believe Carroll was being kept under surveillance by his killers or that the gunman and his accomplice were being kept informed as to their target’s movements.
Carroll was known to gardaí for his links to the drugs trade. He was a target of the Garda National Drugs Unit for a number of years.
Gardaí believe he was centrally involved in organising drug smuggling routes from the UK and Europe for gangs operating in Ireland. He was not involved in the sale of drugs once they reached Ireland. One Garda source described him as a “freelance trafficker” who worked for very well-known drugs gangs, mostly in north Dublin, but he was not affiliated to any one gang.Gardaí believe his murder is drug-related, and are trying to establish whether Carroll was killed by a gang that owed him a large sum of money.“He was working for a number of gangs at any one time, so there would be plenty of drugs on the move and plenty of money owed,” said one Garda source.
Some of Carroll’s associates are members of a drugs gang that has recently received extortion demands from the INLA in Dublin. However, there is no firm intelligence linking Wednesday’s attack to the INLA extortionists.Gardaí are studying CCTV images of the attacker entering and leaving Grumpy Jack’s.Supt Thady Muldoon said a “mid-range” blue motorbike was used by the killers. He said the men wore dark clothing as well as dark helmets and that they escaped towards Dean Street and on to Kevin Street.

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Six men, reputed members of the Oakdale Mob based in a four-block area of Hunters Point, were added to the list

The new additions to that list include: Gerardo Canon, 18; Eric Jones, 21; Keimareea Lake, 19; Kenyon McDowell, 20; Dimarea McGhee, 20; and Mario Woods, 19.All six men have engaged in extensive gang-related conduct that included both nuisance activity and criminal behavior, according to the city attorney's office.Jones was convicted in 2008 of felony assault with a deadly weapon for assaulting and threatening to kill a woman with a handgun on gang turf, and was sentenced to three years in prison, according to the city attorney's office.McDowell was convicted in 2008 or felony negligent discharge of a firearm and, according to police, repeatedly violated stay-away orders from the area under the terms of his probation.McGhee has been convicted of felonies including grand theft, possession of a concealed firearm, robbery and participation in a criminal street gang, and was sentenced to two years in state prison in October, the city attorney's office said.
San Francisco Superior Court judge has agreed to add six suspected members of a Bayview criminal street gang to one of the city's civil gang injunctions, according to city attorneys.Six men, reputed members of the Oakdale Mob based in a four-block area of Hunters Point, were added to the list Wednesday, according to the city attorney's office.City Attorney Dennis Herrera said the men "have engaged in an alarming pattern of gang violence and criminal conduct in a short span of time, and their addition to the existing injunction is clearly warranted."A total of 25 alleged Oakdale Mob gang members are now prohibited under the civil injunction from weapons or drug possession; loitering with intent to sell drugs; witness or victim intimidation; threats to recruit or retain gang members; defacing property with graffiti; and trespassing, all in the area of the injunction.Gang members are also prohibited from associating together in the injunction zone, except while attending school or church.A permanent injunction against the Oakdale Mob was issued by the city attorney's office in March 2007. Other injunctions have been issued against in the Western Addition District, and Nortenos in the Mission District.
Police say the injunctions are a helpful tool to allow authorities to discourage gang activity in San Francisco.Critics of the injunctions have argued the some of the laws, such as loitering with intent, are so vague as to be open to abuse by police.
Civil prosecutions of the gang injunction can result in monetary penalties and sentences of up to five days in jail; while those prosecuted as criminal misdemeanors by the district attorney's office can result in six-month jail sentences.

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Moorpark gang skirmish with Simi Valley gang

Several members of a Moorpark gang who live in Simi came to 1184 Arcane St. to pick up a female who was visiting the occupants, members of a rival Simi Valley gang. A fight broke out in front of the residence at 10:53 p.m., according to police reports.
Simi Police Sgt. Darin Muehler, who works in the department's Special Problems Section, said the fight was not over the female but erupted due to prior run-ins between the individuals.
Someone inside the home on Arcane made the initial call to officers, Muehler said. "We don't get called on every time there's a skirmish between groups," Lt. Mike King said. "But when it is in a public place . . . we do get calls."
During the fight, Ronald "Tony" Anderson and a 16yearold juvenile, both of Simi Valley, received knife wounds to their head, chest, neck and hands/arms along with blunt trauma injuries caused by a bat. The suspects fled the scene in a vehicle immediately after the attack. The victims' injuries were not life-threatening. After their release from Simi Valley Hospital, both victims were arrested on warrants for unrelated charges. "They were not arrested for charges stemming from this fight," Muehler said, adding that it is up to the district attorney's office to file further charges against the victims. The suspects' vehicle was seen on First Street in Simi Valley the next day. German DelRio, 20, and a 16-year-old juvenile were arrested without incident. A third suspect, a 17-year-old juvenile, was arrested on Feb. 13 at Apollo High School in connection with the assault. King and Muehler said this type of attack is uncommon in Simi. The last gang-related incident, also a stabbing, was reported in October 2007 and remains unsolved.
"This is not a frequent occurrence," Muehler said. "The big picture should be . . . the stabbing happened on a Tuesday night, by Friday morning everyone was in jail." Both officers said the department's gang unit understands the dynamics between rival gangs and is continually checking up on known affiliates.
"This was wrapped up so quickly because we know these guys," Muehler said. "We know who and where the players are."
The Special Problems Section is continuing to investigate the incident.

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Metro Vancouver Canadian capital of organized crime: Federal public safety minister

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Another shooting rocked Vancouver shooting took place on Fraser Street Tuesday afternoon, when two armed men burst into a home

Another shooting rocked Vancouver on Tuesday, leaving one man dead and adding to a grim tally that includes a young mother gunned down Monday as she drove with her four-year-old son in the back seat.
The shooting took place on Fraser Street Tuesday afternoon, when two armed men burst into a home and confronted two brothers, one of whom wrestled with and killed an intruder, family members said.
Aleem Mohammed, 19, was wounded by the gunmen and was taken for medical treatment, while his brother Amir, 18, was in custody, said their sister, Nazreen Dean, who spoke to reporters at the scene.
“Those guys who came to our door, we don't know who they are,” said Ms. Dean, 43. “They might be a gang. And we're innocent people – my aunt lives there. I don't want them to come back here and start shooting.”Neither of her brothers was involved in gang activity, Ms. Dean said, saying the armed men were looking for someone the family doesn't know. Ms. Dean rushed to the home from work after getting a panicked called from her brother Amir.Police cars blocked the street in front of the house, and a body, the feet sticking out from beneath a white sheet, lay on the street as people walked by.Police said the dead man, whose name had not yet been released, was in his mid-20s. Police were looking for another suspect.
Aleem Mohammed's Facebook profile notes his love of video games, especially three online Facebook games called Mafia Wars, Mob Wars and Street Racing.The young man is also fond of Japanese, anime-style kung fu types of comics and cars, as is his brother Amir, whose Facebook photo is not a headshot but a sports car.
The daylight shooting took place just hours after police named Nicole Alemy as the victim of a Monday attack in Surrey, B.C., in which gunmen raked a white Cadillac with bullets.Ms. Alemy, who turned 23 on Valentine's Day, was killed. Her four-year-old son, who was in the back seat, was not physically harmed but has been placed in government care.As of Tuesday, police had not said whether Ms. Alemy's shooting was gang-related.Ms. Alemy is believed to have been married to Koshan Alemy. A person by that name was charged with three weapons-related offences in Coquitlam, B.C., in 2007, including possessing a firearm with an altered serial number, but those charges were stayed in 2008.Monday's shooting, which took place near a popular park, spooked nearby residents.“A lot of people don't realize the extent to which there are innocent victims,” Mr. Van Loan said.“There are innocent victims directly – people who have been killed who were bystanders, just in the wrong place at the wrong time. But there are also innocent victims in the whole community – when people start changing their behaviour, where they drive, where they shop.“The culture of fear that is developing in some places and the extent that people talked about that – that surprised me.”B.C. last week announced it will hire 168 more police officers, take control of firearms regulations within its borders and boost rewards for tipsters to crank up the heat on gangs and guns.

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David Garcia, 43, of San Diego, was arrested by federal and local authorities

David Garcia, 43, of San Diego, was arrested by federal and local authorities at Russ Boulevard and 24th Street about 3:30 p.m. Monday, FBI spokesman Darrell Foxworth said.
Garcia is suspected of selling methamphetamine.
Foxworth said Garcia was one of 36 defendants named in federal criminal complaints alleging racketeering, firearms and drug offenses involving the Mexican Mafia, local gangs and the Arellano-Felix drug cartel. More than a dozen gang members with alleged ties to the drug rings were arrested Friday. The FBI said Ernest Matthew Soqui, 32, Lance Agundez, 27, and Jorge Lerma-Duenas, 31, remain fugitives. The arrests have come after a year-long federal investigation dubbed “Operation Keys to the City.” The title was taken from a Mexican Mafia term for delegating authority: giving “the keys” to a person put in charge of certain criminal activities in prisons and on the streets, Foxworth said.

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Klansman Gang,Stone Crusher gang leader Cedrick Murray heads a list of Jamaica's 10 most wanted fugitives

Stone Crusher gang leader Cedrick Murray heads a list of Jamaica's 10 most wanted fugitives, released yesterday by the constabulary's Serious and Organised Crime Division.Murray, who also known as 'Paul Brown' and 'Doggie', has been on the run for three years after he was accused of a triple murder at Felicity Road in Montego Bay, St James in February 2006.Murray, the police said, frequently visits Norwood, Salt Spring and Rose Heights in St James, Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland and the Coronation Market in downtown Kingston.Also featuring on the list are three members of the Spanish Town-based Klansman Gang.Two Klansman members - Andre Nordane Bryan, also called 'Black Man' or 'Garth' and Warren Simpson, also called 'Brucky' - are wanted for the murder of former chairman of the Jamaica Urban Transit Company, Douglas Chambers, who was gunned down in June last year near the gates of the bus company in Twickenham Park, St Catherine.Simpson and Bryan are said to regular visitors to the Klansman stomping grounds of Jones Avenue, Thompson Pen, Brooklyn, Lakes Pen, Port Henderson Road, De-la-Vega City and the Spanish Town bus terminus, all located in St Catherine.The other Klansman member on the most wanted list is James Hinds, who along with his rival from the One Order gang, Donald Brown, also known as 'Negus', who police said were the main players in a gang feud in the Gravel Heights and Tredegar Park communities, located just outside of Spanish Town. The gang feud forced dozens of residents from their homes in the two communities late last year. Both Hinds and Brown are wanted for murder.Completing the most wanted list are: Carey Rose, also called 'Tyson' of Yancey Place, St Andrew - wanted for the murder of Detective Sergeant Edgerton Brown at Sundown Crescent in St Andrew in September 2007 and robbery of the cop's firearm. Rose is known to frequent Yancey Place, Australia Road, Balcombe Drive, Olympic Way and Sundown Crescent in St Andrew;Omar Lewis, also called 'King Evil' of Canterbury, St James - wanted for the murder of Richard Reid at Gloucester in June Last year. Lewis is known to frequent Glendevon, Flankers and Canterbury in St James, Mandeville in Manchester and sections of St Elizabeth;Alton Gordon of Broadleaf, Clarendon - wanted for shooting with intent at the police and escaping from the Frankfield Police Station in July 2007. Gordon frequents Bunkers Hill in Clarendon, Cave Valley in St Ann andAugust Town in St Andrew;Collin Henry, also called 'John Crow' of Kew, Hanover - wanted for murder and absconding bail. Henry frequents the Lucea car park, Kew, Clifton and Maryland in Hanover and Negril in Westmoreland; andTroy Fong of Papine in St Andrew - wanted for double murder committed at Hope Flats, St Andrew in September, 2007. Fong is known to frequent Hope Flats, Kintyre, Tavern and Papine in St Andrew.All 10 fugitives have been listed as armed and dangerous.

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Marquis D. Sanders Taheem L. Blake, 17, and Marquis D. Sanders, 18, have been charged with murder

Marquis D. Sanders Taheem L. Blake, 17, and Marquis D. Sanders, 18, have been charged in the murder of 55-year-old Maria Lerma during a botched robbery at a Bradenton home on Feb. 1.cell phone belonging to a Palmetto teenager charged with murder indicates the boy may be connected to a gang, Bradenton police said.
Police said Blake and Sanders broke into the home in the 900 block of 25th Street East at about 5:45 a.m. and shot two residents, killing Lerma.During the attack, a third resident retrieved a gun and shot Blake. The bullet struck Blake’s spine, and the former Palmetto High School football player is now paralyzed from the neck down, according to reports.As paramedics treated Blake at the home, they found a cell phone in his sock.A police sergeant later attempted to answer the ringing phone, discovering text on the display that read, “MUTT CREW 4 LIFE,” according to a search warrant issued Friday.Mutt Crew is a criminal street gang, the report stated.
Police said they seized the cell phones belonging to Blake and Sanders to search all calls, messages and contacts.

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Marcell Castle Far South Side man was fatally shot Saturday evening in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood

Far South Side man was fatally shot Saturday evening in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood, Chicago police said.Witnesses saw Marcell Castle, 19, of the 300 block of West 118th Street riding in a van in the 7500 block of South Wabash Avenue shortly before 7 p.m. when an unknown man fired several shots at the vehicle from the street, Officer Laura Kubiak said.

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Carlos M. Mansilla, 36, and Michelle Kipp, 40, are charged with multiple felonies.

After a three month investigation, police searched a home in Knox Village Apartments and found more than 15 ounces of cocaine, as well as pills, cash and weapons. The residents, Carlos M. Mansilla, 36, and Michelle Kipp, 40, are charged with multiple felonies.Police arrested two people Friday in connection with what may be the department's largest ever cocaine seizure.Police estimated the street value of the drugs at about $30,000 and said they believed the amount was about a two-week supply for area customers. In addition to the cocaine, there were about 350 OxyContin pills, 250 ecstasy pills, 13 bottles of methadone and more than 18 grams of marijuana.The department is still pursuing several leads related this bust, including burglaries and thefts they suspect were committed by youth in order to purchase drugs from the couple. Mansilla and Kipp were arraigned before the town judge and remanded to Orange County Jail without bail.

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Gangs called 2 Deep and MSH "Money Stacked High."scuffle involving rival gangs

A scuffle involving rival gangs erupted in a hallway at a Lower Manhattan courthouse.
Dozens of armed court officers rushed to control at least two dozen people on Tuesday after angry shouting, shoving and swinging broke out in Manhattan Criminal Court.It occurred outside the trial of a 16-year-old who's charged with attempted murder. The case involves a shooting at a popular Harlem park last Memorial Day.
Authorities said the clash involved gangs called 2 Deep and MSH -- which stands for "Money Stacked High."

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Nicholas Gordon Smith identified a man shot in a targeted hit in a Nanaimo Street basement suite

Vancouver police identified a man shot in a targeted hit in a Nanaimo Street basement suite last week as 24-year-old Nicholas Gordon Smith. According to court files, Smith has faced production of narcotics and trafficking charges over the last two years. He won acquittals on several of those charges in the fall of 2007.

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Funeral service was held Saturday for gangster Raphael Baldini, who was gunned down in a daylight shooting in a Surrey mall parking lot.

Funeral service was held Saturday for gangster Raphael Baldini, who was gunned down in a daylight shooting in a Surrey mall parking lot.At least three marked police cruisers surrounded the Burquitlam Funeral Home for the event, attended by dozens of family, friends and associates.The gathering then moved to Coquitlam's Robinson Memorial Park cemetery.Afterwards, Baldini's aunt, Stella Hubert, thanked everyone for attending the service, to which reporters were not invited."I got to see a little bit of who Raph had as friends. . . . He was a very, very special nephew and a very, very special friend to all of you," she said on his Facebook tribute page. "Once again I am very happy for all that showed up."Baldini, 21, was shot to death in a friend's leased Range Rover in the crowded parking lot of Surrey's Guildford Town Centre just after 5 p.m. Feb. 3.The young gangster was on bail for an assault charge laid in Vancouver last October. His co-accused in that case, Jaspreet "Justin" Chahil is also charged with several others in a Surrey drug-trafficking ring.Baldini was the person who rented the penthouse in Surrey's Balmoral Tower where gunmen burst in Oct. 19, 2007 and executed six people, including two innocent bystanders, in what has become known as the Surrey Six slaughter.Four of Baldini's friends -- among them drug-dealing brothers Michael and Corey Lal -- were targeted in the shooting.The Lal brothers' sister Jourdane paid tribute to Baldini on his online memorial page:"No words can explain how our family will miss your smiling face, you are one of the few who truly cared, who cried tears not for us, but with us," she wrote. "I can only hope to show the same love to your family as you always showed for us."Baldini's mother Cindy warned in a phone message to The Sun last week to stop referring to her youngest child as a gangster despite his link to the infamous Surrey apartment and a series of gun and assault charges.
On Facebook, she said her son "loved so many people and he gave so much of himself to everyone and asked for nothing back. I wish I can hold in my arms right now."Baldini had left Vancouver Provincial Court Feb. 3 after making an appearance in his assault case and heading to Surrey to pick up a new cellphone at the mall. It is not known if the killers were tailing him.He was not cooperating with police in the Surrey Six investigation before his murder.

In fact, just a month after the slayings, Baldini was charged with a number of firearms offences when he was stopped in a vehicle with a 9-mm Glock and a Walther p22c semi-automatic. Both were loaded.

Baldini's murder is one in a rash of public shootings in 2009 across Metro Vancouver.

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Mexican Mafia member vanishes

Three days before he was scheduled to appear in Pomona Superior Court on murder conspiracy charges last month, Darryl Castrejon disappeared. The reputed Mexican Mafia member managed to post $1 million bail after he and three other men were arrested and charged in 2005 with conspiring to kill Frankie Buelna, 61, another Mexican Mafia member. For more than three years, Castrejon, a Fontana resident, had appeared in Pomona Superior Court each time he was required. But on Jan. 27, he failed to appear. His wife initially believed Castrejon had been arrested by federal agents on Jan. 24, but prosecutors now say they know that's untrue. Both Castrejon's wife and defense attorney say he's had no contact with them and they have no idea where he is. The 49-year-old could be dead, out of the state, out of the country, or hiding in the local area - prosecutors say they have not been able to rule out any possibility. "I don't know what to believe. I really don't," said Deputy District Attorney Todd Hicks, who successfully prosecuted Castrejon's three co-defendants and will prosecute him if he's found. "I don't know if he's in the state, out of the country. I don't know." Castrejon and his three co-defendants wanted to kill Buelna because they believed he was conducting gang activities in Pomona neighborhoods where he did not have gang permission, prosecutors allege. Police were listening in on the conspirators' phone conversations and stopped the plot before it was carried out. Buelna was later shot and killed in 2006 at Characters Sports Bar in downtown Pomona. That case remains unsolved, and authorities say they do not know whether the killing is connected with the earlier murder plot. Castrejon's three alleged co-conspirators - Julio Ponce Felix Jr., 35, Arthur Garcia, 38, and Ricardo Polanco, 26 - were each convicted by a jury last year and sentenced to prison terms of 85 years to life, 55 years to life and 50 years to life, respectively. Castrejon, the alleged shot- caller in the plot, was set to face trial this month and faced life imprisonment if convicted. "Trial was forthcoming, imminent," Hicks said. Hicks said that on Jan. 23, a parole officer told him he heard Castrejon had been arrested in connection with a cold-case murder in San Bernardino County. Hicks said he called Castrejon's defense attorney, Albert Perez Jr., to verify the tip. Perez told him he had heard nothing about it, both men said in interviews. About an hour after Hicks contacted Perez on Jan. 23, the attorney said he called Castrejon's home to see if he had been taken into custody. Perez said Castrejon answered the phone and said he was at home in Fontana with his wife. The next day, Castrejon disappeared.
According to his wife, he drove to his father-in-law's home in Fontana, then went missing. Castrejon left his car and cell phone at his father-in-law's home, Hicks said. According to Perez, Castrejon's wife initially told him she believed her husband had been arrested as part of a federal indictment. Hicks said Castrejon is not in federal custody. In an interview Friday, Perez said he still knew nothing about Castrejon's whereabouts. "We've been looking for him without much success," Hicks said, adding that there's "no evidence of where he is - dead or otherwise. We're still looking." After Castrejon failed to appear in Pomona, a judge revoked his bail bond and issued a new no-bail warrant for his arrest. Castrejon also failed to appear in court last week on a drug case in San Bernardino County. In order to secure his $1 million bond in Pomona, Castrejon put up his daughter's home and his father-in-law's home as collateral, Hicks said. Those properties will likely be seized by Castrejon's bonding agency if he fled the area to avoid facing trial.

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Russell E. Samuels.who witnessed Martin's murder, has had ties to the Pagans motorcycle club

Russell E. Samuels, 58,who witnessed Martin's murder, has had ties to the Pagans motorcycle club, according to news accounts and a law enforcement source.And now authorities are exploring whether there is a link between that gang and the killing, the source said.Samuels was part of a Pagans/Amish drug ring that operated locally 10 years ago.Martin, 45, of Earl Township, in turn, had ties to Strong Arm Productions, a local motorcycle club that serves as a feeder or associate club of the Pagans, the source said.New Holland Police today declined to comment on whether Martin's shooting, which the county district attorney has labeled an "assassination," had anything to do with the Pagans.Martin was shot in the chest and abdomen late Saturday night as he got out of Samuels' car at his home, at the end of a dead-end street off Route 322 near Hinkletown.His mother, Suzanne, said earlier this week that Martin had been out on the town that night with Samuels, a longtime friend.Police said a man in a red Ford SUV followed Samuels and Martin down Clearview Avenue to Martin's home. The man, who hid his face with an article of clothing, then shot Martin and fled.Sources said Martin was a member of Strong Arm Productions, a relatively new motorcycle club that has members in Lancaster City and eastern Lancaster County.Its members are known to frequent bars in the New Holland area, where they occasionally get into fights, said a law enforcement source familiar with the group.The club's emblem is a clenched fist and an upper arm flexing its bicep.Strong Arm is known as a feeder club for the Pagans, a law enforcement official said. Strong Arm members sometimes ride with and associate with the Pagans and, if the chemistry is right, may be asked to join the club, a source said.Lancaster County has served as a base for the Pagans over the years. Its national secretary-treasurer, now in prison on drug and money laundering charges, formerly lived in West Hempfield Township. The Lancaster County chapter president, a longtime Lancaster postal worker, was killed in 2002 in a brawl between the Pagans and the Hells Angels in New York.

The Pagans, along with the Sons of Satan, also maintained a clubhouse in Rapho Township for about 20 years, police said. The clubhouse was destroyed in a pipe bombing in 2002, during what police said may have been a gang feud.

The U.S. Department of Justice, on its Web site, says the Pagans are one of the most prominent Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs in the Mid-Atlantic region, with an estimated 200 to 250 members in 41 chapters in 11 states.The Pagans have been tied to traditional organized crime groups in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and New York and have engaged in criminal activities such as drug trafficking, arson, assault, bombing, extortion and murder, according to the Justice Department.Samuels, who did not return several calls for comment, is not a stranger to the club.He was among six members and Pagans associates who pleaded guilty in 1998 to distributing as much as $1 million in cocaine and methamphetamines to several Lancaster County Amish youths throughout Lancaster and Chester counties.According to federal indictments in the case, the Pagans obtained drugs and sold them to Amish people for distribution in Lancaster County at hoedowns — traditional gatherings for Amish and other teens and young adults.Samuels was identified by federal officials as a "Hang-Around" in the case. So-called "Hang-Arounds" or "Prospects" were allowed to associate and socialize with the Pagans, but had to go through a hazing period to become full members, federal authorities said at the time.Samuels pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute drugs and was sentenced to four years in prison. At his sentencing in 1999, he told a judge that before his arrest he had decided to change his lifestyle and become a Christian. He added that he was sorry for his mistakes and had made many positive steps toward a better life and was "getting old to start over again."Samuels has an extensive criminal record in addition to the indictment in the Amish/Pagan drug ring.
In 1988, he was charged with aggravated assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, according to court records. He pleaded guilty to the latter two charges and was sentenced to two years of probation.In 1995, he pleaded guilty to receiving stolen property and was sentenced to two years of probation. The charge stemmed from a police search warrant at his home that turned up stolen motorcycle parts.Since his release from jail on the Amish drug ring charges, Samuels has had other problems with the law. In 2007, Samuels was charged with accidents involving death or personal injury, driving under the influence of alcohol and traffic offenses related to an accident outside a New Holland bar.According to the criminal complaint, Samuels ran over a man with his Harley-Davidson motorcycle in the parking lot of The Pub on East Main Street in July 2007, and then drove away. A test showed Samuels' blood-alcohol level was 0.167, which is above the legal threshold for drunken driving, according to the criminal complaint.Samuels told police there was a disagreement in the bar and he was trying to leave, according to the criminal complaint in the case.Samuels said "he didn't know if he hit someone or something when he left," according to the complaint. Samuels said the incident was "all over (expletive)."The alleged victim was treated at Ephrata Community Hospital for non-life threatening injuries.Samuels posted $5,000 bail and was released. A pre-trial conference on the case is scheduled for next month.Martin also had a history of criminal problems, involving assaults, a weapons charge and disorderly conduct.His most serious offense was in 2004, when New Holland police charged Martin with aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, public drunkenness and a weapons offense after a fight at The Ritz on Main, 138 E. Main St., New Holland.According to newspaper records, the owner of the Ritz told police he had been assaulted by a patron, who had later been removed from the establishment.
While searching for that patron, police heard popping noises from the rear of a nearby drugstore. They found Martin, who had a .32-caliber handgun and a switchblade on him.The suspect in the assault of the club owner told police that Martin chased him and fired a gunshot at him, according to newspaper records.Court records indicate Martin pleaded guilty to possessing an illegal weapon and reckless endangerment. He was sentenced to probation.Strong Arm Productions is listed on a Web site run by the Eastern Pennsylvania Federation of Clubs, a group that claims to help "abolish discrimination toward motorcyclists, and increase communications within the motorcycle communities."
Two attorneys listed on the Web site as contacts for the Federation of Clubs — one is from Norristown and the other from West Chester — did not return phone calls on Tuesday

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