United Nations gang drug house

day after targeting a drug house linked to the United Nations gang, Abbotsford police have announced the arrest of eight more suspected dealers linked to the Red Scorpion gang.Const. Ian MacDonald said the Abbotsford police and bike squads conducted a two-day project in the downtown core of the city targeting the dealers and their drug lines.Project Christmas Crack - Down led to seizures of crack cocaine, heroin, marijuana, cash, weapons and cellular phones used in these drug operations, MacDonald said."The project also demonstrated that drug trafficking was taking place on or near school grounds and had clear connections to organized crime. Of the seven men and woman arrested the associations to the Red Scorpion Gang in particular were evident," he said."The intelligence gathered as a result of this project will be used for future police investigations and projects. The Abbotsford Police Department is expecting to make more arrests in the coming days."

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United Nations gang drug house

day after targeting a drug house linked to the United Nations gang, Abbotsford police have announced the arrest of eight more suspected dealers linked to the Red Scorpion gang.Const. Ian MacDonald said the Abbotsford police and bike squads conducted a two-day project in the downtown core of the city targeting the dealers and their drug lines.Project Christmas Crack - Down led to seizures of crack cocaine, heroin, marijuana, cash, weapons and cellular phones used in these drug operations, MacDonald said."The project also demonstrated that drug trafficking was taking place on or near school grounds and had clear connections to organized crime. Of the seven men and woman arrested the associations to the Red Scorpion Gang in particular were evident," he said."The intelligence gathered as a result of this project will be used for future police investigations and projects. The Abbotsford Police Department is expecting to make more arrests in the coming days."

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Torturer Martin Hamilton is preparing for early release after nine years of a life sentence.

Torturer Martin Hamilton is preparing for early release after nine years of a life sentence.

"There will be a few people dreading the day he walks out of prison a free man."

Hamilton was flanked by two guards as he called on his mother for tea and biscuits on a home visit from Shotts Prison.He watched l ive coverage of the UK Snooker Championship at the old lady's Glasgow flat on Thursday before emerging at 3.15pm.
He was then driven back to Kerr House, a low-supervision wing at Shotts.
Ultra-violent Hamilton was jailed for life in 2000 for a catalogue of offences , including abduction, torture and drug-dealing.He was ordered to serve at least nine years before he could apply for parole.But the 49-year-old heroin baron and bank robber is now confident he'll be out soon after he was granted the right to enjoy two-hour home visits. he has been told he will train for his release at New Douglas Park, home of SPL club Hamilton Accies.Our source told us: "Hammy can't wait to get out of prison."He's been inside for a long time now and knows each day is a day closer to freedom."All he has to do is keep his nose clean and stay out of trouble."The home visits are the start of the process for Hammy and he chooses to go and visit his mum."She's getting on, and Hammy going to visit her is easier than her having to make the journey to Shotts."Hamilton was the most notorious gangland figure in Scotland during a reign of terror which lasted almost 20 years.
Before justice finally caught up with him, he walked free from TWELVE High Court indictments for crimes, including possession of firearms, a shooting, serious assault and robbery.Cases against him fell apart after witnesses were too afraid to give evidence against him, and preferred to be jailed for contempt of court instead.
But Hamilton was finally sent down at the High Court in Inverness - as armed police guarded every exit in the court building.Terrified witnesses were put in pol ice protection schemes and a news blackout on the trial was imposed.
Hamilton, of Anderston, Glasgow, was convicted of ordering the kidnap and torture of victims from the Edinburgh drug scene.Detectives say he was trying to take control of the capital's drug trade. Local dealers d ived for cover when he based himself in the capital 's Broomhouse area.Hamilton was found guilty of 14 charges, including several torture offences. Victims were set on fire, scalded with boiling water or stabbed in the face.In one horrific incident, a young couple were ordered to be stabbed in a bath so they wouldn't bleed all over the carpet of the flat where they were being held hostage.An attempt was made to gouge a man's eye out with a spoon and Hamilton also tried to cut a man's finger offwith a knife.
Hamilton was also convicted of being concerned in the supply of heroin and diazepam, threatening a man with violence and holding a knife to another man's throat and threatening to kill him.He was acquitted over the abduction of two men and offering them money for sex.Passing sentence, Lord Kingarth said:

"You showed yourself capable of taking sadistic pleasure in the infliction of pain and the inspiration of real terror over long periods.

"You pose a substantial danger to the public."Hamilton's co-accused, David Henderson, was jailed for six years.A third accused, Martin Byrne, 28, who gave evidence against Hamilton, admitted stabbing the teenage girl and boy in the face and was jailed for just three years.
Hamilton had already served a nine -year sentence for trying to rob the Dunferml ine Bui lding Society in Anniesland, Glasgow in 1992.And in 1990, he abducted notorious gangster Paul Ferris off the street.He bundled Ferris into a car on the orders of crime lord Arthur Thompson Snr, but released him when Thompson had a change of heart.Our source said: "Police were popping champagne when Hammy was sent down. They'd waited years to see him put away."Now they'll be wondering if they'll have to do it all over again when he gets out."

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Black Disciplines and the Gangster Disciples shootings

Eleven-year-old Aston Wise was shot and killed while sitting in a parked SUV with his dad, Ken Wise, who was critically wounded. Aston Wise was a passenger in a sport-utility vehicle parked on a South Shore street Friday night when a masked gunman opened fire with a shotgun, killing Aston and critically wounding his father.Aston, of the 6800 block of South East End Avenue, was shot in the head in the 7800 block of South Kingston, police said. He was pronounced dead on the scene, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.Ken Wise was critically injured after a masked gunman fired into his parked SUV Friday night, killing his son Aston.
Aston was a sixth-grader at Martha Ruggles Elementary School, 7831 S. Prairie, Chicago Public Schools spokeswoman Monique Bond said.
Police Supt. Jody Weis said detectives are investigating if the shooting was connected to a relative with gang ties. Weis said Aston had a half brother in the Black Disciplines street gang and that there has been "low-key" conflict between the Black Disciplines and the Gangster Disciples. Police are also looking into the possibility of a carjacking, Weis said."We won't really know until we get a chance to talk with the father," Weis said. No arrests had been made as of Saturday night. About 8:25 p.m. Friday, a man wearing a black mask approached the passenger side of the SUV and fired several shotgun rounds into the vehicle, police said.
Aston's 42-year-old father, Kenneth Wise, suffered gunshot wounds in his side and back, but he managed to drive away before crashing into the Wee Care Nursery School at 1843 E. 79th St., police said. No one was in the school at the time, but the crash ruptured a gas line. The SUV also struck several parked cars and a water pipe.
Paramedics found Aston dead in the car and took his father to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in critical condition.

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Alexander Ian Rodriguez,Norteño gang member early this morning in Santa Rosa after he allegedly threw a .357-caliber revolver

Arrested a 19-year-old Norteño gang member early this morning in Santa Rosa after he allegedly threw a .357-caliber revolver into some bushes near a park. Officers responded to the report of a fight at Pear Blossom Park off of Edgewater Drive at about 3:15 a.m. The fight had dispersed by the time they arrived. They checked the area around the park to try to find the people involved in the brawl. Officer Jesse Whitten found someone about a block away from the park walking along a sidewalk. When the suspect, Alexander Ian Rodriguez, a Santa Rosa resident, saw the officer he allegedly threw the revolver into the bushes in front of a house, police said. Rodriguez was arrested for allegedly being felon in possession of
a firearm, possession of a concealed firearm and possession of a firearm with the serial number removed, according to police. Gang crime detectives identified Rodriguez as being a member of the Norteño gang and then also charged him with several gang enhancements

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33-year-old man was killed by Parañaque cops responding to an alleged gang war

33-year-old man was killed by Parañaque cops responding to an alleged gang war that erupted early morning Sunday.SPO1 Reynaldo Arojado said Celso de los Santos, a construction worker and resident of Malugay Street, Barangay San Martin de Porres, was shot dead near his home after he allegedly fired at members of police community precinct 3 at around 2 a.m.Initial investigation showed that two groups of men were in a scuffle when the cops arrived on the scene.Armed with an improvised gun (sumpak), De los Santos reportedly shot at the officers who were forced to return fire.The suspect was rushed to the Parañaque Doctors Hospital but was declared dead on arrival for multiple gunshot wounds.Arojado said the shooting would be investigated further. He added that cops have been pursuing those who took part in the gang war.

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Two mobsters called to testify in a Palermo trial didn't corroborate the testimony of a Mafia hitman

Two mobsters called to testify in a Palermo trial didn't corroborate the testimony of a Mafia hitman who last week said Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and a close associate gave the mob political reassurances in the early 1990s.The mobsters appeared Friday at the trial of an Italian senator and a former business associate of Mr. Berlusconi. Giuseppe Graviano, a Mafia boss who, along with his brother Filippo, is serving multiple life sentences for bombings and murder, declined to testify.Filippo Graviano told the court through a video link that he had never had any direct or indirect contact with the Italian senator on trial.The case is the appeals trial of Marcello Dell'Utri, a member of the Italian Senate. Mr. Dell'Utri was an employee of Mr. Berlusconi when the Italian billionaire ran his family's media empire.Prosecutors on Friday were expected to ask Giuseppe Graviano whether he could corroborate testimony given last week in the trial by hitman Gaspare Spatuzza, who said Mr. Graviano had told him that Messrs. Berlusconi and Dell'Utri had "practically put the country in our hands" before Mr. Berlusconi was elected to his first term as prime minister in the spring of 1994.
But Mr. Graviano -- who addressed the court through a video link -- invoked his right to remain silent. Mr. Graviano said he had sent a letter to the court explaining why he was unable to testify because of health reasons. He didn't elaborate on the letter or the health issues.Moments earlier, a judge had asked Filippo Graviano if he had ever had "direct or indirect" contact with Mr. Dell'Utri, and he responded: "No.Mr. Berlusconi isn't involved in the appeals trial, nor is he under investigation for any crime related to the Mafia. Lawyers for Messrs. Berlusconi and Dell'Utri have repeatedly denied any contact between their clients and members of the Graviano family.

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Scott Robert Sutton, Santa Barbara Chapter of the Hells Angels pleaded guilty

Scott Robert Sutton, Santa Barbara Chapter of the Hells Angels pleaded guilty Monday to being a felon in possession of a firearm and is expected to be put on five years probation when he is sentenced in January, according to prosecutor Derek Malan.
Scott Robert Sutton, 41, could get as much as three years behind bars if he fails to comply with the terms of his probation, said Malan. Sutton, of Ojai, will be sentenced Jan. 6.On Sept. 24, 2009, an officer with the Ventura Police Department saw a vehicle being driven by Sutton commit several traffic violations, according to Malan. Sutton failed to stop for five blocks, even after the officer had turned on his patrol car siren and lights. The officer said Sutton thew an “object” from his car. Officers later recovered a .32 caliber automatic handgun, a handgun magazine and six .32 caliber bullets, according to Malan.Sutton had been convicted of felony insurance fraud in 2002.

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new drug-peddling Canadian bikie gang called Rock Machine is threatening to establish its presence in Western Australia

"The Rock Machine outlaw motorcycle gang, like all outlaw motorcycle gangs represent a real and present threat to the Australian community," he said.new drug-peddling Canadian bikie gang called Rock Machine is threatening to establish its presence in Western Australia, beginning with a national run through Perth this weekend.Detective Superintendent Kim Papalia from the gang crime squad said Rock Machine - whose members are renowned for their violence and extortion - was re-emerging as a force in the USA and Australia after being absorbed by the Bandidos gang about nine years ago.Detective Papalia would not say how many members were in WA or how many would be embarking on the run, but he said Rock Machine posed a "significant public safety risk" and could lead to an "increase in tensions" with rival gangs. He was also tight-lipped about where Rock Machine would base itself in Perth.He said police had begun approaching people believed to be involved with the club, and hinted police could take a similar line to that adopted when the Finks went on their run through Perth several weeks ago."We don't know what they intend to do (in Perth) at the moment," Detective Papalia said, adding members from Canada could be involved in the run.Meanwhile, gang crime detectives hailed the "Phone in a bikie" campaign on June 23 a success and said it would be repeated next year after 400 calls yielded information that saw about $11 million in illicit drugs taken off Perth streets.
About 69 members of motorcycle clubs and their associates were charged by police and faced a total of 189 offences - including 43 for drug trafficking.
Rock Machine was formed in Montreal, Canada in the early 1990s and then spread its wings across the province of Quebec.Rock Machine was initially a drug-dealing organisation when it was started up byindependent drug dealers and notorious Montreal crime families.The group was set up to thwart one of the world's oldest bikie gangs, the Hells Angels, from trying to take over Montreal's street-level drug scene.What ensued was a bitter rivalry between Rock Machine - whose ethnicity comprised mostly French-Canadian members - and the Hells Angels between 1994 and 2002 in which 150 people were killed.As a result of the bloody turf war, Rock Machine turned into a motorcycle gang and it soon formed an alliance with the Texas-based Bandidos.Unlike other clubs that took pride in wearing leather vests bearing identifying patches, Rock Machine members were said to have only worn rings with the sign of an eagle on them.Detective Papalia confirmed some members wore such rings, but he would not speculate on the reasons why they would do this.
"They're an interesting organisation within the culture of outlaw motorcycle gangs," he said. "We are aware they wear different types of paraphernalia."In 2000, when the Bandidos took over Rock Machine, several members defected to the Hells Angels when the Bandidos did not grant full patch-wearing membership status to Rock Machine's junior members.The extent of Rock Machine's presence in Australia is not officially known. However, one suspected associate of the group was arrested in Sydney earlier this year after he allegedly drove a stretched limousine into a car and a shed and then assaulted police.Now, Rock Machine has an Australian chapter in Sydney as well as a presence across several states in the USA and Canada, but no longer in its old stomping ground of Quebec.Detective Papalia would not confirm if police sought information from their NSW counterparts or the Australian Crime Commission on Rock Machine, but said all law enforcement agencies both nationally and overseas constantly share information.He said he could not explain why Rock Machine - like dozens of other motorcycle clubs before them - became attracted to Perth."The Rock Machine outlaw motorcycle gang like all outlaw motorcycle gangs represent a threat to community safety," he said."They impact on public health through drug distribution and they also impact on the risk in the community through their overt and active involvement in violence and extortion."We will police Rock Machine on behalf of the community of this State to get that clear message, 'not here, not ever'."
Australian Crime Commission chief executive John Lawler said the agency refused to comment on the specific activities of criminal groups, including motorcycle clubs.


"Outlaw motorcycle gangs remain a visible criminal threat and continue to be quite rightly targeted by law enforcement throughout the country."

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10,000 gang members roaming the streets of Essex County

10,000 gang members roaming the streets of Essex County, and Thomas Fennelly has a dossier on every one of them.At a clandestine location in Newark, Fennelly watches over a small group of law enforcement agents who work out of a room littered with pictures of known gang members. Computers and filing cabinets line the walls, containing everything the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office needs to know about the seven street gangs that run drugs and guns through the county’s 22 municipalities."This is the nerve center," he says.
Mitsu Yasukawa/The Star-LedgerA detective in the V.I.P.E.R. Unit looks into the various tattoos and signs in the Intelligence Section at their unit headquarters in Newark.The room filled with documents is the nucleus of an intelligence-based initiative that law enforcement officials say is starting to turn the tide in Essex County’s tireless battle with street gangs and drug traffickers. Since the V.I.P.E.R. Unit, a combination of the prosecutor’s office drug and narcotics intelligence bureaus, was formed in the spring 2008, it has arrested 298 suspects as a result of targeted investigations. Fennelly said 115 of those are documented gang members and 62 are gang associates.In all, Fennelly said the unit has led the charge in dismantling six narcotics rings operating in the county.He said the unit’s success has been spurred on by a simple virtue — patience."We are attacking cases on a methodical basis. A few years ago, a lead may have been developed that two individuals were affiliated with a particular (gang) set, or were selling drugs at a location. We would get there, setup our initial probable cause, and arrest those individuals," Fennelly, director of the V.I.P.E.R. Unit, said. "We would put them out of business temporarily, but soon other people would be there.V.I.P.E.R. — which stands for violence, intelligence, prosecution, enforcement and recidivism — has three assistant prosecutors, three lieutenants, 18 prosecutor’s office detectives and a rotation of detectives from local police departments and the county Sheriff’s Office. The close-knit makeup of the unit allows investigators to quickly share information and analyze crime data to pinpoint hot spots for the drug trafficking believed to be at the heart of county wide gang activity, chief of detectives Anthony Ambrose said.

"The gang problem here in Essex is based solely around drugs. It isn’t like the gangs in Los Angeles where problems happen because you are wearing the wrong color,"

Ambrose said. "It’s mainly drug dealers, runners and couriers all the way down to the street level."Mitsu Yasukawa/The Star-LedgerThomas Fennelly, director of Essex County's 'V.I.P.E.R.' Unit, discusses investigation procedures for next operation plan during a briefing at their unit headquarters in Newark.
The task of pouring through the stacks of violent crime data falls on Toniann Mattea. As the prosecutor’s office lieutenant of detectives assigned to the V.I.P.E.R. unit, Mattea receives and dispenses intelligence connected to nearly every shooting, assault and homicide that takes place in the county, which allows detectives to identify crime trends and work to close out gun violence cases quickly."We have recognized that we have to get after the shootings, because when you feed them in, they become the basis for a later homicide, a later gang retaliation," said Prosecutor Paula T. DowThe unit has worked closely with a bevy of agencies ranging from local police departments to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Ambrose said through close cooperation, law enforcement officials have been able to eliminate borders between agencies in the county and setup a unified front against street gangs, especially the area’s most prominent organization, the Bloods.The combined effort was key in a summertime take down, dubbed "Operation Bloodette," leading to the arrest 43 members of a female-led narcotics ring that flooded Essex County with more than $2.5 million dollars of PCP, crack cocaine and marijuana each year."We noticed street level dealers in Valisburg. Some of the players involved saw a heavy East Orange police presence in the area and thought they would get away by moving their stash houses across the street to the Newark side, not realizing that all sides were working together," Fennelly said.Once the drug dealers are taken off the streets and brought before an Essex County judge, V.I.P.E.R’s trio of assistant prosecutors have been able to use asset-forfeiture statutes and harsh plea agreements to keep them from reclaiming their territory. Of the 70 defendants arrested in a string of high-profile raids in 2008, all but one have been either indicted on charges stemming from their arrest or pleaded guilty.Prosecutors attribute the courtroom success of V.I.P.E.R. unit cases to Dow’s decision to assign specific assistant prosecutors to the unit, rather than trial courts, which allows them to be involved an investigation from the date of arrest to the opening arguments of a trial.East Orange Police Chief Ronald Borgo believes information sharing with the V.I.P.E.R. unit has been key in helping local police in Essex County stay on top of gang activity in their municipalities.
"It’s great to be pro-active and collaborate with the Prosecutor’s Office, to be able to give them intelligence and then be able to receive intelligence back immediately so we can hit the ground running to improve the quality of life out here," Borgo said. "Chief Ambrose has an understanding of the problems of our cities."Ambrose and Dow’s understanding of gang activity in the county is straightforward — they said each set is a disease that needs to be cured"

Gangs are much like a cancer," Dow said. "We are removing them. We are eliminating the structure."

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The criminals think they’re businessmen, but we have to make them realize they’re delinquents, that they have to hide, and not drive around the city in caravans of eight or 10 vehicles showing their weapons

The criminals think they’re businessmen, but we have to make them realize they’re delinquents, that they have to hide, and not drive around the city in caravans of eight or 10 vehicles showing their weapons,” Leyzaola said. “Before, they controlled authorities, and as a person, as a society, as a public servant, I can’t allow that.”On leave from the Mexican armed forces, he’s the first military officer to head the 2,100-officer municipal department, the largest police agency in Baja California.Some care little for his brash manner and tough talk, saying it only serves to infuriate dangerous adversaries and that his officers end up paying the price. But others praise him for daring to bring about change: In a city where it has sometimes been difficult to distinguish the cops from the criminals, Leyzaola has taken pains to point out the difference.
“Julian Leyzaola is playing a very important role, which is confronting crime,” said Roberto Quijano, a corporate attorney who heads the Tijuana branch of the national business group, Coparmex, and an observer of crime trends. “It is costing many lives, but he is doing a good job and being recognized for it.”To avert attacks, police have been ordered to patrol in groups, and in recent weeks have been moving through the city in squads of three to five pickups. By Leyzaola’s tally, 42 officers have been gunned down in the line of duty in the past two years.“It wasn’t this way before, because they were cooperating with the criminals, and now they’re facing them as police,” Leyzaola said. “I call them heroes, because they know the risks they’re up against, and yet they still come to work, step into their patrol vehicles and attend to citizens.”State investigators say the tally is higher — 56 Tijuana municipal officers killed in the past two years — and that the causes aren’t so clear-cut. They say up to 45 percent of the deaths could be linked to the officer’s suspicious activityBut some were indisputably killed for doing their jobs. And others were shot because they were wearing police uniforms — killings allegedly ordered by suspected drug-gang leader Teodoro García Simental to pressure Leyzaola to step down.With civilian police agencies across Mexico weakened by decades of internal corruption, the military has assumed a central role in confronting drug-trafficking groups under Mexican President Felipe Calderón. Increasingly, military officers such as Leyzaola have been tapped for leadership positions in civilian law enforcement agencies across Mexico.He said his close relationship with military authorities has been crucial in his current job: “We have total, total coordination. Without their support, we wouldn’t have been able to accomplish anything here.”

A trim, athletic 49-year-old, Leyzaola is the son and grandson of military officers, becoming a soldier at 16 when he enrolled in the Heroico Colegio Militar, Mexico’s West Point. He now lives apart from his family and sleeps at the military base in Tijuana for security reasons.Leyzaola isn’t new to civilian law enforcement: Previous positions include heading Baja California’s prison system and the state’s police force. But never before has he drawn so much public scrutiny.A widely viewed YouTube video shows Leyzaola detaining a violent drug suspect named José Filiberto Parra Ramos this year in the parking lot of a Tijuana shopping center.Unaware that journalists were watching one Saturday in October, he punched the body of a suspect who had been killed in a confrontation with police officers. It was an act of frustration, he later explained, because he had just learned that an officer shot in the incident had died.Last month, Leyzaola made headlines again when he said the members of Los Tucanes de Tijuana, a popular musical group, should be investigated for links to drug traffickers because of their songs that celebrate violent exploits.Leyzaola’s staunchest civilian supporter is Tijuana Mayor Jorge Ramos, who appointed Leyzaola to the department’s No. 2 spot when he began his term two years ago. In December 2008, as drug-related violence rose to unprecedented levels, Ramos promoted Leyzaola to the top position, secretary of public safety, replacing Alberto Capella, an attorney and anti-crime activist.“This was not a job for a civilian,” Ramos said. “We needed someone who would win the trust of the population, but most of all of military authorities.”Under Capella and now with Leyzaola, the department has undergone an unprecedented purging, with the dismissal or resignation of 470 officers. Of those, 120 are behind bars, including at least a dozen high-ranking commanders accused of collaborating with organized crime.Ramos said Tijuana spends close to $105 million a year on public safety — one-third of the city’s budget. Police salaries have been increased, and a starting officer receives nearly $1,200 a month, which Ramos said is the highest for a municipal department in Mexico.Still, the results of the city’s crime-fighting efforts remain difficult to quantify

State government figures show that crime has gone down, 12 percent in Tijuana in the first nine months of this year compared with the same period in 2008. But an analysis by Coparmex, the business group, shows overall crime in Tijuana down 7 percent from last year, and thefts and robberies have risen. Homicides have dropped from a record 844 last year to 530 so far this year, about half of them attributed to organized crime, according to the Baja California Attorney General’s Office

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want to take a tour of gang turf?

 want to take a tour of gang turf? One former gang member thinks so and he thinks his idea can help with the gang problem. But not everyone is happy about the idea. The creator of LA Gang Tours is hoping to expand into notorious gang hot spots like the Westlake District, but for now the focus is on South Los Angeles.
South L.A. is where these tours will begin in January and is an area that has been hit hard by gang violence.
Alfred Lomas is the man behind LA Gang Tours. Lomas, a former gang member, says that the whole idea behind to his non-profit group is to create jobs and open the lines of communication between rival gangs.

Lomas says that he has already worked out a cease fire agreement between three of the largest and most dangerous gangs in Los Angeles. The agreement says that there will be no shooting between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., which is the same time tour buses will be passing through the area. Critics say the idea of Gang Tours exploits the poor and is demeaning to the residents in these neighborhoods. Lomas and the people standing behind his project say that it's a great way to empower the community. "This is an non-profit organization, it's community based and we're creating jobs," Lomas said. "Our first priority is saving lives by getting the gang members to sit down and honor this first and foremost." The tours are set to begin in January and are scheduled for two hours and costs $65. Lomas says all of the money will be funneled back into the community and that his ultimate goal is to create micro-loans for inner-city entrepreneurs.

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Clayton Roueche and his associates travelled to Montreal

Clayton Roueche and his associates travelled to Montreal in April 2008 to watch an Ultimate Fighting Championship event. He held court in room 407 of the W-Hotel with organized crime contacts stopping by. One of those was a Mafia leader, according to documents filed in the U.S. court. Spending lots of time with Roueche, according to court documents, was Johnny (K-9) Croitoru, the professional wrestler now charged in B.C. with plotting to kill the Bacon brothers and their Red Scorpion associates.

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UN Gang leader Clay Roueche

Police evidence photos of a bullet-proof Lincoln Navigator leased by UN Gang leader Clay Roueche seized by law enforcement after his May 17, 2008 arrest, Thursday, December, 10, 2009. The photos were filed in US District Court in Seattle, WA where Roueche will be sentence Dec. 16, 2009.

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Dominic Anderson, 22, and Abdullah Omar, 21, are charged with first- and second-degree attempted murder in the beating of 19-year-old Raymond Woodland

Dominic Anderson, 22, and Abdullah Omar, 21, are charged with first- and second-degree attempted murder in the beating of 19-year-old Raymond Woodland, who is accused of shooting their friend in the face during an argument at a birthday party at the Sheraton Baltimore City Center Hotel.According to charging documents, Anderson wrestled a TEC-9 semiautomatic firearm away from Woodland, then stood on the bed and struck him repeatedly with it in the face and head while Omar held him in a "sleeper hold." Omar was accidentally struck in the temple during the altercation, and both men stayed on the scene with their friend until police arrived.
Police said Anderson and Omar, who each have a handful of minor arrests but no convictions, face serious charges because they went too far. But at a bail review hearing Monday, a District judge disagreed and did not require the men to post bond, releasing them on their own recognizance. Woodland was in critical condition at Maryland Shock Trauma Center with "severe life-threatening head trauma," charging documents say. If he recovers and is released from the hospital, police said he will face attempted murder charges in the shooting of 19-year-old Marquis Johnson.

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London home of the Outlaws biker gang was razed

London home of the Outlaws biker gang was razed yesterday, seven years after it was raided and boarded up in a province-wide sweep by police. Yesterday, as neighbours and police officers looked on, an excavator with a massive claw first knocked down a garage and then the clubhouse that's been a fixture at 420 Egerton St. since the 1980s. "It's become a real eyesore and I'm glad it's being torn down before somebody burns it or gets killed in it," said neighbour Cathy Cadman, 50, who's lived a few doors from the clubhouse since the summer of 1982. Once a popular neighbourhood variety store, the bikers moved into the building shortly after the store closed. The chapter's London president, Thomas Hughes, moved into an adjacent house at 434 Egerton -- it's also slated for demotion this week. Cadman said the bikers were never a problem, noting a shooting in January 2002 of a rival gang member outside the clubhouse just months before it was raided was the first major incident.
"We were always aware they were bikers," said Cadman. "But they were no trouble. They took out their garbage and cut their grass and they'd be friendly, waving and saying, 'Hello' if you saw them outside." The property was seized by the province under its proceeds of crime legislation and Civil Remedies Act. The city approved the province's application for demolition last week. Ward 4 Coun. Steve Orser has battled to have the building demolished for several years.
"I've had a steady stream of complaints about these buildings, including a rat infestation and other animals getting inside," he said. "It's taken a lot of work but it's finally coming down -- it's a great day for Old East Village." The debris in a garage visible from the street included a pinball machine, vinyl record albums and an Outlaws sign once visible on the front of the two-storey brick home.
The home was surrounded by a cinder block wall, the first-floor windows either bricked in or covered by steel security meshing. Orest Katolyk, manager of bylaw enforcement for the city, said the clubhouse and adjacent home were among the abandoned buildings targeted for enforcement after a rash of arsons in the area of empty buildings. "We had issues with this building being unsafe, especially the condition of the roof, and a building inspector confirmed the building was unsafe," Katolyk said. "Any building that's boarded up where the heat has been turned off rots from the inside out."

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Sentenced Jamal Shakir, leader of the Rollin' 90s Crips street gang, to life in prison

Sentenced Jamal Shakir, leader of the Rollin' 90s Crips street gang, to life in prison without the possibility of release on Monday for his role in the woman's death. Shakir was convicted of running a drug ring and money laundering operation that stretched from Tennessee to California.
Between 1994 and 1997, authorities said, Shakir killed or was involved in the murder of nine people, including Walker, who was 24 when she was shot in October 1996.
For his crimes, U.S. District Court Judge John T. Nixon handed Shakir 16 sentences of life without parole and nine more sentences of life without parole to be served consecutively with the first 16. He also got four additional sentences totaling 95 years.
If, for some reason, Shakir is released from prison, Nixon ordered that Shakir be placed on probation for the rest of his life.
Federal prosecutors said Shakir, 34, orchestrated the criminal acts from his East Nashville home. Some of the killings were intended to silence potential witnesses or exact revenge on those who had doublecrossed the gang.
Walker had worked as a drug courier for Shakir, according to court records. When a suitcase full of drugs belonging to her was confiscated at the Los Angeles airport, authorities said, Shakir wanted her dead so that he couldn't be tied to the narcotics.
Martin-Gibson raised her daughter's children, who are now 21 and 17, after the murder. Shakir also was convicted of kidnapping Martin-Gibson's brother in a gang-related dispute.
As relatives of his victims spoke Monday, Shakir listened against his will. He had tried to waive his appearance, but Nixon ordered him into the courtroom.
Shakir told the judge that he was convicted on flimsy evidence. He insisted he was not responsible for some of the murders.
"Everybody's come in here speaking of justice being served," Shakir said. "This whole process has been an injustice. … We was railroaded."
He interrupted Martin-Gibson's testimony to protest.
"We are still going on with our lives," she said. "Whether you get the maximum (sentence) or not, you are going to have to face God."

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East End Hells Angels,East End charter Hells Angels is a criminal organization

Punko will be sentenced the week of Jan. 18 and Potts will be sentenced Jan. 25.
Last month, Leask dealt a devastating blow to the Crown’s case at the pending drug trial when he ruled the Crown was prohibited from proceeding on criminal-organization charges against two Hells Angels members. Justice Peter Leask granted a defence application that the Crown cannot proceed at trial on charges that allege the East End chapter of the Hells Angels is a criminal organization. The defence argued that a jury at another trial that ended last summer acquitted Potts and Punko of the criminal-organization charges, so they should not be punished twice. Crown prosecutor Martha Devlin Devlin argued that the criminal-organization charges should not be dropped because the judge could not speculate on why the jury came to the verdict it did on the criminal organization charges. The judge agreed with the defence. “My decision is the Crown is estopped from leading evidence that the East End charter Hells Angels is a criminal organization,” he ruled. The Crown plans to appeal the judge’s ruling but is awaiting the judge’s reasons. Potts and Punkoi had faced a total of nine charges at trial, including two that alleged they directed the production and distribution of methamphetamine in association with or for the benefit of a criminal organization, namely the East End charter of the Hells Angels.
Punko pleaded guilty Monday to three charges on the indictment (Count 2, 3 and 4) and Potts pleaded guilty to four charges (Count 6, 7, 8 and 9), including two of cocaine trafficking in Surrey and New Westminster. The case marked the third failed prosecution on criminal-organization charges against the Hells Angels arising from the police investigation code-named E-Pandora, which ended in 2005 with the arrest of six Hells Angels and a dozen associates. A 10-month trial ended last July with the jury convicting Potts and Punko on weapons charges. The judge found Potts held the arsenal of weapons for the East End Hells Angels, including grenades, a loaded semi-automatic pistol and three other guns. Potts, 49, was sentenced to a seven years but effectively received a sentence of time served after being granted double credit for four years served in pre-trial custody. Punko, 43, was convicted of the unauthorized possession of a loaded semi-automatic pistol and sentenced to 15 months in jail, plus a consecutive sentence of four years for counselling a police agent to do damage to a Surrey home where Punko was trying to collect a large amount of money from a man. It was effectively a sentence of time served but Punko was recently denied bail by Leask. Potts is free on bail

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Zig Zag Crew and Manitoba's Hells Angels chapter

Twenty-six people have been arrested and eight others are being sought in connection with a massive police sting targeting members and associates of the Zig Zag Crew and Manitoba's Hells Angels chapter, police say.So far, 24 have been formally charged, primarily with drug trafficking and proceeds of crime offences.It's the third time in less than four years Manitoba's largest police forces have conducted a project resulting in the arrests of local Hells Angels members and associates. The Zig Zag Crew is aligned with the local chapter.This investigation, led by the Manitoba integrated organized crime task force, is called Project Divide.So far, police have seized 165 ounces of cocaine, 12 ounces of methamphetamine, 12,000 tablets of ecstasy, one ounce of heroin, and seven pounds of marijuana.Firearms have also been seized.Today, members of the RCMP, Winnipeg police and other agencies raided several homes and businesses in Winnipeg and other communities, including a clubhouse belonging to Manitoba’s Hells Angels chapterHeavily-armed SWAT or tactical officers were involved in most, if not all of the raids, which occurred in several neighbourhoods, including Charleswood, Elmwood, the North End, Tuxedo and Weston, and the Rural Municipality of Headingley.Officers searched the Manitoba Hells Angels clubhouse on Scotia Street. Police also searched a used automobile dealership.

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Independent Soldiers gang founder was the intended target of the killers who executed Soomel

Raj Soomel was gunned down, a worker at his Vancouver halfway house mistakenly wrote in a log book that convicted kidnapper Randy Naicker had gone out to the corner store.Vancouver police officials said last month they believe the Independent Soldiers gang founder was the intended target of the killers who executed Soomel on Sept. 29.The gangster was convicted of kidnapping a gangster in the Vancouver suburb of Surrey in 2005, after $400,000 worth of pot went missing and two gangland associates were murdered.He was sentenced to five years behind bars

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Playboy Bloods pleaded guilty in federal court today

Delvin "D-Luv" Ward, 33, and Demichael "Mikey P" Burks, 25, pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to engage in a racketeer-influenced and corrupt organization, Bogden said.Playboy Bloods pleaded guilty in federal court today to racketeering and drug conspiracy charges, said U.S. Attorney Daniel G. Bogden of Nevada.Sebastian "Rock" Wigg, 33, and Fred James "June P" Nix, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of drug conspiracy.All four men admitted that they are members of the Playboy Bloods, a criminal gang that operates in the Sherman Gardens Annex housing complex at H and Doolittle streets, Bogden said.The men admitted that members of the gang are involved in criminal racketeering acts, including murder, attempted murder, robbery and drug trafficking. They also said that the chief financial activity of the gang is narcotics trafficking.They also admitted that gang members distribute drugs from apartments and hotel rooms in their neighborhood, which are rented in others' names in exchange for drugs, Bogden said.Ward admitted that he operated drug houses at 1704 Curran Way, 1003, 10145 and 1016 Silverman Way, the Veterans of Foreign War Post at 1905 H St., and the Budget Suites, 4855 Boulder Highway. He said that he had distributed more than six ounces of crack cocaine.The plea agreement says that a sentence of nine years in prison is appropriate for Ward, if four others, Burks, Nix, Wigg and Terrence Thomas, plead guilty. If the other four do not plead guilty, the plea agreement says that a sentence of 10 years in prison is appropriate, Bogden said.Burks admitted that he operated drug houses at 1704 Curran and 1003 Silverman and that he had distributed more than three ounces of crack cocaine. The plea agreement says that a sentence of five years in prison is appropriate for Burks, as long as the other four plead guilty.Wigg admitted that he operated drug houses within Playboy Bloods turf, including 3834 Terrazzo Ave., and he had distributed more than an ounce of crack cocaine. The plea agreement says that a five-year prison sentence is appropriate for Wigg, if the other four plead guilty.
Nix admitted that he operated drug houses at 919 Silverman, 1003 Silverman and the Budget Suites and had distributed more than an ounce of crack cocaine. The plea agreement says that a five-year prison sentence is appropriate for Nix as long as the other four plead guilty.Ward, Burks, Wigg and Nix are scheduled for sentencing on March 15 before U.S. District Judge Robert C. Jones.Ten members of the Playboy Bloods were indicted in October 2008 on charges of violence and drug trafficking as part of their membership in the gang. The other six are currently scheduled to go on trial on March 9. Those charges include allegations that Markette Tillman and Steven Booth murdered Sherman Gardens security guard Brian Wilcox on Jan. 20, 2004, as he rode his bicycle away from a disturbance, Bogden said.Jacorey Taylor, Reginald Dunlap and Steven Booth are accused of killing Billy Thomas on Nov. 1, 2004, in the parking lot of the Pecos Terrace Apartments, 3555 E. Lake Mead Blvd.The cases are being investigated by the FBI, North Las Vegas Police Department and Metro Police. Prosecutors are Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen Bliss and Nicholas D. Dickinson.

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Hedric "Edrik" Velez, 35, of Vernon,Drug source for Latin King gang members

Drug source for Latin King gang members who controlled cocaine sales in parts of Hartford was sentenced to 10 years in prison Monday at U.S. District Court in New Haven.Federal prosecutors said that Hedric "Edrik" Velez, 35, of Vernon, received about 44 pounds of cocaine by mail from Puerto Rico between March 2008 and April 2009 and made about $40,000 in profit selling to gang members.Velez, who was arrested in April, is one of 55 people charged by Hartford police, state police and the FBI following a yearlong investigation of drug sales and violence in the Hartford area. He pleaded guilty in September to conspiracy to distribute and distribution of 5 kilograms or more of cocaine.In addition to the prison sentence, Senior U.S. District Judge Peter C. Dorsey ordered Velez to submit to five years of supervision by the federal probation department upon his release from prison.Federal prosecutors said that Velez received kilogram packages of cocaine from Puerto Rico by U.S. mail. After learning about the deliveries through telephone wiretaps and from informants, federal agents intercepted the last delivery at Velez's home and arrested him on April 27. He has been in jail since.Velez supplied groups of Latin King drug dealers who distributed cocaine in the areas of Brownell Avenue and Broad, Arnold and Willard streets in Hartford.The sentencing of Velez, charged with supplying people who investigators say are affiliated with the Latin Kings gang, comes at a time when city officials in Hartford are downplaying reports that drug gangs might be re-establishing a foothold in the city. A fight between the Latin Kings and Los Solidos over drug sales in the 1990s created a wave of violence.Authorities, while building the case against Velez and the others, identified at least a dozen men who are described as members of the Latin Kings or Los Solidos.In memos filed in court, prosecutors said the Latin Kings were "a mostly fractured and disorganized entity with no clear and established leadership." However, the memos said that some of those arrested used their reputations as "established Latin King members" to control the drug supply in parts of the city

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Ladarrius Rogers, 17, of 3711 Dunlop St., Monroe, was booked into Ouachita Correctional Center on charges of possession of a firearm by a street gang

Ladarrius Rogers, 17, of 3711 Dunlop St., Monroe, was booked into Ouachita Correctional Center on charges of possession of a firearm by a street gang and illegal weapon possession.
The other suspect, 16, was booked into Green Oaks Detention Center. Because of his status as a minor, his identity and charges were not revealed.
According to an arrest affidavit, as police were investigating the shooting, they learned it involved three different gangs, Underground Soldiers, Black Out Boys, and 3 Unit.
On Monday, Rogers about the incident. Police asked the suspect if he had ever held or fired a gun. Rogers told police he had and described it as, "long and black."
Police showed Rogers a picture, supposedly taken Oct. 24 of him holding a sawed-off shotgun with members of the 3 Unit gang and showing gang signs with his hands. Rogers told police he had held two guns with his friends from the gang but said the guns were not his.
Rogers also told police he was with the 3 Unit gang on the night of the shooting.
Bond was set at $15,000 each.
On Nov. 16, police arrested another suspect, Kevin Falcon, 17, of 1408 S. Fourth St., Monroe in relation to the incident. Falcon was arrested and booked into OCC on an attempted second-degree murder charge.
Police arrested two others on Nov. 14 on suspicion of attempted murder following the gang-related shooting.
Rahkeme Goree, 17, of 1957 Samuel Drive, and Jamarion Wade, 18, of 812 S. Sixth St., both of Monroe, were arrested and booked at OCC.

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street gangs in New York have found both a tailored purpose and practice for the Twitter.

The profile piece highlights how gang members, ambivalent to the fact that their tweets may be watched, are not only using Twitter() to purposefully and openly stir the pot with rival gangs, but are also using it to coordinate fights. These Twitterers attempt to avoid detection by using street lingo, but their activities are constantly being monitored by police and investigators.The story follows a recent incident where, according to the piece, “a boy shot in the leg … may have been targeted because of a battle the Original Young Gangsters crew started on Twitter.” As mentioned, Manhattan police are aware of the gang members’ activities and are keeping a vigilant eye on Twitter in the hopes of finding evidence or preventing brawls. There have even been Twitter success stories, but just as gang members have adapted to a new medium, we’d expect them to adapt to the surveillance measures as well.New York City police officers have a hard time controlling violent gang crime, and they are increasingly turning to technological solutions to get a handle on it. The logic works as follows: since a lot of gang crime is performed by teenagers, why not harness social networking and micro-blogging sites like Facebook and Twitter to help hunt down gang members and criminals.According to the Daily News, New York City police are using Twitter search to identify crimes before they happen. They are monitoring Twitter traffic in the hopes of sweeping up gangbangers who might be using Twitter to organize turf wars and other violent crimes… and if they miss preventing the crime, the police are using Twitter to search for clues.It may be an effective strategy. According to a 15 year old member of the New Dons, Twitter is being widely used for coordinating violent attacks on rival gangs… although they use code language that would make it difficult for anyone but gang members and insiders to understand. For example: “I knoe bitches from oyg that would dead mob yah s—t in harlem,” one girl wrote in a series of tweets aimed at drawing out a rival for a fight.That secret Twitter lingo isn’t stopping the NYPD though, who have successfully been stopping attacks before they happen by keeping track of the Twitter updates and Facebook status updates of known gang members. It’s a good long term strategy for the NYPD, since Twitter, above all other things, is for boasting, and gang members are notoriously bad at knowing when to muzzle that boasting up.

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Vancouver Ballroom gang-related fight outside a rented party hall

19-year-old suffered a gunshot wound to the hip early Saturday morning in what police call a gang-related fight outside a rented party hall.
Police were called to 808 Main Street about 1:13 a.m. on reports that shots were fired and a person hit by gunfire.The injured man was transported to Legacy Emanuel hospital.
The suspect in the shooting fled the area. A gun was seized at the scene but it wasn't known right away whether it was the weapon used in the shooting.
Police said the party was at a venue called the Vancouver Ballroom.
In a prepared statement, police wrote "It is rented out for dances ranging from polka groups to hip hop DJ events. This particular night the location was rented out to "Iparty hard entertainment" This was a DJ hip hop / Rap event also themed a black and white party."

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Thirteen members of the Bloods street gang

Some of the alleged gang members were already in custody on
other charges; the others were arrested in El Paso this week. All
have been indicted on charges that they conspired to sell more than
500 grams of cocaine. Two people were also indicted on a charge of
possession with intent to distribute the drug ecstasy.FBI Special Agent in Charge David Cuthbertson said the arrests make a "significant" dent in the Bloods' operations in El Paso.All 13 people arrested are being held in various local, state
and federal jails, including the El Paso County Jail. It is unclear
if any of them have lawyers.

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