Alfredo Martinez turned up "Sureño music" in his car at a convenience store parking lot and stared at the man charged with killing him a few minutes later,

Alfredo Martinez turned up "Sureño music" in his car at a convenience store parking lot and stared at the man charged with killing him a few minutes later, according to testimony Friday in Sutter County Superior Court.

It was the second day of a preliminary hearing for Carlos Antonio Rodriguez, a Norteño gang member charged with the first-degree murder of Martinez and the attempted murder of two people in his car.

A woman who was with Martinez mentioned the music and staring in an interview at the Sutter County Sheriff's Department shortly after the Feb. 4 shooting at Lincoln and Sanborn roads, Detective Charles Green testified.

The Appeal-Democrat is withholding witnesses' names at the request of the District Attorney's Office.

In a separate interview with Green, a man who was in the car with Martinez said he ducked when the first shot was fired. Martinez, who was driving, said, "I think I've been shot," he told Green.

Martinez turned right onto Sanborn Road and drove north to Cherry Street, where his red Impala left the road and went about 100 yards into an orchard. He was dead behind the wheel, Detective Dan Butler testified.

Friends and relatives of Martinez wept as photos of the car were shown.

Green said he and Butler found four bullet holes in the side of the Impala, three of which penetrated inside. Wooden dowels placed through the holes indicated a downward trajectory, Green said before Judge Brian Aronson cut him off.

The shots allegedly were fired from a Chevy Blazer that pulled alongside the Impala.

Rodriguez's attorney, Gary L. Lacy, asked Butler why he and Green originally thought there were three bullet holes in the car instead of four, saying the discrepancy called into question the integrity of the entire investigation.

Two of the holes adjoined each other at the edge of a door handle, Butler said.

Rodriguez became the only suspect after a Sheriff's Department detective familiar with Hispanic gangs identified him in security videos from the Quik Stop Market at Lincoln Road and Walton Avenue, where the staring, or "mad dogging," between Martinez and the two men in the Blazer took place.

code-named "Pirate Town" which targets the Rancho San Pedro (RSP) gang which has been active in San Pedro, a port district 24 miles (39 km) south of downtown Los Angeles

1,300 local and federal law enforcement officers have arrested 80 alleged members and associates of a major Southern California street gang early Thursday as part of a two-and-a-half-year investigation, authorities said.

During the pre-dawn operation, code-named "Pirate Town" which targets the Rancho San Pedro (RSP) gang which has been active in San Pedro, a port district 24 miles (39 km) south of downtown Los Angeles, authorities arrested 66 people for state weapons and drug violations, and 14 people on federal indictments.

Authorities also seized 14 additional firearms, including a silencer, a small quantity of methamphetamine and cocaine and 10 lbs. of marijuana.

The case began as a joint investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (AFT).

Personnel from a variety of agencies including the LAPD, the ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation participated in the overnight raids across the area.

 

convicted drug dealer and reputed ranking member of the Sex Money Murder Bloods street gang in the city has been arrested and charged with the sexual assault of a young girl,

convicted drug dealer and reputed ranking member of the Sex Money Murder Bloods street gang in the city has been arrested and charged with the sexual assault of a young girl, which allegedly occurred several years ago.

The accusations were made against the suspect in late March, but details of the incidents were not released to the media due to the alleged actions' involvement with family members.

However, family members of two alleged victims came forward to ask that their situation be publicized because they fear there could be other victims that might come forward.

The situation unfolded in late-March when the mother of a 13-year-old girl reported to police that Terrance Harrell, 28, had grabbed the teen girl at a party and pressed her down onto his lap.

Trenton police advised the parent that from the description of what happened they could likely file a complaint of harassment against Harrell, who goes by the street names Naz and Beef. The family is currently pursuing a complaint on those grounds and perhaps more with the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office, according to one of the family members involved.

After this alleged incident was reported, the parent's cousin, who was in a romantic relationship with Harrell and has a child with him, asked her own 13-year-old daughter from another father if Harrell had ever done anything to her.

The mother, who said she is no longer seeing Harrell and has a restraining order against him, said her daughter was reluctant to tell her because she was embarassed, but said that Harrell had touched her genitalia inappropriately several years earlier, when the girl was six or seven.

The mother reported this to police, and Harrell was subsequently arrested.

He was charged with aggravated sexual assault against a victim under 13 and endangering the welfare of a child.

Police said the state Division of Youth and Family Services has been notified and  is involved with the investigation, as is the Prosecutor's Office

arrests of eight alleged Buck Wild members last year as a major victory in the fight against Palm Beach County gangs, ranking the group among the most violent in the area.

Jury selection began Monday and is expected to continue into next week in the racketeering and conspiracy trials of five men alleged to have collaborated on a string of shootings, robberies and drug crimes as members of the Buck Wild street gang.

Authorities hailed the arrests of eight alleged Buck Wild members last year as a major victory in the fight against Palm Beach County gangs, ranking the group among the most violent in the area.

Now, five of those men — Marquis Alfred, James Anderson, Larry Coe, Quamaine Falana and James Roundtree — will stand trial together. As of last year, investigators said they had tied the group to at least seven murders and 24 shootings.

Circuit Judge John Kastrenakes, prosecutors and attorneys for each of the five men on Monday interviewed the first of several groups of prospective jurors in the case.

As Kastrenakes predicted in pretrial hearings last week, the biggest hindrance for the potential jurors was an inability to commit to spending May and perhaps most of June hearing testimony in the case.

Cops want to speak to Spragga Benz

DANCEHALL artiste Spragga Benz has been listed as a major person of interest in Friday night's triple murder in McIntyre Villa, also known as 'Dunkirk' in Kingston.
Spragga Benz — whose real name is Carlton Grant — was yesterday asked to turn himself over to investigators at the Elletson Road Police Station by 2:00 pm today.
SPRAGGA BENZ… listed as a person of interest in Friday’s triple murder in ‘Dunkirk’ in Kingston
"Persons with information on the whereabouts of Grant are asked to contact Operation Kingfish at 811, Crime Stop at 211, or Police Control Centre at 119," read a release from Karl Angell, director of communication for the Jamaica Constabulary Force.
According to the investigators, 49-year-old Peter Escoffery, otherwise called 'Stumpy' of MacIntyre Villa; Kenique Richards, otherwise called 'Runkus' of Lincoln Terrace; and an unidentified man, were shot by a carload of men armed with high-powered rifles.
Richards died on the spot while Escoffery and the unidentified man succumbed to their injuries at hospital.
In the meantime, police removed 10 illegal firearms from the nation's streets following an early morning operation in the Rose Town community in West Kingston, yesterday.
According to the cops, the weapons — two AK-47 assault rifles, one 12-gauge shotgun, a 303 rifle, and six handguns — were discovered in an open lot shortly before noon.
Police said 39 rounds of assorted ammunition were also confiscated.
No one was arrested in connection with the find.

 

The dismembered body of a woman was found scattered in a leafy, upscale Mexico City district

The dismembered body of a woman was found scattered in a leafy, upscale Mexico City district, while authorities investigated possible drug gang links in the deaths of five females whose throats were slashed in Acapulco.
The mass slaying of women is unusual in Mexico's drug war, and there was no indication the cases in the two cities were related.
Residents of the capital's tree-lined San Miguel Chapultepec neighborhood discovered the woman's upper body on one block and her left leg and right leg on two other blocks, the city prosecutor's office said Saturday. The body parts were stuffed into three plastic bags and the fingers of the victim's left hand had been cut off.
The prosecutors' office provided no details on the woman's identity or a possible motive for the killing. Officials did not return requests for comment Sunday.
The neighborhood is next to Chapultepec Park, the capital's huge green space that also houses major museums and the presidential residence.
Mexico City has been somewhat of an oasis from the cartel violence engulfing border states, but a spate of recent killings and decapitations has residents fearing the drug war is encroaching.
City authorities blame the violence since late last year on street gangs fighting over an increasingly lucrative local drug market, which has grown dramatically the past decade. Some of the high-profile violence comes from groups that are remnants of the Beltran Leyva cartel, which has splintered and moved closer to the city since Mexican marines killed leader Arturo Beltran Leyva in December 2009. Some of the gangs are imitating brutal cartel tactics seeking to gain turf.
Meanwhile in Acapulco, police said they were not ruling out drug or organized crime links possibly related to prostitution in the killings of four women and a 14-year-old girl whose bodies were found Saturday.
All five worked at a beauty parlor in a neighborhood known for prostitution and drug dealing, the chief of detectives for the Guerrero state police told The Associated Press on Sunday.
"It's an area with many social problems," Fernando Monreal Leyva said.
"On the second floor where the events occurred — in this case, the beauty parlor — a massage parlor was found where sexual acts may have been performed, although this is still under investigation," Monreal Leyva said.
The teenage girl had begun working at the salon five days prior to her death, he added.
Three of the bodies were found at the salon located outside the tourist district. They had been stripped of their clothes and their hands and feet were tied, police said.
The other two victims were found separately in other parts of Acapulco — one in an abandoned car and the other on a street behind a church. All of the women were 30 years old or younger.
Police had no suspects or motives and were trying to determine whether all of the women were killed at the same spot, Monreal Leyva said.
Also in Acapulco, two bodies were left in the trunk of an abandoned car, state authorities said Sunday. Both men appeared to have been shot.
In another Guerrero state resort town, Zihuatanejo, a severed head was found Sunday on a street outside the central bus terminal.
Guerrero state has seen a spike in violence since rival factions of the Beltran Leyva cartel began fighting over territory following the death of Arturo Beltran Leyva.

FOUR women and a 14-year-old girl have been found with their throats cut in an exotic holiday resort.

Police said three of the bodies – including the teenager – were found in a beauty salon. They were stripped with hands and feet tied.

The other two victims were also connected to the salon in Acapulco, Mexico.



The resort has seen violent turf battles between drug gangs. In January the decapitated bodies of 15 young men were found by police. And 10 men were shot dead in a strip club last month.

Tyler Willock, who has been associated to both the Independent Soldiers and the Red Scorpions, entered his pleas in Surrey Provincial Court Monday as his trial was scheduled to begin.

Tyler Willock, who has been associated to both the Independent Soldiers and the Red Scorpions, entered his pleas in Surrey Provincial Court Monday as his trial was scheduled to begin. He will be sentenced in July.

Willock had faced eight counts in all following a July 21, 2008 incident in Langley, after which he was arrested by the Gang Task Force.

He pleaded guilty to just three of the charges — careless use of a firearm, occupying a vehicle in which there was a firearm and possessing a prohibited firearm with ammunition.

Willock was in a vehicle in Surrey that was targeted by gunfire in February 2009.

Three people linked to the rival United Nations gang were later charged. Less than a month later, Willock was severely beaten with a sledgehammer in Langley. A former associate linked to the Red Scorpions was charged. Both cases remain before the courts.

Task force spokesman Sgt. Shinder Kirk, said the guilty pleas are good news for law enforcement and the community.

“This was in fact a Gang Task Force case. We are certainly pleased that there was a guilty plea,” Kirk said. “These investigations are often extremely complex and it is positive that we garnered a guilty plea in this case.”

In many cases where people are charged after being found in a vehicle with a firearm, the charges are stayed because the Crown can’t prove the person had knowledge of the firearm.

Just last month in Prince George, prosecutors stayed seven firearms charges against Prince George gangster Frankie Meerholz and two associates who were charged when police pulled over Meerholz’s vehicle in October 2009 and found a loaded 9-millimetre gun in the pocket immediately behind the front passenger seat.

A Crown spokesman said the charges were stayed because there wasn’t sufficient evidence to prove any one of the three had possession of the gun.

In another gun-in-vehicle case, a B.C. Supreme Court judge threw out both firearms and drug charges Monday against a man named Kay Phengchanh, ruling his Charter rights were violated when police searched his vehicle in 2007 and found a .38-calibre Beretta pistol.

Phengchanh was pulled over in New Westminster for a broken mirror, but when police did a computer check, his name came back as being linked to an Asian gang and the vehicle as having been used in an earlier kidnapping in Abbotsford.

The officer called for backup and the vehicle was searched with the help of a police dog. Flaps of heroin and cocaine were found, as well as the gun, which was behind the dashboard in the pocket of a removed airbag. Justice Selwyn Romilly sided with the defence who argued police did not have grounds to search Phengchanh’s vehicle.

“Notwithstanding the fact that the items seized here included a gun and ammunition, the possession of which are serious offences, the public also expects those engaged in law enforcement to respect the rights and freedoms we all enjoy by acting within the limits of their lawful authority,” Romilly said. “I conclude that, in the long-term, the repute of the administration of justice would be adversely affected by admitting the gun, ammunition and the narcotics seized from the search of the accused’s vehicle.”

Kirk said police do their best to get charges laid in cases where firearms are found in vehicles, but they must settle sometimes for the fact the gun has been taken off the streets.

“Over a period of time, we have certainly come across more sophisticated methods of secreting firearms in vehicles that do pose a challenge for law enforcement officers,” Kirk said.

NOTORIOUS pub at the centre of a gangland murder hunt and a police drugs bust has been shut down.

Glasgow's Cambridge bar - where hood George Redmond was shot dead and his gang crony John McGuire injured in 2008 - has lost its licence.

Manager Kirsty Learmont was due in front of Glasgow City Council officials this week but failed to show up.

Crime Scene can reveal attempts were made to track her down but the locks securing the boozer have now been changed and she won't be back. An underworld insider revealed: "Her time's up. The police were unhappy at the number of incidents at The Cambridge and wanted things to change.

"She was called in front of the licensing court to explain herself but it seems Kirsty has no intention continuing in the bar trade, at least not at the Cambridge.


Thugs...Redmond and pal McGuire
"The locals will be hoping they get their pub back, trouble free."

Gangland thug Redmond and pal McGuire, both 42, were gunned down outside The Cambridge - then called The Waldrof - in October 2008.

Redmond was shot in the back as he talked on his mobile outside the bar, while McGuire was badly wounded as he smoked a cigarette.

McGuire was taken to the city's Royal Infirmary in a serious condition but later discharged himself after being moved from intensive care.

A police investigation has so far failed to make any arrests.

Drugs cops also raided the pub in December and two men were charged.

This week a notice from Norfolk- based landlords LT Pub Management went up warning that anyone trying to enter the premises would be reported to the police.

At the licence hearing on Monday, lawyers acting for the firm explained they had tried to track down Learmont.

Their soliticitor said: "An attempt was made to telephone her, but she hung up. I fully understand the board's position, but my clients accept that things have been ongoing at this pub that are completely unacceptable.

"I think Learmont has realised the time is up for her at least."

Board acting chairman, councillor Andy Muir, said he appreciated the landlord's position, but insisted the company was also responsible for the premises and those running it. He added: "This is a very serious matter. With Miss Learmont not appearing we cannot make a ruling now."

He continued the case until the next licensing court sitting to see if she does make an appearance.

No-one from LT Pub Management was available for comment.

23-year-old gang member convicted of killing two half-brothers in Oro Grande three years ago was sentenced to 25 years in prison Friday

.

Judge John Tomberlin sentenced Jorge Angel Lizarraga of Victorville according to the plea agreement. There was no victim impact statement before Tomberlin pronounced his judgment.

The defendant asked Tomberlin if he could have time with his family before heading to prison, but the judge said the courthouse wasn’t equipped for that.

Lizarraga pleaded guilty to the voluntary manslaughter of Walter Maradiaga, 21, and Erick Morales, 16. He also admitted to having used a firearm and helping a gang by committing the crime.

In January 2008, Lizarraga and Jesus Garcia got into an argument at a Victorville home with the victims, who were affiliates of a rival gang, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s officials said. Lizarraga and Garcia were members of the 18th Street gang, while the victims had connections to the MS-13 gang, according to officials.

All have criminal histories that include arrests or convictions for a range of crimes committed in the United States and have alleged ties to the Vice Lords, Latin Kings, Latin Pstones, Two-Sixers, and Sureño 13s gangs.

five-day law enforcement operation targeting suspected members of transnational gangs has resulted in the arrests of 22 men in Bolingbrook, Joliet, Glendale Heights and Melrose Park, officials say.

The arrests began April 17 and was dubbed Operation Community Shield. It involved local and state law enforcement officers along with agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations unit.

Those arrested, raning in age from 18 to 40, were being held in ICE custody on immigration charges, pending deportation, according to a the federal agency. Their names were not released.

ICE said it targeted the gangs because they were believed to have significant numbers of foreign-born members and are frequently involved in human and contraband smuggling, immigration violations and other crimes with a connection to the border.

The latest roundup took in 18 Mexican nationals, two of whom were previously deported. Two others were from Guatemala, and one was from Ghana.

All have criminal histories that include arrests or convictions for a range of crimes committed in the United States and have alleged ties to the Vice Lords, Latin Kings, Latin Pstones, Two-Sixers, and Sureño 13s gangs.

Some of their crimes include: aggravated battery to a peace officer, armed robbery, burglary, criminal damage to property, domestic battery, drunken driving, mob action, possessing marijuana with intent to deliver, residential burglary, unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, and unlawfully using a weapon.

"Violent street gangs account for a burgeoning amount of crime in Chicago and our surrounding communities," said Gary Hartwig, special agent in charge of ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Chicago. "ICE works in tandem with our local law enforcement partners to identify these gang members and remove them from the streets in the name of public safety."

Bermuda's latest gun victim David Clarke was the third foreigner killed in two years;

Bermuda's latest gun victim David Clarke was the third foreigner killed in two years; something that's “bound to risk the Island's reputation”, according to Governor Sir Richard Gozney.

Mr Clarke, 26, was born in Barbados but lived in Bermuda since his family moved here when he was four. He was shot dead on North Shore Road, Devonshire, around 10.30pm on Sunday.

His murder follows that of Jamaican James Lawes, gunned down in Pembroke on March 22, 2010, and Jamaican-Canadian George Lynch, murdered in Hamilton Parish on May 5, 2010.

Prior to that, Trinidadian Marcus Gibbings was stabbed to death outside an apartment in Devonshire in October 2006 and Canadian teenager Rebecca Middleton was raped and killed in July 1996.

None of the murders have been solved, and all of them hit the headlines in the victims' home countries.

In November 2006, Mr Gibbings' father, Robert, hit out over the “unsatisfactory conduct” of the inquiry. He appealed to the Government of his native Trinidad and Tobago for help, claiming information about a possible suspect appeared to have been ignored by Bermuda Police.

Last May, Canadian TV news reported that Mr Lynch's family wanted Canada's Federal Government to pressure Bermuda to bring his killers to justice.

Ms Middleton's family have repeatedly spoken out over the lack of justice in their case. And when they failed to get the case re-opened via a judicial review in 2007, the Toronto Globe and Mail newspaper lamented a “dark day for Bermudian justice”.

On Monday, Mr Clarke's mother, Angela, said his death made her want to go home to Barbados, telling The Royal Gazette: “I've had enough.”

Asked about the impact of another foreign national being killed. Sir Richard said yesterday: “The murder of anyone in Bermuda, Bermudian or other, is a shocking event. I am appalled by each murder and I believe that the vast majority of Bermudians feel the same. My condolences and sympathy go to the family of Mr David Clarke.

“The series of murders of the last two years in Bermuda is bound to risk the Island's reputation, foremost with Bermudians themselves, and also with foreigners here and with foreigners living abroad who hear about them.

“The risk to reputation has to rise further when foreigners are victims, in particular when they are bystanders caught in the cross-fire as I understand was the case, for example, with Mr Lynch.”

There have been several successful prosecutions in gun cases recently, with eight men convicted in the past year.

Sir Richard said: “I hope that all who are concerned, in Bermuda and abroad, are also noting the success of Bermuda's police, prosecutors and courts in convicting those using guns, and the copious efforts of the many agencies of the Bermuda Government and non-governmental organisations and churches which are trying to tackle the underlying causes. They all deserve our strong support.”

'R.I.P. Daddy': Man sentenced in Seattle killing

purported gang member who killed a 24-year-old Seattle man was sentenced Friday to 15 years in prison.

Pleading guilty to second-degree murder in March, Jymaika S. Hutson, admitted to killing Tyree Lee on April 28, 2007.

Lee, regarded by law enforcement as a member of a Central District street gang, was shot to death outside a friend's home. Hutson, 32, had been a member of a rival gang, though he has since insisted that he abandoned the gang after a shotgun blast left his face severely scarred.

As his brother’s son looked on in a T-shirt reading “R.I.P. Daddy,” Tyrone Lee Jr. told King County Superior Court Judge Steven Gonzalez that Hutson’s actions four years ago left his family shattered.

Tyrone Lee noted that the young men were raised in the same community and had known each other for years. His brother left behind a family and a fiancée.

“They lost someone, something that they can never get back,” he said Friday.

Given the opportunity to speak, Hutson declined to address the judge or attempt to explain his actions the day Tyree Lee was killed.

On April 28, 2007, officers were called to the 2600 block of East Alder Street following a report of shots.

Police arrived to find Lee had been shot multiple times in the back, torso and legs. He died later that evening at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

Witnesses to the shooting told police a white Chevrolet SUV had pulled up as Lee was walking to a friend's home. Hutson got out of the vehicle, drew a pistol and fired at least eight shots at Lee.

One witness told police he heard what would be some of Lee's last words.

"Hey man, I don't have a beef with you," Lee told Hutson before he was gunned down, according to the witness.

Police were able to trace the car to Gilbert Kinney, Hutson's co-defendant.

Hutson pleaded guilty on the eve of trial as prosecutors were prepared to offer the testimony of Kinney to implicate him in the shooting. Kinney, who drove Hutson to and from the shooting scene and provided the murder weapon, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge and was sentenced to home detention.

Speaking with investigators, Kinney said he followed Lee's car at Hutson's request. He said he had no idea Hutson planned to kill Lee, and admitted that Hutson used his pistol in the shooting.

Hutson -- said by law enforcement to be member of Deuce 8, a Central District street gang -- had been seen arguing with Lee at Barnett Park shortly before the shooting.

Police initially interviewed Hutson five days after the shooting. He denied any involvement in Lee's death; nearly three years passed before prosecutors were able to bring charges against him.

In the prosecution's view, the killing was revenge for an earlier attack Hutson blamed on Lee. Hutson was shot in the face with a shotgun by parties as yet unidentified.

Prosecutors were prepared to contend that a rivalry between Hutson's gang and Lee's Low Profiles – a breakaway set of Deuce 8 – played a part in the shooting, a contention disputed by Hutson's attorney.

“At the time of the shooting, Mr. Hutson was working very hard to extricate himself from ongoing violence that was part of his younger life,” defense attorney James Womack said in court documents. “This change took place shortly after he was shot in the face by a shotgun in February 2006. He had to make a choice.”

 

Klansman leader Tesha Miller was sentenced this afternoon in the High Court Division of the Gun Court to seven years imprisonment for illegal possession of a firearm and 15 years for robbery with aggravation.

Klansman leader Tesha Miller was sentenced in the High Court Division of the Gun Court to seven years imprisonment for illegal possession of a firearm and 15 years for robbery with aggravation. The sentences are to run concurrently meaning that Miller will serve a maximum of 15 years.
Tesha Miller, leader of the Klansman gang based in Spanish Town, St Catherine.
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“The conviction and sentencing of Tesha Miller are major blows to organised criminal gangs operating in the country especially in St Catherine. It also represents a significant victory for the Security Forces who are relentless pursuing these gangs,” said Ellington.
The commissioner said that the police investigation demonstrated what can be achieved through diligence and professionalism.
“I want to offer my gratitude and thanks to the men and women of the St Catherine North Division and the other formations who worked diligently, thoroughly and with great perseverance in preparing a case file on Miller which met the highest professional standards and which ultimately led to the convictions today of this noted gang leader," he said.
"This good work and professionalism by members was achieved under great stress because of the constant threats on their lives by the criminals. I am exceptionally pleased with their courage and fortitude. But while I am pleased with today’s outcome, there is still much to be done in dismantling these criminal gangs. The work continues."
Miller was arrested in December last year in connection with a stolen motor vehicle. his arrest sparked a demonstration by residents in the hotbed community of De La Vega City in Spanish Town, who claimed the cops were unfairly targeting him.
He was also detained in October, when he was interrogated by Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB) detectives about crimes committed in the old capital.
Since his arrest in December the Klansman gang has been split by bloody infighting for the leadership of the criminal network which saw over a dozen persons being killed in areas known to be the stomping ground of the gang.
In September last year Miller denied entry by immigration authorities in the Bahamas. He was detained by the Bahamas immigration authorities overnight and sent back to Jamaica the following day.
In June 2010, Miller, also called 'Rat', was acquitted of the murder of John Haughton in Jamaica's Home Circuit Court because of insufficient evidence.
Haughton was shot and killed on St John's Road in Spanish Town in April 2004.
Months before, Miller was also set free of the triple murders of Oraine Jackson, Jeffery Johnson and Nicole Allen in Braeton, St Catherine in January 2005. He had absconded bail on the murder charges and fled to the United States in that same year.
He was held by the US authorities in October 2006 and charged with re-entering that country illegally. He had been previously deported from that country.
A .45 pistol, an SKS assault rifle, one pound of marijuana and a large scale - which the US agents said was commonly used to distribute narcotics - were allegedly found in an apartment Miller occupied in Tampa, Florida

drug trafficking gangs have set up operations throughout eastern Pennsylvania, police arrested a man they say is a member of the Crips after a large amount of heroin was allegedly found during a traffic stop.

 drug trafficking gangs have set up operations throughout eastern Pennsylvania, police arrested a man they say is a member of the Crips after a large amount of heroin was allegedly found during a traffic stop.


The arrests of Alik Jerome Harrington, 36, of Kingston, and a woman from Blair County mirror what the federal report titled Eastern Pennsylvania Drug and Gang Threat Assessment details, which says gangs in the eastern half of Pennsylvania are trafficking drugs to the western half.

Police allege Harrington was the middle man picking up heroin in Baltimore, and giving it to Marie Michell Rhodes, 26, who would then sell individual heroin packets in the Altoona area for $20, according to charges filed.

Harrington and Rhodes were arrested after 250 heroin packets were allegedly found inside their vehicle that was stopped for not having a registration sticker on West Vaughn Street around 4:20 a.m. Thursday. Harrington was charged with more offenses on Friday after a search of his apartment on Division Street allegedly resulted in more heroin and contraband.

According to the criminal complaints:

After Rhodes was stopped on West Vaughn Street, a police canine detected illegal substances inside the vehicle. A search warrant was obtained that resulted in finding 250 heroin packets in a black bag containing rice inside the vehicle.

Police learned that Harrington, a member of the Crips street gang, was buying heroin in Baltimore and giving it to Rhodes to sell in the Altoona area.

Police obtained a search warrant for Harrington’s apartment, allegedly finding $2,100 cash, more than 100 heroin packets, two grams of raw heroin and a firearm reported stolen to the Hazleton Police Department in a burglary on Oct. 26, according to the criminal complaint.

An undercover drug detective said the two grams of raw heroin is enough to package 100 heroin packets when cut.

Police estimate the total amount of heroin seized had a street value of more than $9,000.

On Thursday, Harrington and Rhodes were charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and criminal conspiracy. Harrington was further charged on Friday with illegal possession of a firearm, receiving stolen property and drug offenses related to the illegal items allegedly found in his apartment.

Harrington and Rhodes were arraigned by District Judge Paul Roberts in Kingston and jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $150,000 and $50,000 bail, respectively.

Harrington is originally from Newark, N.J., police said, where he has 14 prior felony convictions on drugs and firearm offenses.

Preliminary hearings are scheduled on April 20 before Roberts.

TWO LEADING members of one of the State’s most notorious criminal gangs being questioned by the Garda in Limerick on suspicion of threatening to kill a 23-year-old woman are due to appear in court

TWO LEADING members of one of the State’s most notorious criminal gangs being questioned by the Garda in Limerick on suspicion of threatening to kill a 23-year-old woman are due to appear in court
The brothers, aged 29 and 33, are key figures in the criminal gang based in Limerick city. A 21- year-old woman related to the men was also arrested yesterday evening as part of the inquiry.

The three were being questioned in relation to alleged threats against a former girlfriend of another family member who is in jail. They were also being questioned about threats against the woman’s mother and brother.

The latter is a former associate of the gang and both are serving lengthy sentences in prison.

The 23-year-old woman at the centre of the complaint is the former partner of a leading member of the gang and they have children together. It is understood the woman is involved in a new relationship with a convicted rapist and living in Co Limerick.

The mother of three has made a formal complaint to gardaí about the threats made against her.

The men were arrested in the Hyde Road area of Limerick at 8.40pm on Monday as part of a planned operation involving members of the Armed Response Unit. they were being held under section 5 of the Non Fatal Offences Against the Persons Act.

Both men have previous convictions for making threats to kill and have served lengthy jail sentences.

The 29-year-old old suspect was being detained at Henry Street Garda station last night while the 33 year old was in custody at Roxboro Garda station. The 21- year-old woman was being questioned at Henry Street.

Two other men in their early 20s were also arrested as part of the inquiry. They were being detained at Bruff Garda station in Co Limerick and at Mayorstone Garda station in the city.

Bermuda's nightlife A late night bar is scaling back its hours to stop intimidating gang members spreading fear among customers.

The Bistro at The Beach on Front Street, and almost next door to Hamilton Police Station, is to start closing at 1am instead of 3am on certain weekday evenings.

Owner Rick Olson says he feels “personally intimidated” by the gang members who drink at his bar in the early hours of the morning.

He says the young men hang out in large numbers, have no respect for others, refuse to pay for their drinks and threaten to cause trouble.

Mr Olson says their presence is intimidating enough to scare away customers and staff and he is concerned someone is going to get seriously hurt.

The bar will now close at the earlier time on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday evenings. Then after the summer season Mr Olson will “reassess the situation” and could close up earlier every night if the threat of trouble is still looming.

He said: “It's got to the point that it's just not worth staying open to serve only a handful of thugs. We are going to scale back our hours as it comes down to safety rather than profit.

“The negative element is going to deteriorate Bermuda's nightlife at this rate.

“It's a big problem which has got a lot worse over the last couple of years. It's really not a nice situation that we find ourselves in. Gang members are intimidating staff and customers. I hear customers saying they are too scared to be out too late. I feel personally intimidated myself.”

The Bistro at The Beach has taken the decision to close early on a number of occasions over the last couple of years. This has been because “a known gang element” was on the premises or they were following the advice of police.

However, Mr Olson said he would now make the early closing “more of a permanent thing.” He is also thinking about axing the DJ to try to attract a different kind of clientele. Mr Olson spoke out after Bootsie's Comedy Club on Front Street closed its doors after becoming a hangout for violent gang members who weren't afraid to “put people's lives at risk.”

Front Street bar owners called for tough new measures to ban anyone affiliated with a gang from licensed premises. Mr Olson says The Bistro at The Beach “pays the price” of being the only bar on Front Street open until 3am seven-nights a week.

He said it was particularly a problem on quiet nights when other drinking spots closed as early as 10pm or 11pm. Mr Olson said: “When there is nowhere else to go, they head to The Beach. But it's not worth our while to stay open anymore, it's not worth the risk. These guys don't even want to pay for their drinks. They are out looking for trouble.

“We have security, sometimes as many as three guys on the door, but that doesn't seem to make any difference. Most bars have been challenged by gang members and it's very negative for business. We just have to do what we can to create safe environments.”

The head of the Poinciana Bloods street gang dropped his lawyer Friday to defend himself at trial against attempted murder charges

The head of the Poinciana Bloods street gang dropped his lawyer Friday to defend himself at trial against attempted murder charges and other felonies over gunfire that crippled a guest at a 2009 birthday party.

Michael Rigby drew national notoriety last year when he broke out of the Osceola County Jail's highest security cell block and remained free for nearly 3 months before his capture near New York City.

The escape prompted the County Commission to spend more than $4 million on improved security and prompted the firings of guards along with jail and county administrators.

Rigby is accused of shooting at three women associated with the Bloods, when they sped away a car after one of them was shot during the July 11, 2009 party, records show.

Trial is scheduled to begin Monday afternoon, when Orlando attorney Patricia Cashman, who represented Rigby until last week, will sit at the defense table as standby counsel, records state. Felony cases in which defendants represent themselves remain rare in most courts.

Two men, arrested in Limerick as part of an ongoing investigation into serious crime and gang-related violence in Limerick, are still being detained by Gardai.

Limerick - Man questioned over alleged threat to kill
Two men, arrested in Limerick last night as part of an ongoing investigation into serious crime and gang-related violence in Limerick, are still being detained by Gardai.
It is understood they will appear at the city's district court in the morning to face a number of charges.
They were arrested after a young woman made a statement to gardaí alleging that the two men, both brothers, made a threat to kill her.
The two men, aged 33 and 29, are from the Hyde road area of Ballinacurra Weston in Limerick.
Meanwhile three other people, a 21-year-old woman and two men aged in their early 20s, were arrested tonight as part of the same investigation.
They are being held at a number of garda stations in Limerick city.

TWO men accused of murdering a nightclub promoter in a gangland style execution are set to stand trial.

Bobby Windsor and Michael Campbell are accused of killing 27-year-old Daniel Herbert, of Holywell Close, Orpington, on August 17 in 2009.

Mr Herbert was on his way home from Rotherhithe when he was chased by a gang of men, beaten unconscious, dragged to his knees and shot in the head, in Clements Road, Bermondsey.

The trial of Windsor, aged 22, from Bermondsey, and 25-year-old Campbell, from Camberwell, is due to begin at the Old Bailey on Thursday (April 14).

Darren Mitchell, aged 42, and 68-year-old Doreen Mitchell, both from Eastbourne in East Sussex, are due to stand trial alongside Windsor and Campbell.

Both Mitchells are accused of assisting an offender. It is alleged they gave false information to police following Mr Herbert’s death.

Darren Mitchell is also accused of perverting the course of justice.

Ryan T. Moore, 37, was convicted of murder, attempted murder and conspiracy

Ryan T. Moore, 37, was convicted of murder, attempted murder and conspiracy in the 2006 attack, which shocked the city and was part of a series of high-profile interracial gang crimes that stoked fears of a possible race war.

The two gunmen were described as black; the victims were Latino. Police said the dead were not connected to gangs but suspected that the attackers were. However, prosecutors argued race had little to do with the killings.

They said the gunmen, armed with AK-47 assault rifles, mistook the victims as rival gang members in a bloody feud between two local gangs.

Among the victims was David Marcial, 10, who had been riding his bicycle with his 12-year-old brother outside their home on the 1100 block of East 49th Street; his uncle, Larry Marcial, 22; and a neighbor, Luis Cervantes, 17. David's brother was shot but survived.

The jury now must decide whether Moore should receive the death penalty. Previous juries deadlocked, voting 7-5 and 10-2 in favor of convicting Moore. Last year, a jury found Charles Ray Smith, 42, guilty of the murders but could not reach a unanimous verdict on whether he should be executed.
Smith’s retrial in the death penalty phase of his case is expected to take place in the summer. The prosecution's case against both men revolved around a key witness, Alicia Merceron, who admitted driving the car in the two killings. She identified Smith and Moore as the gunmen.

Defense attorneys have accused Merceron, 27, of lying to save herself from the death penalty or a lengthy prison term. In exchange for her testimony, prosecutors allowed her to plead guilty to manslaughter, and she is expected to be sentenced to seven years in prison.

man shot dead at his Sydney home last week was due to give evidence about death threats against the chief Crown witnesses in a major drug trial.

A man shot dead at his Sydney home last week was due to give evidence about death threats against the chief Crown witnesses in a major drug trial.

Gemahl Maika, 38, was an important witness in a series of criminal cases against a multi-million dollar cocaine trafficking and money laundering syndicate, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

The raids that broke up the gang in 2007 netted $20 million in cash and firearms including a gold-plated .357 Magnum pistol.

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Mr Maika was shot on Wednesday night as he drove into the garage of his home at Glen Alpine in Sydney's southwest.

Police said it was an "execution", adding that Mr Maika, whom police did not name at the time, was known to police.

The Herald reported on Tuesday that in a hearing of one case against the "golden gun" syndicate, police said there were "extreme" threats to the safety of witnesses.

The evidence to be given by Mr Maika related to allegations of death threats against the chief Crown witness in the continuing case, known as Mr X.

Vice Lords and Gangster Disciples roundup of 122 people suspected of gang and drug activity in five Mississippi Delta counties.

Some of those arrested had ties to the Vice Lords and Gangster Disciples.

Also, 45 firearms, more than $26,000 in cash and more than $25,000 in illegal narcotics were confiscated, according to Christopher Felix, supervisory inspector of the U.S. Marshals Service Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force.

"A clear message was sent. We will not tolerate gang violence within our community," said Jeff Woodfin, acting U.S. marshal for the Northern District of Mississippi.

After getting complaints, the U.S. attorney's office for the Northern District came up with a small town initiative to target Delta areas and requested assistance from the Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force. The task force narrowed the counties to the area that requested assistance the most.

North Mississippi-Operation Triple Beam targeted gang activity in Bolivar, Coahoma, Leflore, Sunflower and Washington counties.

The arrests, revealed this week, culminated a two-month operation by the U.S. Marshals Service and more than 50 federal, state and local law enforcement officers.

Washington County Sheriff Milton Gaston Sr. said he appreciated having the extra manpower. "I don't feel we have a big gang problem, but we have some wannabes."

Gaston said he can't say all the crimes committed by the young people are gang related.

"I'm not saying we don't have gang members," Gaston said.

Indianola Police Chief Tommy Moffett said the operation has been "extremely effective in reducing violent crime" in his city, and he hopes it will continue.

When he became chief a year ago this week, Moffett said, "we had a number of shootings."

But after the Marshals Service "started to put on so much heat as far as constantly tracking down people," crime basically dropped to typical domestic calls and handling juveniles dealing with autos, Moffett said. "You could see a tremendous difference."

Felix said gang activity in the Delta may be a symptom of high unemployment and lack of opportunity.

"Some feel like this (gang activity) is their only hope," Felix said.

Also, gang members know the resources in the Delta are limited, said Ridgeland Police officer Victor Mason, who has studied gangs for more than 20 years.

"There are fewer officers on the streets compared to larger cities, such as Jackson," Mason said. "Then you have to look at jail space."

Mason, a former Jackson police officer and Hinds County sheriff's deputy, said small town police forces have to make choices on whom to lock up, "a gang wannabe" or someone who actually commits a felony."

Mason, who is headed to Belzoni on Tuesday to do a gang-orientation session with medical personnel, said gangs in general are on the rise "all over the state - black gangs as well as white gangs."

He cited as a major factor people "on the wrong side of the law moving to the South to escape justice and where the lifestyle is much slower and calmer.

"There is not much crime in Mississippi as compared to other major cities, so they come here to hide," he said.

He also noted the generation of wannabe gang members is getting younger. "Now we are seeing them in elementary school," he said.

"We have to constantly remind ourselves to think outside the box, but not outside the law."

Among those arrested in the roundup:

•Michael Jordan, 37, of Friars Point, who was wanted for failure to appear on underlying charges of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Jordan allegedly associates with members of the Gangster Disciples in the Friars Point area. Subsequent to the arrest, authorities said they seized illegal narcotics, $5,820, a stolen vehicle, false identification and five firearms, including a stolen law enforcement weapon.

•Edward Howard, 47, of Clarksdale, on charges of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a stolen firearm. Howard is an alleged member of the Flying J Motorcycle Gang from Cleveland. When arrested, authorities said he had two firearms, one of which was stolen, $3,400 and four grams of crack cocaine.

•Scottie Abney, 39, of Sunflower, wanted in Sunflower County on aggravated assault and witness intimidation charges. Abney and his uncle allegedly attempted to kill a known government witness, according to court records. When Abney was arrested, he was out on bond for a separate murder case.

•Latavion Perryman, 20, of Clarksdale, who was wanted in Clarksdale on a murder charge. He is an alleged member of the Gangster Disciples.

•Roderick Williams, 24, of Itta Bena, an alleged member of the Vice Lords. Williams was wanted on two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of felon in possession of a firearm, and burglary. He has an extensive record that includes arrests for assault, burglary and weapon offenses. He was in possession of firearms when arrested.

MEMBER of 'Fat' Freddie Thompson's drug gang has been shot as a bloody internal row escalates.

MEMBER of 'Fat' Freddie Thompson's drug gang has been shot as a bloody internal row escalates.

The gangster, who is in his 20s, was shot in the stomach as he walked in a park in Milltown, Dublin, at about 6.30pm on Thursday.

The target, out on bail at the time for a car theft charge, is expected to survive.

The shocking gun attack has been linked to an internal feud in the Thompson gang which has also seen grenade and gun attacks and numerous incidents of criminal damage.

Six of Thompson's young gang members have split into two groups and have been carrying out acts of violence against each other.

Thursday's target, who is not part of the original six gangsters involved, but is believed to be involved in Thompson's operation, was in the park near Milltown Bridge Road, Milltown, at about 6.30pm when the shooter struck.

The gunman is understood to have been armed with a small gun, possibly a .22 calibre pistol.

He approached his victim in the park and opened fire on him, shooting him in the midriff at the Dodder Linear Park, between Dartry Road and Orwell Road.
The injured man succeeded in walking to the nearby Dropping Well pub on the banks of the River Dodder and startled punters when he appeared covered in blood.

The emergency services were called and an ambulance and gardai went to the area.

As the injured man was stretchered from the pub by paramedics, two people who seemed to know him travelled with him.

He never lost consciousness during the incident.

He was taken by ambulance to St Vincent's Hospital where his injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

Gardai arrived quickly on the scene with sniffer dogs and customers were moved to the back of the lounge while investigations were carried out.

Gardai sealed off the area for a forensic examination and appealed to any witnesses or anyone with information to contact.

Detectives in Rathmines are investigating the shooting and are appealing for witnesses to come forward.

A 19-year-old man was arrested yesterday in relation to the incident. He is being detained at Terenure Garda Station under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act, and can be held for up to 72 hours.

Ten vicious attacks on innocent parties were carried out in the internal feud in a 12-hour period at the end of March. The six members of the Freddie Thompson outfit are believed to have gone to war with each other over gang dealings.

Agency investigated links between killings of rappers Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur

FBI releases 'secret' reports on hip-hop's Notorious murder case
Even at the time it seemed like a conspiracy theory of the highest order, but a trove of documents released by the FBI yesterday shows that the agency took seriously the suggested link between the 1990s murders of two of hip hop's biggest stars

Posted on an FBI website in response to a Freedom of Information request, the papers show that the agency was engaged at the outset of its investigation in searching for links between the death in the 1997 of Brooklyn's Notorious B.I.G, also known as Biggie Smalls, whose real name was Christopher Wallace, and the murder just a few months earlier in Las Vegas of another hip hop star, Tupac Shakur. Almost a decade and a half later neither the Los Angeles murder of Wallace or of Shakur has been solved and the twin mysteries of their violent deaths continue to grip the hip-hop scene.

The papers also confirm that the FBI received tip-offs from informants pointing to an officer with the Los Angeles Police Department. They describe what appears to be solid ballistic evidence linking the killing to the officer, whose name, like many other identifying details, was redacted from the documents before their posting.

Even if the FBI long ago closed its investigation leaving the case cold, the new information will again shift the spotlight on the LAPD officer. Other passages in the documents, when cross-referenced with information already in the public domain, make clear he is David Mack, who soon after the Wallace slaying was convicted and sent to prison for a bank heist. He was unsuccessfully targeted in a wrongful death civil suit by the Wallace estate in 2007.

The documents, 400 pages of typed reports, subpoenas, surveillance logs and emails, do not appear to offer any entirely new information. But they do add fresh details and context, including confirmation that the bullets used to kill Wallace were extremely rare metal-piercing bullets manufactured in Germany and only available from two US suppliers, in California and in New Jersey.

The FBI also followed leads suggesting that Wallace may have been killed in retaliation for the slaying of Shakur, or that his murder was inspired by a bitter rivalry between the East and West Coast rapper camps or even between the two main record labels on each side of the country, Death Row Records in Los Angeles founded by Marion "Suge" Knight and P. Diddy's New York-based Bad Boy Entertainment.

Wallace had just left a music industry event at a Los Angeles museum in March 1997 and had settled in the back seat of a car waiting outside when someone in a black Chevrolet Impala drew up alongside and opened fire, the documents say. The rapper was declared dead at the scene.

Mack has always denied any involvement in the Wallace case as have both Knight and P. Diddy. Yet the documents serve as a reminder of the many leads that at least appeared to cast his protestations in doubt. Bullets of the same kind used in the slaying – Gecko 9mm – were found his home. He had known ties to Marion Knight and had a shrine to Tupac Shakur in his home. He also owned a black Chevrolet Impala.

Two headless bodies are dumped on a street in suburban Mexico City along with a message sent by a mysterious group called "The Hand with Eyes."

Two headless bodies are dumped on a street in suburban Mexico City along with a message sent by a mysterious group called "The Hand with Eyes." Days later, a severed head shows up in a car abandoned outside an elementary school in the same suburb.

For drug lords, this sprawling metropolis of 20 million has been a favorite hide-out and place to launder money, making Mexico City somewhat of an oasis from the brutal cartel violence along the border and in outlying states.

Now a spate of killings and decapitations never before seen have authorities batting down fears that a once-distant drug war is making its way into the capital. Instead, they say, the violence since late last year comes from street gangs fighting for an increasingly lucrative local drug market.

While drug use in Mexico City doesn't come close to that in the U.S., it has grown dramatically in the past decade. About 8 percent of middle and high school students here now experiment with drugs, said city drug addiction adviser Patricia Reyes, a number that has climbed from 2.5 percent in 1998 according to national surveys.

Some of the high-profile violence comes from groups that are remnants of the Beltran Leyva cartel, which has splintered and moved closer to the city since the Mexican navy killed leader Arturo Beltran Leyva in December 2009. Others imitate cartel tactics to gain turf.

"I think of these groups as cells, as franchises," said Alfredo Castillo, attorney general for Mexico state, the suburban area surrounding Mexico City. "As franchises what do they want? They want the know-how, the business model, and in the end, they want their backing in case of an extraordinary problem."

The mass killings started late last year, when a drive-by shooting in the rough neighborhood of Tepito killed six youths and a family of five was slain in a drug-related attack in the south of the city.

The violence intensified earlier this year as Juan Vasconcelos, a reputed local gang assassin, allegedly went on a cocaine- and alcohol-fueled killing spree that ended with his arrest in February.

The first attack left five people dead on Jan. 8. Another killed eight people Jan. 16 and the third left seven dead Feb. 13.

Police say Vasconcelos has ties in Mexico state to La Familia cartel, based in the neighboring state of Michoacan. While that alliance wasn't fueling the violence - Vasconcelos went after rival drug dealers and members of his own gang to consolidate his power - it made it easier for him to get high-powered weapons.

When police asked in a taped interrogation what he did for a living, Vasconcelos replied, "I kill."

Then mutilated bodies started showing up, unheard of in the metro area, leading the news media to blame big cartels, including the vicious Zetas gang, and saying the military now patrols parts of the metro area like it does in border cities and other drug hot spots.

Augustin "Tino" Zambrano, 51, considered by authorities as the gang's highest-ranking leader in the nation, was convicted of racketeering conspiracy and multiple federal charges

The Latin Kings, one of the country's largest street gangs, stretched from 26th Street to the East Coast and Texas, prosecutors say.

But on Wednesday, after two days of deliberations, Augustin "Tino" Zambrano, 51, considered by authorities as the gang's highest-ranking leader in the nation, was convicted of racketeering conspiracy and multiple federal charges for orchestrating violence and drug dealing in Chicago. The federal jury also convicted three other reputed ranking leaders of all charges.

The prosecution case, built over eight years, focused on the gang's activities in the Little Village neighborhood, the heart of Chicago's Mexican-American community. But evidence at the trial also showed Zambrano's reach as the gang's "corona," or leader, went beyond that.

Undercover recordings played during the trial included members talking about how the gang's leaders in other states, including New York, New Jersey and Texas, followed policies ordained by the Little Village faction.

But much of the six-week trial focused on the gang's violence and drug dealing in Chicago. Prosecutors relied heavily on gang informants who made the secret recordings. Also convicted were Vicente Garcia, 33, said to be in charge of all Latin Kings in Illinois; Alphonso Chavez, 26, alleged leader of the gang's 31st and Drake faction; and Jose Guzman, 34, a reputed former enforcer in Little Village.

11 people arrested are allegedly members of the Forrest Hill Boyz, a gang

11 people arrested are allegedly members of the Forrest Hill Boyz, a gang that Moultrie Police Department officials said has a long history in the city.

“The ones that have been indicted were some of the worst ones we’ve had a problem with lately,” Moultrie Police Department Cmdr. Ben Morris, a member of the Southwest Georgia Gang Task Force, said in a telephone interview on Monday. “The Forrest Hill Boyz has been the most active and the most violent recently. It’s been around for a long time.”

The indictments include gang charges in the murders of Bernardino Perez and Alvin Hunt.

Perez, who also was known as Bernardino Perez Barcenas, 41, was found shot to death April 25, 2009, in a driveway on Sardis Church Road. Hunt, 26, was gunned down the night of July 2, 2010, outside Shy Manor Apartments.

Like most street gangs, Morris said the Forrest Hill Boyz are into a range of criminal activities, from selling drugs to auto break-ins to violent crimes like armed robbery and assaults.

“The streets have been a lot calmer since they’ve been indicted,” he said. “Since those 11 have been indicted, quite a bit of the serious crimes have dropped off.”

Morris said that he expects additional indictments to follow, some of which could be federal charges.

The gang charges, which make up 40 of the counts in the 80-count indictment, mean additional time upon conviction, he said, with additional sentences of three to five years or even more, depending on the severity of the underlying crime.

Indicted on the charges in the shooting death of Perez and an April 25, 2009, home invasion at 657 Circle Road in which two people were shot were:

• Tobias Demere Thomas, 23, 325 10th St. S.E.; Nyneson S. Jeudy and Alfonzo Knighton. In that fatal shooting they are charged with 24 counts violation of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, felony murder, seven counts aggravated assault, three counts armed robbery, burglary, and seven counts possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

Indicted on charges in the shooting death of Hunt were:

• Thomas; Dontavious Reashaed Jackson, 15, 1015 Third St. S.E.; Robert Lee Fuller, 27, and Demetrius Tyshaun Daniels, 19. Those charges include four counts violation of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, felony murder, aggravated assault and two counts possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

Indicted on charges in the July 9, 2010, robbery at Winn Dixie, 103 Talmadge Drive, were:

• Jackson; Danny D. Hill; Patrick Johnson, 21; Randarius Perry and Anwar Arnold, 20, 1130 16th St. S.E. Charges in the indictment were four counts violation of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, armed robbery, aggravated assault and two counts possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

Indicted on charges in the July 20, 2010, shooting of Jimmy Myers were:

• Jackson, Thomas, Arnold and Willie Clyde Hightower Jr., 20. They are charged with eight counts of violating the Street Gang and Terrorism Prevention Act, armed robbery, burglary, two counts aggravated assault and five counts possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

Mata, roba, controlla; kill, steal, control,seven men on trial were members of a branch of the MS-13, or Mara Salvatrucha, gang based in the vicinity of 20th and Mission streets in the Mission District of San Francisco.

U.S. prosecutor told jurors in the federal racketeering and murder conspiracy trial of seven MS-13 gang members in San Francisco today that the gang had a culture of violence.

"Violence and murder increased their stature in the gang," Justice Department attorney Theryn Gibbons said in her opening statement in the court of U.S. District Judge William Alsup.

Gibbons, from the department's criminal gang unit in Washington, D.C., recited the gang's alleged motto in Spanish and then English: "Mata, roba, controlla; kill, steal, control."
The seven men on trial were members of a branch of the MS-13, or Mara Salvatrucha, gang based in the vicinity of 20th and Mission streets in the Mission District of San Francisco.

All are accused of racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to commit murder and use of guns in violent crimes. Five are also accused of carrying out a total of four gang-related murders in San Francisco in 2008.

The trial is expected to last six months.

The defendants are among about three dozen MS-13 Bay Area gang members and associates who were charged in four successive versions of an indictment in 2008 and 2009. About 18 others have pleaded guilty to various charges.

The MS-13 gang originated in El Salvador and Southern California, and its name is believed to be a combination of words meaning gang, Salvadoran and "fear us," according to the indictment.

The local branch allegedly engaged in racketeering, or an ongoing criminal enterprise, that encompassed drug dealing, murder, assault, robbery, extortion and car thefts.

Opening statements from two defense attorneys were completed before the trial adjourned for the day. The other defense attorneys will give their statements on Tuesday and the prosecution will then begin presenting testimony.

John Philipsborn, representing Jonathan Cruz-Ramirez, and Peter Goodman, an attorney for Erick Lopez, both questioned the evidence linking their clients to the 2008 murders and challenged the credibility of government informants who will be prosecution witnesses.

Lopez, also known as "Spooky," is accused of gunning down Ernad Joldic and Phillip Ng in San Francisco on March 29, 2008, in revenge for the shooting of an MS-13 gang member the previous day.

Gibbons said the two victims were not gang members but just "two guys in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Goodman told the jury that an eyewitness failed to identify Lopez in two separate photo line-ups.

Cruz-Ramirez, also known as "Soldado," is accused in the fatal shootings of Juan Rodriguez on May 31, 2008, and Armando Estrada on July 11, 2008. Guillermo Herrera, also known as "Shorty," is also charged with Estrada's murder.

The indictment gives gang names or nicknames for all of the defendants. MS-13 members called one another by these names and sometimes did not know fellow members' real names, according to the indictment.

Gibbons referred to the defendants by their gang names during her opening statement, pointing to each one as she went through the accusations of murders and assaults.

Gangster Shawn Anthony Vassel was to learn Monday about his parole eligibilty following his conviction for gunning down a rival dealer during a drug ripoff.

But prosecutor Brian McGuire’s sickness caused sentencing proceedings to be postponed.

Vassel, 27, known as “Buck” or “Buckshot,” was returned to custody until May 13, following his appearance at the Hurtonario St. courthouse.

Following a complicated eight-week trial — plus six days of deliberating — a jury found him guilty last month of the 2007 second-degree murder of Mississauga dealer Husam Dagheim.

Justice Michael Tulloch sentenced Vassel to a mandatory life term. He still has to determine Vassel’s parole eligibilty — 10 years to 25 years.

Dagheim, 27, was hit in the heart when the gunman fired a .40-calibre weapon, jurors were told. Court heard at the time of the shooting, the victim was beside his wife in a van near a movie theatre parking lot across from Square One Shopping Centre at Hurontario St. and Burnhamthorpe Rd.

Vassel shot Dagheim during a plan to steal the victim’s marijuana.