Reputed gang leader Richard Goodridge could be facing deportation.

The 43-year-old was arrested in downtown Montreal Thursday on a warrant issued by the Canada Border Services Agency. Police say they found $9,000 in cash, four cell phones and several pieces of counterfeit ID on Goodridge.

He was arrested for allegedly violating Article 37 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, which prohibits permanent residents from having any ties to organized crime.

On Monday, Goodridge appeared before the Canadian Immigration Commission, which has the power to deport him to his native Guyanna.

Police say he was a member of the Montreal North-based "67" gang. Goodridge and fellow 67 member Ducarmed Joseph repotedly had a falling out in 2004, which may have resulted in violence.

Joseph survived a gangland shooting in March 2010. That day two gunmen opened fire on Joseph in an Old Montreal clothing store, killing two of his associates.

man whose daughter had a child with a high-profile gang figure has been sentenced to 3-1/2 years in prison for his role in a conspiracy to import cocaine from Mexico.

Wayne Scott, a 56-year-old truck driver from Abbotsford, B.C., was convicted earlier this year along with Jarrod Bacon of conspiracy to traffic cocaine.

The pair were busted in a reverse-sting operation in which a police agent offered to sell 100 kilograms of cocaine for $3 million.

Scott, whose daughter had a child with Bacon, asked for a conditional sentence and claimed he was manipulated by a friend, who was the police agent, and Bacon to do something he wouldn’t otherwise do.

Associate Chief Justice Austin Cullen agrees Scott’s involvement was low and was out of character, but he says Scott still had free will and appeared to be motivated by profit.

Cullen says given the seriousness of the alleged conspiracy, a conditional sentence isn’t appropriate in this case, but noted a 3-1/2 year sentence is far below the usual range of sentences for drug trafficking.

Grandfather of B.C. gangster’s child to be sentenced on cocaine conspiracy

Ian Smith / Postmedia News files

A British Columbia man convicted in a drug conspiracy apologized Monday as he asked to be spared jail time, saying he made stupid decisions after he became caught up with the wrong people — including high-profile gang figure Jarrod Bacon (pictured), who had fathered a child with the man's daughter. British Columbia man convicted in a drug conspiracy apologized Monday as he asked to be spared jail time, saying he made stupid decisions after he became caught up with the wrong people — including a high-profile gang figure who had fathered a child with his daughter.

Wayne Scott, a 56-year-old truck driver from Abbotsford, B.C., was convicted earlier this year in a conspiracy to import Mexican cocaine into Canada.

He was convicted along with Jarrod Bacon, one of three brothers who became notorious for their links to a bloody gang war in the Vancouver area several years ago, who once dated Scott’s daughter and was the father of her child.

Scott and Bacon were busted in a reverse-sting operation in which a police agent promised to sell Bacon 100 kilograms of cocaine for $3 million.

Crips Lured High School Girls Into Prostitution

violent street gang lured vulnerable Fairfax-area girls into prostitution is a chilling one for any parent, and is another reason why parents need to keep a close eye on their kids’ involvement with social networking websites. During a three-year period ending in March 2012, members of a violent Virginia street gang used some of these websites to recruit vulnerable high-school age girls to work in their prostitution business. The story has been reported locally in bits and pieces as it progressed, and now a recap is being distributed nationwide by the FBI, using the Fairfax episode as a cautionary tale for parents and law enforcement authorities. After a multi-agency state and federal investigation, all five defendants pleaded guilty to various federal charges related to the sex trafficking conspiracy. The leader of the gang—27-year-old Justin Strom—was sentenced on September 14 to 40 years in prison, while the sentences handed down for the other four defendants totaled 53 years. Strom headed up the Underground Gangster Crips (UGC), a Crips “set” based in Fairfax, Virginia. The Crips originated in Los Angeles in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and since then, the gang has splintered into various groups around the country. Law enforcement has seen a number of Crips sets in the U.S. engaging in sex trafficking as a means of making money.

Former Crips gang member Ronald L. Barron spotted a tagger spray painting one February Sunday evening in 2010 on Pico Boulevard near the Cottage Bar

 Barron had turned his life around and was working as a gang outreach and intervention worker. Still, going up to the tagger proved fatal; the 16-year-old boy shot Barron dead, in front of witnesses. Now that teenager is an adult, and offered an apology in court today after being sentenced to 29 years in prison for the killing, reports City News Service. Mark Anthony Villasenor addressed the court, his victim's family, and his own family members just before Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Laura F. Priver imposed the term: "As you guys all know, the incident occurred when I was 16. That does not make an excuse for my decision ... I'd like to say I'm sorry, first of all ... I'm sorry for the pain ... (The) truth is I'm sorry from the bottom of my heart.'' Barron, 40, had been shot point blank by Villasenor, who witnesses say walked calmly from the scene after firing. At StreetGangs.com, someone who knew Ronnie "Looney" Barron in his early years remembered his trajectory: Ronnie was a part of that early history and could go in depth about all the circumstances that transformed his neighborhood into a gang, but when he was young, he was fully involved. Unfortunately, when he was 17, he was sent to prison for attempted murder. His prison experience did little to change his lifestyle because upon release, he returned back into the same life style. But soon enough, Ronnie began to see the light when the casualty count in Los Angeles continued to grow, which included his friends, loved ones, and even his own brother. He knew it was time for a change, and everyone who knew Looney witnessed a successful transformation. This July, Villasenor pleaded no contest to one felony count each of voluntary manslaughter, possession of a concealed firearm, felony vandalism and being an active participant in a criminal street gang. The victim's son said his father, who worked in youth development for the Amer-I-Can program, would have forgiven Villasenor: "I forgive you because I know if my dad would have made it through, he would have done the same thing," offered Anthony White-Barron.

Gang Associate in West End Targeted Shooting

Gang associate escaped injury Tuesday afternoon when his black pick-up was sprayed with bullets in a targeted shooting in Vancouver’s West End. Vancouver Police received 911 calls from several shocked residents just before 3 p.m. about the shooting in the alley behind the 1300 block of Comox near Jervis. The target – whose identity police are not releasing – didn’t wait for the VPD to arrive, but was stopped minutes later i his truck on the Burrard Street bridge. VPD Const. Brian Montague said the truck was seized as evidence in the shooting. But he wouldn’t say whether or not the would-be victim was taken into custody or cooperating with police. “This is a very public shooting. It is fortunate that no one was killed. The level of violence is really concerning to us,: Montague said. “It is unacceptable. Our investigators will be on scene looking for witnesses, canvassing for video and trying to find out who is responsible and bring them to court.” While he described the shooting as both targeted and gang-related, he said it was too early to have a motive nailed down in the attack. “As you can imagine, it is still really early in the investigation so there is going to be a lot of information that I am not going to have and there is going to be a lot of hold-back,” Montague said. “The information we have at this time is that it was targeted. It was not a random attack. I can’t go into what that information is.”

Twenty-one people have been indicted by a federal grand jury on gun and drug charges, following an investigation into the Aryan Knights gang.

 U.S. Attorney Wendy Olson announced Tuesday the charges, which include distribution of methamphetamine, were the result of a long-term investigation by the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force. Prosecutors say members of the Aryan Knights gang were involved with trafficking meth and that associates of the gang supplied the drug. The gang is active both in prison and on the streets throughout Idaho, according to investigators. Of the 21 people indicted, 13 were on drug charges, including four counts of conspiracy to distribute meth, 15 counts of distribution of meth, and four counts of possession of meth with the intent to distribute. Eight people were indicted for firearm charges, ranging from unlawfully possessing firearms to possession of sawed-off shotguns. Two of those facing drug charges are also named in the firearm-related indictments. “Methamphetamine trafficking is Idaho’s most serious drug crime,” said Olson.  “The involvement of known gang members and the presence of firearms pose significant danger to our communities.” Five people were arrested Tuesday, while 12 others were already behind bars. Warrants have been issued for four more people.

Man admits killing fellow gang member in Allentown bar

An Allentown man admitted Tuesday to gunning down a fellow Bloods gang member at an Allentown sports bar in April 2010 after saying he wanted out of the gang. Marc Anthony Arnold, 21, pleaded guilty to an open count of homicide. Lehigh County Judge James T. Anthony immediately began a nonjury trial to determine the degree of murder. The trial is expected to end next week. If Arnold is found guilty of first-degree murder, he would have to spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole. Lesser convictions would allow him to one day be paroled.

The street faction of the 28s gang in Bishop Lavis, under the alleged leadership of George “Geweld” Thomas, was highly organised with members allocated specific tasks.

This is according to a National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) presentation outlining its case against Thomas, who is on trial in the Western Cape High Court with 18 other co-accused. He faces more than 160 charges relating to various crimes. Thomas’s trial, which has been running for more than a year, is ongoing. The NPA presentation referred to the 28s gang, under Thomas’s leadership, as an enterprise and said it had existed since before 2006. It said the enterprise, which was continuous, had structure and a “hierarchical system of authority with positions of leadership and subservience”. “Members are assigned primary roles/functions.” The presentation said members were financially supported “through drug dealing, extortion and robberies”. One of the things it listed the enterprise as being involved in was “keeping intended victims in fear of the enterprise and in fear of its members and associates”. It outlined the functions of each of the accused and described the following six as: * George Thomas, alias “Geweld” or “Tjova”: a high ranking 28s (prison) gang member and the leader of a 28s street gang faction whose stronghold was in Bishop Lavis. He issued instructions and participated in incidents and also associated with other crime bosses. * Peter McNiel, alias “Pietie”: a 28s (prison) gang member, based in Bishop Lavis, and a member of Thomas’s street gang faction. It said he was a hitman “prized for his military training”. * Giovanni Kannemeyer, alias “Wanie”: a 28s (prison) gang member who was subservient to Thomas “even on a street level”. He was based in Belhar and was a hitman/ driver and drug dealer. * Ashraf Ryklief, alias “Arab”: a 26s (prison) gang member and a leader of the street faction of the 26s. He was based in Delft and his stronghold was The Hague, Delft. Ryklief was Thomas’s associate and a drug dealer who ordered hits and stored firearms and ammunition. He was also involved with stolen vehicles. * Reyaaz Dennis, alias “Katjies”: a 28s (prison) gang member based in Belhar, who was subservient to Thomas’s leadership on a street level. Daniels was an abalone poacher, stored firearms and ammunition and was described as a “middle man”. * Jerome Karlmeyer, alias “Volbloed”: a 28s (prison) gang member who was a member of Thomas’s 28s street faction. He was based in Delft. Karlmeyer was a hitman, drug dealer and stored firearms and ammunition. According to the presentation, in five-and-a-half years, 21 people were murdered in a gang war that had centred on Bishop Lavis and Thomas had either ordered or carried out the majority of the killings.

Tensions erupted at the funeral of slain teen rapper Joseph “Lil JoJo” at a funeral parlor about 5 1/2 miles north of Saturday’s protest.

 Chicago police had to clear the funeral home when mourners surged the casket, nearly tipping it over. Outside, some mourners smoked weed in the parking lot, and police ended up confiscating a loaded .45-caliber pistol. Lil JoJo’s funeral on Friday wound south to Mount Hope Cemetery, and police got calls of shots fired from a car at 115th and Kedzie. There also were reports of someone waving a gun out of a car window. Police closed down several blocks of 115th Street near Fairfield on Friday, and officers from Chicago, Cook County and Merrionette Park stopped cars outside the cemetery, searching people. A gang disturbance was reported at a gas station at 111th Street and Talman, where police found the loaded pistol. Brandy Von Vossen, 31, of Merrionette Park, who participated in Saturday’s march with her husband, Josh, 32, and their 1-year-old and 3-year-old children, said she witnessed Friday’s melee. “It’s pretty scary,” Von Vossen said. “Yesterday was pretty bad; we’ve seen cars pull up sideways in intersections blocking all traffic. My friend and her four-year-old son were screamed at during one of the break-of processions on Pulaski yesterday. “We can’t walk around in Merrionette Park anymore because these processions happen a couple times a week” Von Vossen said. James McGann, 42, of Chicago’s Morgan Park community, said the problem is “getting ridiculous.” “I don’t have a problem with funeral processions. I mean, who would,” McGann said as he marched. “We don’t even leave the windows open during the day because of this.” Sue Pfiefer, 35, said she’s been run off the road by one of the funeral processions. “I see it all the time, I just wasn’t aware everyone else was,” Pfiefer said. “(Friday) was dangerous, I tried to stay inside. Even with all the police cars with them (in the procession), they were still acting like that.” Bansley created a Facebook event a few weeks ago promoting the march. An estimated 250 people showed up at Saturday’s demonstration. The group started in Kennedy Park, marched south on Western, then west on 115th Street, and stopped 300 feet from the cemetery entrance, as per city ordinance. Attempts to contact the Troost family and O’Shea’s office were unsuccessful Saturday.

Griselda Blanco, gunned down in Medellin, Colombia Two armed riders pulled up to Blanco as she was leaving a butcher shop in her hometown

Florida Department of Corrections

Griselda Blanco in 2004.

The convicted Colombian drug smuggler known as the “Godmother of Cocaine,” Griselda Blanco, 69, was gunned down by a motorcycle-riding assassin in Medellin, Colombian national police confirmed late Monday, according to the Miami Herald.

Blanco spent nearly 20 years in prison in the United States for drug trafficking and three murders before being deported to Colombia in 2004, the Herald reported.

Two armed riders pulled up to Blanco as she was leaving a butcher shop in her hometown, and one shot her twice in the head, the Herald reported, citing a report in El Colombiano newspaper.

Family members said Blanco had cut her ties to organized crime after returning to her country, the BBC reported. Police said they were investigating the motive.

Blanco was one of the first to engage in large-scale smuggling of cocaine into the United States from Colombia and set up many of the routes used by the Medellin cartel after she was sentenced in the United States in 1985, the BBC reported.

Investigators told the Herald that they estimate conservatively that Blanco was behind about 40 slayings. She was convicted in connection with three murders: Arranging the killing of two South Miami drug dealers who had not paid for a delivery, and ordering the assassination of a former enforcer for her organization, an operation that resulted in the death of the target’s 2-year-old son, the Herald reported.

Three of Blanco’s husbands were killed in violence related to drugs, the Herald reported, and one of her sons was named Michael Corleone, a reference to “The Godfather” movies.

Blanco is credited with originating motorcycle assassinations, the Herald reported.

“This is classic live-by-the-sword, die-by-the-sword,” filmmaker Billy Corben, who with Alfred Spellman made two “Cocaine Cowboys” documentaries, told the Herald. “Or in this case, live-by-the-motorcycle-assassin, die-by-the-motorcycle assassin.”