Cops & Bloggers

175,000 news blogs and roughly 1.6 million posts are created each day

Thursday, 15 January 2009

Disgraced ex-FBI agent John Connolly Jr. "crossed over to the dark side,"


Disgraced ex-FBI agent John Connolly Jr. "crossed over to the dark side," said Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Stanford Blake. The sentence will run consecutively to a 10-year racketeering sentence.Connolly, 68, was convicted in November of second-degree murder in the death of businessman John Callahan, an executive with World Jai-Alai. Callahan's bullet-riddled body was found in the trunk of a Cadillac parked at Miami International Airport.Connolly's fall from celebrated mob-buster to paid gangland flunky captivated a South Florida courtroom for weeks. In testimony at his sentencing hearing last month, he denied having any role in Callahan's death."It's heartbreaking to hear what happened to your father and to your husband," he told members of Callahan's family. "My heart is broken when I hear what you say."
He explained, in the face of vigorous cross-examination, that rubbing elbows with killers and gangsters and winning their confidence was part of his job. His attorney argued that Connolly did what the FBI wanted him to do, and now was being held responsible.Connolly did not testify at his trial.Prosecutors had asked that Connolly be given a life sentence, saying the 30-year minimum was not enough because Connolly abused his badge. In a Boston Globe interview published last month, however, Connolly vigorously denied being a corrupt agent."I did not commit these crimes I was charged with," Connolly told the newspaper. "I never sold my badge. I never took anybody's money. I never caused anybody to be hurt, at least not knowingly, and I never would."During his two-month trial, jurors heard that Connolly told his mob connections that Callahan, 45, was a potential witness against them, setting him up for the gangland-style slaying.According to testimony, Connolly was absorbed by the very gangsters he was supposed to be targeting -- members of South Boston's notorious Winter Hill gang. His story was said to be the inspiration for the character played by Matt Damon in the 2006 Martin Scorsese movie, "The Departed."
Connolly's tale was closely followed in New England, where he grew up in Boston's "Southie" neighborhood, the same area long dominated by the Winter Hill gang and its notorious leader, James "Whitey" Bulger. Sought in 19 slayings, Bulger is the FBI's second most-wanted fugitive.During the first two decades of his FBI career, Connolly won kudos in the bureau's Boston office, cultivating informants against New England mobsters. Prosecutors said Connolly was corrupted by his two highest-ranking snitches: Bulger and Stephen "The Rifleman" Flemmi.Connolly retired from the FBI in 1990 and later was indicted on federal racketeering and other charges stemming from his long relationship with Bulger and Flemmi. He was convicted of racketeering in 2002 and was serving a 10-year federal prison sentence when he was indicted in 2005 in the Callahan slaying.During testimony, jurors heard that Connolly was on the mob payroll, collecting $235,000 from Bulger and Flemmi while shielding his mob pals from prosecution and leaking the identities of informants.The prosecution's star witnesses at the Miami trial were Flemmi, who is now in prison, and mob hit man John Martorano, who has admitted to 20 murders, served 12 years in prison and is now free.Callahan, who often socialized with gangsters, had asked the gang to execute Oklahoma businessman Roger Wheeler over a business dispute, according to testimony. Martorano killed Wheeler in 1981 on a golf course, shooting him once between the eyes, prosecutors said.After Connolly told Bulger and Flemmi that Callahan was going to implicate them in the slaying, Martorano was sent to do away with Callahan, prosecutors said.But one star witness did not testify -- the former FBI agent who inspired the 1997 film "Donnie Brasco." He refused to take the stand after the judge denied his request to testify anonymously.

Wednesday, 14 January 2009

Three young men have died, and police say the rivalry between Bloods and Crips is mounting.

Some who lived through it recall the height of the city's gang violence in the 1980s and 1990s."I have actual gang members saying, 'This is bad out here,' " Michael Johnson, a former Crip, told The Oregonian newspaper.In response, pastors at funerals are appealing from the pulpit to gang members to end the shooting. Police are paying overtime to put more officers on the street.Probation officers are making more contacts with gang offenders on supervision and mapping out safety plans for those who may be targets. Outreach workers are staying visible on the streets and are lobbying to keep their programs going.Dan Saltzman, Portland's new police commissioner, promised to press the City Council to maintain gang outreach programs and to try to keep local community centers open late with programs aimed at teenagers."We don't want to wait for the shootings and just try to arrest people afterward," he told the paper. "There's just a lot of different tacks we have to take."Although the city's homicide rate and overall crime rate are down, gang violence has increased sharply over the past year, police say.They say they identified more than 150 new gang members and seized 112 firearms from gang members in 2008, about one-eighth of all the guns they seized in the year.On Dec. 12, Darshawn Cross, 31, collapsed from multiple gunshots during a funeral in the New Hope Missionary Baptist Church.Police say near-daily shootings followed, with bullets flying in drive-by shootings, during car chases, outside busy malls and theaters and into homes.On New Year's Eve, two 18-year-olds were killed at a Gresham apartment complex. One, Willy Butler, was a half brother of the man accused of shooting Cross."We have a crisis," said Lt. Mike Leloff of Portland's gang enforcement unit.

$5 million civil judgment against the 5th Hill Gang and 11 named members

"The 5th & Hill Gang has long been heavily involved in the sale of heroin in downtown Los Angeles, and we know they have profited from these illegal activities," said City Attorney Delgadillo, who several weeks ago filed a similar action against the 18th Street gang. "We are going to work aggressively with our Federal, State, and local partners to locate and collect their assets - and every penny we strip away from these criminals will be returned to the neighborhoods they have tormented."$5 million civil judgment against the 5th & Hill Gang and 11 named members as part of a permanent injunction restricting the criminal activity of the gang and its narcotics associates in the historic core of the City´s downtown area. This civil judgment is the first ever obtained against a criminal street gang.Approved by L.A. Superior Court, the permanent gang injunction severely restricts the ability of the gang to commit criminal and nuisance activity, including the sale of heroin and other narcotics within the established downtown Safety Zone as defined within the boundaries of 2nd Street to the north, San Pedro Street to the east, 9th Street to the south and Olive Street to the west. At the core of the Safety Zone is the northeast corner of Pershing Square, at which 5th and Hill Streets converge.
Terms of the permanent injunction include many of the standard gang injunction provisions, including limiting the gang´s ability to associate in public with other members, intimidate witnesses, to sell or possess drugs, or to possess weapons or graffiti tools. A unique provision of the injunction makes the gang injunction effective, not only against gang members, but also against the gang´s "Heroin Sales Associates" - defined as anyone arrested twice for possession for sale, or sales where the alleged controlled substance was heroin, and the arrest occurred within the established Safety Zone. This new provision was sought by city prosecutors because 5th & Hill Gang members attempt to insulate themselves from criminal liability by using non-gang members to move their product on the street."The Fifth and Hill Gang injunction and now the first ever civil judgment of its type, are evidence of a healthy prevention-focused partnership between the community and different components of the criminal justice system," said LAPD Chief William Bratton. "We will use these tools judiciously to improve safety and to help dismantle violent gangs." In addition to granting a permanent gang injunction, the Court also awarded $4,200,000 in civil damages against the 5th and Hill gang as well as gang members Jesus Barcenas, Everado Bautista, Adolfo Catala, Alejandro Delatorre, Jesus Gonzalez, Carlos Hernandez, Juan Bautista Osorio, Carlos Quiroz, Marco Rivera, Gustavo Roman, Jr., and Cesar Tovar. The Court also awarded an additional $857,500 in civil penalties against the gang and the named members for their violations of the State´s Business and Professions Code Section 17200.
"Because of our innovative and creative solutions to the gang problem.like the City Attorney´s new civil damages actions - we´re making Los Angeles one of the safest big cities in America," said L.A. City Council President Eric Garcetti. "I look forward to working with City Attorney Delgadillo to ensure that any money he recovers is distributed to the communities damaged by these gangs, as quickly as possible." "I want to congratulate the City Attorney for thinking outside of the box to bring down this opportunistic street gang," said Councilmember José Huizar. "And I´m happy to hear that the gang´s drug profits made off of the misery of others is going to be returned to the communities they originated in to do some real good."
The injunction - prosecuted by Gang Division Deputy Jim McDougal - includes more than 400 pages of declarations from law enforcement officials regarding the long-standing criminal activity of the 5th & Hill Gang located within the historic core of downtown Los Angeles, as well as declarations submitted on behalf of the local Business Improvement Districts regarding the economic harm caused by the 5th & Hill Gang.
The 5th & Hill Gang is known to have a monopoly on heroin sales in downtown Los Angeles. A vast majority of crimes committed within the Safety Zone, including graffiti and assaults, are related to heroin sales business conducted by the gang.
The City Attorney sought a preliminary gang injunction against the 5th & Hill Gang in November 2007, and the preliminary injunction was granted in February 2008. As part of the original filing, City Attorney Delgadillo´s prosecutors included an additional Cause of Action pursuant to penal code Section 186.22 a(c) seeking damages using the 2007 Amendments to the STEP Act signed into law by the Governor. That amendment expanded existing law to provide prosecuting City Attorneys and District Attorneys with the authority to seek damages against gang members under injunction, and to collect from them assets acquired from their criminal activity. "This is exactly the kind of anti-gang impact that we hoped to see with the passage of SB 271 and SB 1126," Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said."By giving prosecutors more tools to fight gang activity at the local level, we are protecting our communities at the same time we're able to strengthen our statewide anti-gang efforts."The December 2008 filing against members of the 18th Street gang was a stand-alone damages action filed pursuant to the 2008 Amendments to penal code Section 186.22 a(c), and was the first to make use of the passage of SB1126 which authorized prosecutors to collect damages from any assets the named gang members have to satisfy the judgment, whether or not a direct link is established between the criminal conduct and the asset. Since taking office in July 2001, City Attorney Delgadillo has increased the number of gang injunctions from eight to 40, covering more than 65 gangs and more than 61 square miles of claimed gang territory in Los Angeles. In addition, LAPD reports cite a 33 percent decline in gang membership since 2001, and a 25 percent reduction in gang crime since 2002.

Tuesday, 13 January 2009

Marlo "Bow Wow" Jones aka "Bow Wow" was arrested Friday after a January 5th incident where a Bone Thugs-n-Harmony member was robbed and beaten


Marlo "Bow Wow" Jones aka "Bow Wow" was arrested Friday after a January 5th incident where a Bone Thugs-n-Harmony member was robbed and beaten in Universal City. Marlo "Bow Wow" Jones, 30, was driving Saturday morning when officers identified his vehicle as being used in a robbery earlier in the week. "Bow Wow" was arrested around 8:50 a.m. and taken into custody downtown where he is being held lieu of a $1,160,396.00 bail. In a profile last year about USC coach Pete Caroll's do gooding activities, "Bow Wow" is featured as someone trying to make a change in his life: "Marlo 'Bow Wow' Jones is an ex-gangster, a guy who by his account has spent seven of his 29 years in jail, now working to turn his life around.On January 5th, Byron McCane, or Bizzy Bone as he's known from Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, returned to his hotel room at the Universal Hilton where he "was confronted by a group of suspects, including two females," an LAPD release stated. "The male suspects beat and choked the victim" before taking jewelry that he was wearing and storming the room looking for more. Meanwhile, "Bow Wow" was immediately terminated from Unity One, the contractor with the City of Los Angeles gang intervention program. "Unity One was founded after the 1992 Los Angeles riots by Darren “Bo” Taylor, a former gang member who became a peacekeeper respected by street toughs as well as by law enforcement and community activists struggling to reduce inner-city violence," the LA Times found.

Monday, 12 January 2009

Rodolfo Duarte, was arrested after allegedly attempting to carry a loaded weapon onto an aircraft at O’Hare International Airport

Rodolfo Duarte, was arrested after allegedly attempting to carry a loaded weapon onto an aircraft at O’Hare International Airport, the second such arrest in weeks.
Rodolfo Duarte, 27, was arrested Thursday at O’Hare International Airport and charged with boarding an aircraft with a weapon, according to police News Affairs Officer David Banks. Jefferson District police indicated a loaded “homemade” firearm, which has no make or model but has the ability to fire, was found inside his bag. One bullet was in the chamber and another was outside the chamber of the gun when he was arrested Thursday afternoon, district police said.On Dec. 6, Goce Stojanovski, 47, of Crown Point, Ind., was charged with trying to board an aircraft at O’Hare with a weapon, according to police.A loaded .25-caliber semi-automatic handgun was found wrapped in a napkin in a pocket of his carry-on briefcase, with five live rounds, including one in the chamber, according to court records.

Sunday, 11 January 2009

Pedro Sanz,well-known Calgary gangster is cooling his heels in jail after breaching curfew.

Pedro Sanz, well-known Calgary gangster is cooling his heels in jail after breaching curfew.Police were investigating a shooting in the community of Dover last night. CPS Spokesperson Kevin Brookwell says they came upon the man partially by chance.
Police were looking for a black car in relation to the shooting when they noticed another car with a person in it that they recognized. They stopped that car and arrested Pedro Sanz, who was wearing body armour at the time.

Michael Colson, 29, of 877 Middle St., pleaded guilty before Judge Robert T. Kane to trafficking more than 14 grams of cocaine

Michael Colson, 29, of 877 Middle St., pleaded guilty before Judge Robert T. Kane to trafficking more than 14 grams of cocaine, trafficking the drug in a school zone, failing to stop for police, leaving the scene of property damage, driving to endanger, assault and battery on a police officer, resisting arrest and five counts of assault with a dangerous weapon — motor vehicle.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Gregory Tinsworth. Defense counsel was Tom Henneberry.
On April 11, 2008, Vice and Intelligence Unit detectives were surveilling the area of 1091 S. Main St., where they saw Colson engaged in a suspected drug deal. Police were aware he had been convicted of possession of a drug with intent to distribute and they also had information from multiple informants that he was recently selling crack cocaine, said Gregg Miliote, spokesman for the District Attorney’s Office.
When police saw Colson start driving a car, they recalled that his license was suspended, so they had an officer in a marked cruiser stop his vehicle.
“As they approached the rear of Colson’s car on foot, they saw him looking at them in his rear view mirror,” Miliote stated. “His backup lights came on and he revved his engine as he put his car into reverse and drove at the officers, who had to run out of the way to avoid being struck.”
Miliote said Colson then put his car in drive and squealed his tires as he moved forward and drove at the uniformed officer who had conducted the stop. “This officer also had to jump out of the way to avoid being struck.”
Colson then drove down the narrow residential street at 60 mph, nearly striking an unidentified pedestrian, Miliote added. At the next corner, Colson collided head-on with a responding cruiser operated by Officer Raul Camara. Colson then fled on foot with all the officers chasing him.
“During the pursuit, he was observed throwing down a plastic bag which was later determined to be 16 grams of cocaine,” Miliote said. Once officers caught up with Colson, he fought with them, punching three, but was eventually subdued, Miliote said.
The officers nearly struck by the defendant’s car were Detective Lt. James Keighley, Detectives James Smith, William Falandys, Brian Nadeau and Officer Derick Silva.
“This case involved rapid prosecution by ADA Tinsworth and a tough sentence for a man who put police lives at risk,” Miliote stated. “Members of the Fall River Police Department involved in this case should be commended for their swift actions on the day of the incident.”

Murder of Roly Cronin who had been involved in the drugs trade imminent arrests.

Murder of Roly Cronin had been involved in the drugs trade since his teens, and he received a 13-year sentence for possession of heroin in 1996. He enjoyed the usual trappings of drugs wealth -- expensive holidays, upmarket cars and a generally lavish lifestyle.
He lived with his partner and child in Buckingham Street, a short distance from where he died, for a number of years but had moved to Finglas last year, apparently after running into trouble with other drug dealers in the north inner city.GARDAI have obtained crucial DNA evidence from the Magnum pistol used in the killing of Michael ‘Roly' Cronin and his driver. Officers are expected to swoop on the chief suspect for the double murder in the coming days in an effort to match his DNA to the sample recovered from the powerful pistol used in the shooting. Dozens of officers are this weekend hunting the man in his 30s they suspect of the hit - an associate of drug boss Cronin's from the north inner city. The second man shot in the incident, James Moloney, from Poppintree in Ballymun, died yesterday afternoon from his injuries. He had been on life support at St James's Hospital since being shot twice in the head as he sat beside Cronin. A breakthrough in the case occurred last night when preliminary forensic tests on the gun yielded a DNA sample, which gardai believe belongs to the killer. A source told the Herald: "It's a key piece of evidence and the next step is obviously to match it to the hitman.
"We have a chief suspect and we are trying to locate him this weekend. But we're keeping an open mind and there'll be a few other people we'll need to speak to as well. "The case is progressing slowly but surely. Given the nature of DNA analysis, it could take four to six weeks to get a full match." The main suspect is known to gardai and was friendly with Cronin in the past, and officers believe that this friendship explains why the gang boss allowed him into his car at Langrishe Place, off Summerhill, last Wednesday night. As the black Volvo S40 drove off, the gunman fired one shot at Cronin and two at Moloney before fleeing. He dropped the murder weapon, a Magnum .357, under a car at Gloucester Place, and also discarded a black jacket and gloves nearby -- all of which have been recovered by gardai. Forensic tests are continuing on the jacket and gloves, and gardai are hopeful of obtaining DNA from one if not both pieces of evidence. The source added: "It's rare that a hitman would leave so much evidence at the scene. He was obviously panicking as he ran from the car on Summerhill down into Gloucester Place." Moloney, in his 20s, was an associate of Cronin's. He was originally from Poppintree, but more recently lived at Braithwaite Street in the south inner city. He had been on life support since the shooting last Wednesday but a decision was made yesterday to switch off the machine.
While Cronin was a major drug trafficker, Moloney had no criminal convictions. Moloney had been warned in recent weeks there was a hit out on his boss and told to stop working for him. The remains of Cronin, who was originally from Ballymun but had also lived in the north inner city and Finglas, will be released for burial in the coming days. The dad of one was released from prison four years ago, after serving a 10-year sentence for drugs possession. After his release from jail, he aligned himself to Marlo Hyland's Finglas-based crime gang, while also running his own business in areas from Ballymun to Poppintree. Officers are examining a number of motives for Cronin's killing, but the chief line of inquiry is that he fell out with other criminals in the north inner city over cash owed for drugs. Gardai in the city divisions on both sides of the Liffey expressed concern last week that the new young gangs, aged mainly in their late teens and early 20s, are causing a great deal of trouble. They are putting intense pressure on their younger teenage street dealers and any drug seizures by gardai or losses of earnings are punished with severe violence. These gangs are mainly involved in heroin dealing. They are also unafraid of the established, older gang figures in the city.
Senior sources also said that with cutbacks on the garda budgets, there are strict controls on overtime, with detectives being made to work general office hours which is curtailing murder investigations. They also claimed that there appears to be relatively little interest expressed in the gangland crime from senior garda management. One pointed out that while three very senior gardai attended the investigation of one very high profile "domestic" murder last year, none has been seen near any of the ordinary gangland murder scenes or other less high profile killings in the city

Outbreak of gangland violence after two murders and at least three attempted murders in the opening week of the New Year.

Outbreak of gangland violence after two murders and at least three attempted murders in the opening week of the New Year.The long-running feud between two gangs in the south inner city is fully expected to flare up after members of the two gangs bumped into each other in a city-centre take-away in the early hours of January 3. One man was struck on the head with a hammer and then repeatedly kicked in the head as he lay senseless on the floor. The victim is still in hospital and it is not yet known if his injuries will cause permanent brain damage.Shortly before that attack, a gunman called at a flat in Pearse Street, pointed a gun at a man who answered the door and pulled the trigger. The gun failed to fire. Gardai said the victim was an entirely innocent person and they believe it was a case of mistaken identity. They have yet to find the intended victim.Then, within the space of two hours on Wednesday evening last, two men were murdered in central Dublin and another shot and severely wounded at a house in Kinsealy in north Dublin. The Kinsealy victim is expected to recover, despite being shot in the chest and neck.Gardai admitted last week that they are uncertain as to why gangland violence has flared again in the city. Despite an amount of conjecture, gardai do not know the reasons for the murders of Michael 'Roly' Cronin, 35, and his associate James Moloney, 26, a man with no known serious criminal involvement, in Summerhill in the south inner city at 8.40pm last Wednesday. While it was known that Cronin was at odds with other drug dealers in the Finglas, Coolock and Blanchardstown areas, it was not clear why he was back in his old neighbourhood in Summerhill in the north inner city where other gangs control the drugs -- particularly heroin -- supply in the city centre. Gardai have a firm suspect for the double murder, a man in his early 20s from the north inner city area, described as a relatively minor gangland figure. The gunman was in the back seat of Cronin's car as it pulled into Langrishe Place off Summerhill. He apparently shot Cronin, who was driving, in the head, and the car crashed into a barrier. He then turned the gun on Moloney, shooting him twice in the head.
Two hours after the double killing, a gunman forced his way into a house in Drynam Drive about six miles away in Kinsealy, then rampaged through the house looking for his 29-year-old victim. A young woman visiting the house with her baby was cornered in a bathroom where the gunman pointed his gun at her. His victim was hiding in a bedroom barring the door and the gunman fired through it, hitting him twice. It is believed that a drug gang from the Coolock and Darndale area was behind the attack, which is not thought to be linked with the shooting in the north inner city.Senior garda sources said last week that while they were anticipating violence in the Finglas and other north-western areas of the city, the double killing in the north inner city and the rekindling of the south-city feud are worrying developments.
As it does every few years, the character of the gangland scene in Dublin is changing, and younger, and, according to gardai, more ruthless gangs are yet again emerging.

Friday, 9 January 2009

Timothy McGhee Gang leader described by police as a thrill-killer sentenced to death

Gang leader described by police as a thrill-killer was sentenced to death Friday for murdering gang rivals and trying to kill police officers.
Superior Court Judge Robert J. Perry agreed with the recommendation of the jury that 35-year-old Timothy McGhee should be put to death. The judge said McGhee's crimes were unprovoked and showed no consideration for human life. McGhee treated his crimes "as some kind of perverse sport, as if he were hunting human beings," Perry said. McGhee appeared in court surrounded by three deputies. Authorities said he was the highest-ranking gang member in the city's tough Atwater Village neighborhood. He was convicted in October 2007 of killing two gang rivals and a woman. Ronald Martin, 17, was shot 28 times as he sketched a picture along the Los Angeles River. Prosecutors said Ryan Gonzales, 16, was killed because he and McGhee had the same nickname—"Guero," which is Spanish for someone with light skin. Margie Mendoza, 25, was fatally shot while she was in a sports utility vehicle with her boyfriend.
The two police officers were led into gang territory and ambushed in 2000. They escaped injury after McGhee opened fire on their patrol car. Three other gang members have been convicted and sentenced in the crime. Jurors who convicted McGhee also upheld special circumstance allegations of multiple murders and murder to further the activities of a criminal street gang, which made him eligible for the death penalty. He previously received a sentence of 75 years to life for taking part in a riot at the downtown Men's Central Jail in January 2005. McGhee had been placed on the U.S. Marshals Service's most-wanted list before his February 2003 arrest in Bullhead City, Ariz. He's been in jail since then.

Victims, 34, 28, and 23, were walking or standing in the 100 block of James Street when the shooter emerged from an alley about 2:35 a.m. and fired

Three men were shot near Pioneer Square early Friday, one of two shootings investigate by Seattle police in the span of 30 minutes.The victims, 34, 28, and 23, were walking or standing in the 100 block of James Street when the shooter emerged from an alley about 2:35 a.m. and fired multiple blasts, police spokesman Mark Jamieson said.One of the victims' friends pulled him into the trunk of a car and drove him to Harborview Medical Center. The other two victims were treated by medics and taken by ambulance to the hospital, Jamieson said."We're still trying to sort it out. But it doesn't appear that this is a random thing," he said.Homicide and gang detectives were investigating and trying to identify suspects. No one has been arrested, Jamieson said.Police detained the driver who took the victim to the hospital, but it appears that person was a witness and not involved in the shooting, Jamieson said.About 30 minutes earlier, police were called to a University District bar, where patrons traded gunfire outside.No one has been arrested, but police found a handgun stashed in the wheel well of a vehicle parked outside the bar in the 5500 block of University Way Northeast. Officers also recovered four .40-caliber casings and one spent bullet, Seattle police reported. The gunmen exchanged gunfire in front of the bar and in an alley behind it. Police were unable to find suspects or any victims.

suspected gang member Robert Mayberry picked-up in Atlanta for distribution of heroin

Robert Mayberry picked-up in Atlanta for distribution of heroin. He'll have to come back to Cincinnati to face charges here. Police are taking a more aggressive approach to gang activity. They're hoping this latest arrest shows gang members even if they run, eventually police will catch them.Suspected members of a gang called the Taliband saw a show of force from police-- rounded up with cameras rolling. Officers hope it sends a message. "If you are out here involved in gang-related behavior not only will the individual that committed the offense be targeted, but that entire group will be targeted." Tuesday, the long arm of the law reached from Cincinnati to Atlanta and tapped suspected gang member Robert Mayberry on the shoulder. Police say the man who went by the name "One Eyed Kenny" in Avondale streets was picked up by U.S. Marshals. Officers credit a tip from Sofast and the Cincinnati Initiative to Reduce Violence program, called CIRV.
"It's a collaborative effort of not just Cincinnati police, but also federal marshals, prosecutors, probation officers. We're bringing in the whole gamut of law enforcement judges." Officers believe Mayberry was the head of the "Grimmie Gang". He fled Cincinnati when police arrested most of the gang about a year ago. Officers recently arrested suspected gang member Kenneth Milton and eight others for violent crimes in Kennedy Heights and Pleasant Ridge. The youngest member of the Coleridge Boys is actually an 11-year-old girl. "However, it definitely sends a message that we need to be doing more reaching out to the children in the community and letting them know that this is definitely not the path to go down." The 11-year-old suspected gang member is accused of breaking into a couple's home and threatening the homeowner with a gun in her waistband. Sergeant Danita Kilgore says in her experience finding a gang member that young is atypical.Numerous members of the Grimmie Gang have recently gone to trial for murder. Many of them agreed to plea deals that sent them to prison.

Miguel Angel Soto Parra, arrested on Wednesday in Mexico City, is a former police officer who was one of the earliest members of the Zetas

Miguel Angel Soto Parra, arrested on Wednesday in Mexico City, is a former police officer who was one of the earliest members of the Zetas, a group of hitmen made up largely of army deserters, a source at the attorney general's office said. President Felipe Calderon has scored a number of big arrests since he sent the army to crack down on drug gangs. But turf wars have spiraled out of control, with some 5,650 people killed last year, many of them tortured or beheaded. The Gulf cartel, which relies on the Zetas to settle scores with rival gangs, is one of Mexico's top smuggling groups, running Colombian cocaine into Texas via the border cities of Matamoros, Reynosa and Nuevo Laredo, security officials say.

19-year-old Juan Vasquez was arrested early Friday on suspicion of killing two teenage boys.

El Paso County sheriff's Lt. Lari Sevene says 19-year-old Juan Vasquez was arrested early Friday on suspicion of killing two teenage boys. It wasn't immediately clear if Vasquez had an attorney. Investigators say a shooting east of Colorado Springs that left two people dead stemmed from a gang-related clash over a stolen iPod.Deputies responded to a report of a fight involving nearly two dozen people at about 4 p.m. Thursday near Cimarron Eastridge Park, and found at least one person performing CPR on a shooting victim.One person died at the scene. The second died at a hospital less than an hour later.The names of the victims have not been released, but Sevene says they attended Sierra High School and New Horizon School.

It’s been one of the last unsolved mysteries from the gangland career of John Gotti.

Whatever happened to the neighbor who accidentally ran over and killed the mobster’s John Gotti. 12-year-old son Frankie — and then vanished?The answer may be found in Brooklyn court papers filed this week by federal prosecutors.They say 51-year-old John Favara was shot to death on orders of the outraged Gambino crime family boss — and his body was dissolved in a vat of acid. Prosecutors say a cooperating witness has fingered a 62-year-old former mobster as the perpetrator in the 1980 affair. Charles Carneglia, an alleged mob soldier awaiting trial on five murders, made sure there was no body to be found by dissolving Favara’s remains with flesh-eating acid, which he kept by the drum in his basement, a government witness testified.“In a later discussion concerning his expertise at disposing of bodies for the Gambino family, which included a discussion of a book [Charles Carneglia] was reading on dismemberment, [Carneglia] informed another Gambino family associate that acid was the best method to use to avoid detection,” government prosecutors wrote in court papers.What happened to Favara has been the stuff of New York lore: In 2004, the federal agents dug up a lot in Queens on a tip that Favara’s remains were buried there. Most recently, the government believed his body was buried in vat of cement and dropped into Sheepshead Bay.

Experts who viewed the video clips speculated that Mehserle fired his gun because the officer had mistaken his handgun for a stun gun.

A BART police officer, idenitified as 27-year-old Johannes Mehserle, shot Grant on the Fruitvale station platform after responding to reports of men fighting on a train. Four officers had pulled Grant and a few other men out of the train. The victim was lying face down on the platform when he was shot. The shooting and events leading up to it were captured on amateur videos that have been broadcast on CBS 5 and other television outlets. Mehserle resigned from the transit agency shortly before he was supposed to be interviewed by investigators Wednesday. Mehserle's attorney did not respond to calls for comment. Grant's family in Hayward has filed a $25 million wrongful death claim against BART, and they want prosecutors to file criminal charges against Mehserle.
"There were racial slurs directed at the young men," family attorney John Burris said Thursday. "But I have no evidence that this particular officer (Mehserle) directed racial slurs towards Oscar Grant." Police have not classified the confrontation as a hate crime.
Some experts who viewed the video clips speculated that Mehserle fired his gun because he believed Grant had a deadly weapon, while others think the officer had mistakenly his handgun for a stun gun.

105 people were arrested in violent Oakland protests over the BART police shooting of an unarmed man

Heavy police presence greeted Bay Area Rapid Transit commuters Thursday after at least 105 people were arrested in violent Oakland protests over the BART police shooting of an unarmed man.The unruly protesters, responding to the Jan. 1 fatal shooting of 22-year-old Oscar Grant III, smashed store windows, burned cars, and vandalized an Oakland police cruiser as they made their way throughout the downtown area.Grant's mother, Wanda Johnson, beseeched residents to avoid further violence and not tarnish the image of her son."You're hurting people who have nothing to do with the situation. You're vandalizing their property, hurting their cars and breaking their windows. Please just stop it, please," Johnson said at a Thursday afternoon news conference. About 15 people were taken into custody around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, but the bulk of the 100-plus arrests were made after police cornered protesters outside the Paramount Theatre around 11 p.m., said Oakland Police spokesman Jeff Thomason.Charges against them include inciting a riot, assault on a police officer, vandalism, rioting and unlawful assembly, Thomason said. Two of the arrests involved illegal handgun possession and another was for drug violations.
He indicated at least one person, a TV cameraman, was injured in the violence. No police officers were hurt, he said. Police officers patrolled outside BART headquarters in Oakland Thursday to ensure calm during the agency's morning meeting, where many African-American community leaders expressed outrage over the killing of Grant, who was black.Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson told BART directors that Grant's death "appeared to be an execution,'' and he called for BART to hold a public meeting that allows the community to understand the policies and procedures in which police officers shoot people.The Rev. Amost Brown was even more blunt: "It was murder. Not trying to explain away, not trying to explain whethere he had his taser or he had his gun. The evidence was there. And we should all say, that was murder. And this gentleman needs to be brought to justice." Oakland City Councilwoman Desley Brooks said BART appeared to be trying to cover up the incident and alleged, "There was a failure to communicate and acknowledge the taking of a life.''Brooks also contended that most protests in the wake of Grant's death were peaceful and that the violence was caused by "a renegade group'' that wanted to "wreak havoc.''What had started as a peaceful demonstration involving about 500 people at the Fruitvale BART station over Grant's shooting death escalated Wednesday night. Oakland police in riot gear threw tear gas and started making arrests as they tried to break up the demonstration; extra officers were called in for duty."The crowd started to become more agitated, more hostile, started throwing stuff at the police," Thomason said. "We gave a dispersal order four to five times over a 20-minute period, then we had our officers go in and start making arrests."

Thursday, 8 January 2009

Arrested Ralph Fuller, 50, at about 7 p.m. Monday in the slaying of Michael McDaniel.


Arrested Ralph Fuller, 50, at about 7 p.m. Monday in the slaying of Michael McDaniel.
Fuller was taken to the Clark County Detention Center and charged with one count of murder with a deadly weapon, police said.When officers arrived near Martin Luther King Boulevard and Owens Avenue at about 8:48 a.m. on Dec. 16, they found McDaniel in the driver's seat of his vehicle with multiple gunshot wounds. McDaniel was taken to University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, police said.Witnesses at the scene told police the victim was in his vehicle waiting to go westbound on Owens when another man who was also stuck in traffic left a white Nissan vehicle, walked up to the victim's vehicle and fired multiple shots into the driver's seat, police said.Witnesses said the shooter then calmly walked back to his vehicle, made a U-turn eastbound on Owens and left the scene, police said.

Reward for information in a fatal shooting at a Far North Dallas smoke shop last week has been doubled to $10,000

reward for information in a fatal shooting at a Far North Dallas smoke shop last week has been doubled to $10,000, police said today. 1 dead, 3 injured in Gas Pipe smoke shop shooting in Dallas Investigators have not identified a motive in the killing of 18-year-old Rebeca Rae Kemp. Three other people were injured when a gunman standing with two other men opened fire from the front doorway of the Gas Pipe in the 18600 block of Marsh Lane. At the request of Dallas police, Schepps Dairy added $5,000 to an existing reward posted by Crime Stoppers in the Dec. 30 shooting. The money is being offered for information leading to an arrest and grand jury indictment in the case.

Enrique Zavala Zamudio, 19, and Joel Chavez Zavala, 21, died at the scene from their gunshot wounds.

Two people were killed and four were injured after two gunmen opened fire on a group of people barbecuing in Greenfield on Sunday, police said.The shooting took place at about 7:40 p.m. at 438 Calaveras St.Witnesses said they saw two Hispanic men in their late teens or early 20s walking in the neighborhood and looking “suspicious” just minutes before gunfire rang out, police said.Enrique Zavala Zamudio, 19, and Joel Chavez Zavala, 21, died at the scene from their gunshot wounds.The other four victims were brought to local hospitals.As of 5:30 a.m. Monday, two of the victims had been released from area hospitals, while the other victims were in stable condition.The two alleged gunman fled the scene on foot and are currently on the loose, officials said.Police said the two men may have gotten into a brown GMC Yukon or a Chevrolet Blazer, but no license plate was seen.

Randy Davis is charged with first-degree murder in the slaying of Michele Davis

Randy Davis is charged with first-degree murder in the slaying of Michele Davis last September. She was found dead after her car went out of control near downtown. Police believed she died in the accident, but an autopsy showed she had been shot.
Witnesses reported seeing a red pickup truck in the area at the time Michele Davis' car crashed.Randy Davis was arrested a week later. He remains in the Polk County jail on $500,000 bond.

Oscar Juliuss Grant III,steady stream of mourners passed by the wreath-flanked casket



steady stream of mourners passed by the wreath-flanked casket of Oscar Juliuss Grant III, and by the time his funeral service began Wednesday morning, an overcapacity crowd of about 1,000 people had packed into South Hayward's Palma Ceia Baptist Church.As family members took their seats — more than 100 of Grant's relatives attended — one woman became overcome with grief and allowed herself to be escorted outside.The church's Rev. Ronald Coleman changed the tone with music, singing "I don't know what you came to do, but I came to pray today" to a crowd that increasingly clapped along.Coleman urged the crowd to "show the world how we believers handle stuff like this, and lift up this family."So set the mood for most of the services, which squarely focused on the life of 22-year-old Grant, and not on his violent shooting death on the Fruitvale BART platform, early Jan. 1.Grant had long been a member of the church on Ruus Road, and pastors spoke warmly about the man whom they'd known since he was a young boy."I met Oscar when he was young — 6, 7, 8 years old," Deacon Eugene Carter said during the service. Oscar always knew so much for a young person. It seemed like he knew as much as some adults. ."‚."‚. He would ask adult questions."Grant had shown leadership skills as part of the church's Royal Ambassadors program, Carter said, which made the deacon think that one day the boy would become a pastor himself. From a young age, Grant enjoyed fishing, baseball, chess and dominoes, Carter said."Whatever you knew how to do, Oscar already knew how to do it," he said.

Nine-millimetre Mack 11 machine pistol found with a cache of weapons during a drug search




A nine-millimetre Mack 11 machine pistol found with a cache of weapons during a drug search was an “unusual” find, said Constable Amy Phillipo of the London Police Service. London city police went looking for drugs today and found a stockpile of weapons, including a prohibited semi-automatic pistol that can easily be converted into an automatic gun. But knives and guns that can be legally purchased in Canada are frequently found during drug investigations, she said, adding some are registered and some are not. The semi-automatic Mack 11, which holds 13 rounds of ammunition, is a prohibited weapon in Canada, said a member of the drug and gun squad, adding it can be converted into an automatic weapon with simple modifications. “It has no military use,” he said. “It is not used by the Canadian forces.” Phillipo said the gun was seized along with drugs, seven knives, a homemade tazer and pepper spray after police executed a search warrant at a Dundas Street residence about 9:30 a.m. today. A suspect in a drug investigation was spotted and arrested at Dundas and Burwell streets before police searched the address listed on the warrant, said Phillipo. After the search, police charged Anthony Gratkowski, 23, of London with 11 weapons and firearms offences, possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking, possession of marihuana for the purpose of trafficking and possession of the proceeds of crime. During the search, police also seized ammunition, a digital scale, 110 grams of marihuana bud, 2.5 kilograms of marihuana shake and a small quantity of cocaine as well as the weapons. Police displayed the seizure for the media this afternoon and the items included a bayonet with a grip handle and wrist strap, a machete with a long blade, a knife with a split blade and a dagger that tapers to a needle point.

Chilling execution of Su'a, a former missionary and self-made contractor, at the hands of city gangsters

Chilling execution of Su'a, a former missionary and self-made contractor, at the hands of city gangsters embroiled in an ongoing rivalry took only seconds to unfold on New Year's Day.Su'a was drinking tea when gun-men burst inside the cafe. Shots were fired, hitting and killing two young men seated at the table next to Su'a. He scrambled to escape the restaurant unharmed, but came face to face with another gangster waiting outside. A few words were exchanged, shots rang out, and Su'a's body hit the pavement. He was killed instantly.Friends and loved ones say they are struggling with their anger at the gang-fuelled violence that claimed an innocent man. "It's important that people know what Keni stood for. What happened affects everyone in Calgary," close friend Tannis Keteca said.

Wednesday, 7 January 2009

Senior Cpl. Norman Smith,was shot in the head and taken to Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, where he was declared dead about an hour later.

Senior Cpl. Norman Smith, 43, was with about six other officers serving a felony warrant in the 4900 block of Wadsworth Drive. Smith knocked on the door of an apartment about 6:15 p.m. and came under fire almost immediately, police said.He was shot in the head and taken to Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, where he was declared dead about an hour later.Three suspects were taken into custody, police said. The men were being questioned and had not been identified.
Police Chief David Kunkle said the officers serving the warrant were attempting a "ruse to try to get the suspects to the door without announcing that they were police officers." "This was a high-risk situation," Kunkle said. "The officers were tactically well-positioned, but they were immediately met with gunfire."
Smith joined the department in 1991 and would have marked his 18th year on the force today. Smith had an extensive knowledge of Dallas' gangs and was described by Kunkle as one of the department's finest police officers."I would have thought he was invincible," Kunkle said Tuesday night, choking back emotion. "He was a great, great street officer. He had the heart of a warrior."Smith's death was believed to be the nation's first fatal shooting of an officer in the line of duty this year. He is the first Dallas officer shot to death in the line of duty since Mark Nix in 2007.
Lt. Sally Lannom, a former member of the gang unit, described Smith as a hard worker who knew his job well and would be sorely missed."It's a huge loss for the department and a huge loss for those of us who knew and loved Norm," Lannom said.
Smith was married to Dallas police Lt. Regina Smith. They met when Norman Smith was working at the Dallas County Jail."Norm was working there, and he came up to her and said, 'You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen,' " Kunkle said.Lannom said Smith was an expert on the gangs in the southern sector, where Tuesday's shooting occurred."He worked that area in patrol," she said. "He knew that area. It made sense when he came to the unit to become the expert on the gangs in that part of town."Kunkle said Smith "could go into the toughest neighborhoods and be respected."
On Tuesday, Smith and about six other gang-unit officers were in search of a violent felon at the Oak Wood Place Apartments, police said.Smith, flanked by two other officers, approached the door and knocked. Someone inside asked who was there, and Smith responded with a fake name, police officials said.When the suspected gunman opened the door, Smith yelled that they were the police, according to the preliminary investigation. The suspect then tried to close the door, and Smith pushed back. That's when he was shot.Officers returned fire, frantically trying to pull their fallen comrade out of the line of fire as the gunman opened the door and continued shooting. No one else was injured in the gunbattle.The three men inside the apartment then surrendered, one at a time, within minutes of the shooting.
Hours afterward, a SWAT unit remained at the scene, and police officers roamed the complex on the northeast corner of Wadsworth and Loop 12.Surrounded by a black wrought-iron gate, the apartment complex has long been known as a haven for drug and gang activity.In 1998, it was the scene of a gunbattle between police and drug suspects. Someone fired through an apartment wall, hitting Dallas police officer Edward Menchaca in the hip. A second police officer was grazed by a bullet.
The officers were investigating a tip that a drug deal was going on inside the apartment.Kunkle said Regina Smith, who works in his office, was devastated by the news, just as he was. "These are just people that I have tremendous love and affection for," he said. "They're all tough, but for me this is a really difficult situation."Built like a middle linebacker, Smith stood well over 6 feet tall and was known to be even-tempered, opinionated and even sentimental. Lannom said she was introduced to her husband by Smith. "I still remember Norm standing there all embarrassed, asking me if I wanted to go out with Jon," Lannom recalled. "I owe my husband to Norm."Lannom said Smith's mother is from Europe, and he spent a portion of his youth there. Before joining the Dallas police, Smith worked as a Kaufman County sheriff's deputy.The Smiths have two teenage children, a boy and a girl. Those who knew the couple well said they enjoyed antiquing, collecting fine china and traveling in their off-hours."They were just magical together," Kunkle said.

Reigo Janes, 27, listened to the case through an interpreter after admitting two counts of robbery and two of possessing an imitation firearm.

Reigo Janes, 27, listened to the case through an interpreter after admitting two counts of robbery and two of possessing an imitation firearm. The court heard he was one of four men to target Berry's in April 2006. He carried a hammer, two carried what are believed to be handguns and staff were said to be terrified.They fled with £335,000 worth of watches, including Rolexes, before dropping their weapons – ball bearing guns – at the door.Three months later Janes was part of a gang to target jewellers in Manchester. The raid lasted 29 seconds and yielded watches worth £230,000. They were hidden in a nearby bar toilet's suspended ceiling and picked up by another gang member.Janes was caught through DNA matches after West Yorkshire Police widened their hunt. He was brought back to the UK and admitted the crimes saying he was picked because he was homeless, in debt and had a criminal record. He was paid the equivalent of £3,500 for the Leeds robbery in Estonian kroon.
Sentencing him the recorder of Leeds Judge Peter Collier QC said: "I accept you were not the ringleader but you were an able and willing recruit. You did the dirty work."Speaking after the case Det Insp Lloyd Batley of West Yorkshire Police said: "We were the first force to make the link between the robberies and the gang in Estonia. The raids were meticulously planned and ruthlessly executed. They were in and out in seconds. Janes was sentenced to 12 years to run concurrently for the robberies and five years concurrently for firearms offences.

Smashed a dissident Republican cell which was selling weapons to Dublin crime gangs.

Smashed a dissident Republican cell which was selling weapons to Dublin crime gangs.
Five suspected members of the Continuity IRA remained in custody today after officers from the Special Detective Unit raided a number of properties in south County Dublin.Six replica handguns were seized in the operation, which was launched on Sunday night after SDU officers stopped and searched a car travelling through Tallaght.This was followed by a raid on an apartment in Loughlinstown, where the imitation firearms were recovered, along with more than 60 rounds of ammunition.
The guns can be converted to fire live rounds, and officers believe that the CIRA cell was planning to make the conversion and sell the weapons on to figures in Dublin's underworld.A leading member of the Dublin unit of the CIRA, in his 60s, was arrested after the guns were uncovered.Three younger men, all in their 20s, were also arrested. Detectives believe that these men were involved in moving the weapons.
A woman in her 20s, known to the men, has also been detained. All five are from the Ballybrack and Loughlinstown areas of south Dublin.All five people are being held at garda stations in Terenure, Blackrock and Shankill, and can be held for questioning until Thursday under section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act -- anti-terrorism legislation.A source said: "The older prisoner is well known to the Special Branch and has a lengthy involvement in subversive activities."We believe that he was running a guns-for-sale scam, where replica and altered weapons were being sold to crime gangs in south and west Dublin."Most of the replicas are sourced from the North and transported by train to the capital, where they are then modified and sold on."The guns and ammunition were brought to the Garda Technical Bureau at the Phoenix Park yesterday, where they are undergoing forensic examination.Ballistic tests on the seven weapons will also be carried out, to establish if any of them was capable of firing.

Dennis Karbovanec associate of the Red Scorpion gang was shot New Year’s Eve

Dennis Karbovanec was stopped by Abbotsford police last October wearing a bulletproof vest, it was apparently for good reason.The 27-year-old associate of the Red Scorpion gang was shot New Year’s Eve, but survived with non-life-threatening injuries.Karbovanec, who was out on bail on a series of charges, arrived at Mission Memorial Hospital about 10:30 p.m. — again wearing body armour — and suffering from gunshot wounds. He was later released, police confirmed.RCMP Cpl. Paul Grewal said Monday he could not say much about the shooting because there is an active investigation.“There was a male who came into the hospital with gunshot wounds,” Grewal said. “He didn’t arrive by car. He walked in.” Grewal said police did not know where the shooting occurred, and he would not say whether Karbovanec was cooperating with the investigation.He confirmed that Mission’s general investigation section was working with the B.C. Integrated Gang Task Force in the probe.
“In all these shootings that are gang-related, there is always the possibility of retaliation,” Grewal said.Karbovanec’s close friend Jonathan Bacon arrived at the hospital a short time later to see how his wounded associate was doing.The Vancouver Sun earlier reported that Karbovanec and Bacon had co-signed a car lease together in October 2007, both listing their home addresses as the Bacon’s family residence on Strathcona Crescent in Abbotsford.Karbovanec signed a second vehicle lease a month later for a GMC Yukon Denali, listing his address on the 15th floor of a highrise in the 3000-block of Clearbrook Road in Abbotsford.He was in the Yukon when Abbotsford Police stopped him on an outstanding warrant Oct. 23 in the Matsqui Trail Park on Riverside Road about 1:30 p.m.Const. Casey Vinet said at the time that Karbovanec was wearing body armour and that a search of the SUV revealed a loaded handgun and silencer in a hidden compartment.He was charged with 11 counts and is due back in court in January.


Both Jonathan Bacon and Karbovanec are associates of the Red Scorpion gang, which police believe is linked to the murders of six people at Surrey’s Balmoral Tower in October 2007.


Sgt. Shinder Kirk, of the gang task force, said Monday that any time there is a targeted shooting of someone linked to organized crime, police monitor the situation closely to head off retaliation.


“Any time we have violence against members of a crime group or suspected members of a crime group, there is always the possibility of retaliatory violence and that is of great concern to us,” Kirk said. He said task force members will intercede in any way possible to make sure there is not further violence.


Last May, the task force issued an extraordinary public warning to anyone who associated with Jonathan Bacon or his brothers Jarrod and Jamie, saying the trio had been targeted for death and that others could innocently get caught up in the potential violence.


The same day, the two younger Bacons were charged with a series of firearm offences that are still before the courts.


Kirk said Monday the public warning regarding the Bacons and their associates “is still in force.”

Vivian Blake alleged 'Shower Posse' boss and convicted drug lord

The police say they may give alleged 'Shower Posse' boss and convicted drug lord, Vivian Blake the chance to live like a free man when he returns to Jamaica. While uncertain if Blake was wanted for any crime committed locally, ACP Hines said the police's decision to keep an eye on the deportee depends on risk assessment.
"He is a free man so it's all about risk assessing...We are always mindful of an individual's right and the right of the general public. He is not yet in our jurisdiction so we will see," ACP Hines said. According to investigators, Blake is expected to be interviewed and will have to provide information in regards to his place of abode. This they say is in keeping with the monitoring of 'high risk' deportees. Blake is expected to arrive in the island soon after serving a nine-year prison sentence in the United States. He was reportedly scheduled to arrive on Sunday however, local detectives had to alter their plans as he did not enter the island. Blake was sentenced to 28 years in 2000 after pleading guilty to racketeering and criminal conspiracy. His sentence was shortened after entering a plea deal with US prosecutors. He had been indicted there 12 years earlier, but fled to Jamaica where he had been hiding until his capture. The Shower Posse reigned terror on the streets of the US and its members are reported to have murdered over 1,400 people there. In addition to racketeering, smuggling and distributing marijuana and cocaine from the Bahamas through the United States, the Shower Posse was also implicated in more than 1,000 murders in the United States under Blake's leadership. The group has been accused of trafficking huge amounts of cocaine into the US and using the profits to send firearms and ammunition back to Jamaica. The gang was said to have operated major drug networks in New York, Miami, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Los Angeles, Alaska, Washington DC, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Montreal, Toronto and London. On December 18 of last year, Blake was featured on the Black Entertainment Television's American Gangster, a crime series in which he was quoted as saying "I ran it like a CEO of a Fortune 500 company. The only difference is that instead of litigating in a court of law, we held court in the streets." The programme looked at the rise and fall of the Shower Posse which has its roots in the west Kingston community of Tivoli Gardens.

Sunday, 4 January 2009

Fresh Off the Boat - gang and the FOB Killers gang - which has claimed over two dozen lives since 2002 in Calgary.

Fresh Off the Boat gang and the FOB Killers gang has claimed over two dozen lives since 2002 in Calgary.One of the three victims was identified as 22-year-old Sanjeev Mann of the FOB Killers gang. Police said Mann had been involved with the gang since his school days when students formed the FOB gang to run a 'dial-a-dope' operation to deliver cocaine, marijuana and other drugs at people's doorstep after taking orders on cell phones. Later, some students broke away from the FOB gang to form the FOB Killers gang, leading to open warfare between the two groups. Mann has been a victim of the gang violence in the past. In 2007, he was shot and seriously wounded in front of his southeast Calgary home, a local newspaper reported.
He was arrested last year by police under an operation to crack a cocaine trafficking ring and charged with possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking, manufacturing a controlled substance and possession of proceeds of crime, Calgary Herald reported.Though more than 100 Indian-origin youths have been killed in drug-related gang warfare in the Vancouver area since the mid-1990s, Calgary has not seen any Indian-origin person killed in drug-related violence till now.'We are still a close-knit community and we don't have the kind of problems that Indian immigrants face in the Vancouver area. Our young men are not into this kind of thing. This is an odd case,' 27-year-old Manmeet Bhullar, who was elected to the Alberta assembly last year, told IANS.'But we are definitely seeing some negative influences, and Mann is the first such victim,' he said.

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...