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Gangster was started ten years ago as a methods of tracking and reporting the social growth of gangs worldwide.It is based on factual reporting from journalists worldwide.Cultural Research gleaned from Gangster is used to better understand the problems surrounding the unprecedented growth during this period and societies response threw the courts and social inititives to Gangs and Gang culture. Gangster is owner and run by qualified sociologists and takes no sides within the debate of the rights and wrongs of GANG CULTURE but is purely an observer.Gangster has over a million viewers worldwide.Please note by clicking on "Post Comment" you acknowledge that you have read the Terms of Service and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Be polite.
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Friday 30 September 2011

Colombo gangster Richard Fusco admits trying to shake down rival Gambinos

Posted On 20:00 0 comments

 

The reputed consigliere of the Colombo crime family pleaded guilty Thursday to a scheme to shake down the rival Gambinos because he wanted them to pay the medical expenses of a mob stabbing victim. Richard Fusco, 75, met on Staten Island with his captains to discuss how to proceed after a thug affiliated with the Gambinos stabbed Colombo associate Walter Samperi in May 2010. The Colombos wanted $150,000 - $100,000 of which would come from the Gambinos' cut from the 18th Ave. feast in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. Fusco admitted there was an "implied" threat of retaliation and "I did nothing to dispel it." The meeting was secretly taped by Colombo turncoat Paul Bevacqua, who was wearing a wire. Meanwhile, if Fusco is hoping to get time shaved off his projected sentence of 18 to 24 months, he better correct his courtroom behavior. A courtroom clerk admonished the geezer gangster for making a nasty remark about the prosecutor before Magistrate Judge Ramon Reyes took the bench. Fusco, who is hard-of-hearing, was angry because the prosecutor wouldn't consent to removing his electronic monitoring device. He wished the prosecutor ill health in a voice loud enough to be heard all over the courtroom. "Keep your negative comments to yourself!" the clerk scolded him.


Firebombing probed in east-end Montreal

Posted On 18:20 0 comments

 

Montreal police believe a firebombing in the east-end borough of Pointe-aux-Trembles Wednesday night may be linked to street gangs. Police are investigating after someone threw a Molotov cocktail between two vehicles parked behind and apartment building on the corner of Marien Avenue and De la Gauchetière Street at around 8:30 p.m. “It's a citizen who was near the scene who put out the fire,” said Const. Danny Richer of the Montreal police. “So far the investigation seems to indicate that the vehicle targeted is linked to street gangs. That's why the investigation has been transferred to the Montreal police arson squad.” One of the vehicles belongs to a suspected member of a street gang, he said. No one was injured in the attack. Arson investigators are now speaking to witnesses.


Evansville police have arrested one person and are looking for two others in connection with a rash of what officers say are gang-related shootings this week on the city's South Side.

Posted On 18:16 0 comments

At least two people have been wounded by the gunfire since Tuesday.

Police say there have been multiple fights and shooting incidents involving two South Side gangs, "Wag Block" and "J Block," over the past several months, but this is the first time two people have been shot within a 24-hour period.

Kenneth Fox was arrested in connection with Wednesday night's shooting.

Kenneth Fox was arrested in connection with Wednesday night's shooting.

The shootings have occurred in four-block area between Madison and Jackson avenues west of U.S. 41.

"Pretty soon, somebody's child is going to get shot," said Jerry Dejarnett, 58, one of the few residents of the area willing to talk about the shootings. Dejarnett said this is the most violent period he's witnessed in his three years of living there.

In the most recent shooting Wednesday night, two women and two girls — ages 3 and 4 — were targeted.

No one in that incident was injured, police said, and the two people shot earlier are recovering fine, according to police, but officers doubt the retaliations they suspect are happening are over.

"I think things may be quiet for a day or two," said Sgt. Larry Nelson, "but you can always expect more violence when you have drugs and you have gangs."

Nelson wouldn't disclose how police plan to respond, but he noted that there has been a "heavy concentration" of marked and unmarked police cars in that area.

Police arrested Kenneth Fox, 25, early Thursday in connection with Wednesday night's shooting. He remains in Vanderburgh County Jail without bond on preliminary charges of attempted murder with a firearm and criminal gang activity.

Police are looking for David "Buck" Burge, 30, and Rayshaad L. Bushrod, 23, both of whom reportedly accompanied Fox and are reportedly in the "J Block" gang, according to an Evansville Police Department probable cause affidavit.

According to Fox's arrest affidavit, Wednesday's drive-by shooting happened in the 1000 block of Jefferson Avenue about 9:42 p.m.

Police found multiple shell casings in the street. One of the women, who lives on that street, told officers that Fox, Burge and Bushrod were in a gray Chevrolet Avalanche when they fired handguns from the vehicle at her, another woman and the two children.

Police found the gray Chevy Avalanche abandoned with its motor running in the 300 block of West Oregon Street near Harriett Street.

Officers learned Fox had a girlfriend who lived in the 1200 block of North Harriett St. about two blocks from where the vehicle was found.

Officers surrounded the house and Fox surrendered without incident.Sgt. Larry Nelson said that victim "knew of" the three men, and according to Fox's affidavit, she told 911 dispatchers, "It was the same subjects who were shooting last night."

That earlier shooting occurred near the intersection of Jackson and Evans avenues about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday when a man was shot in the right shoulder. Three black males were reported to have been seen running away from the area.

Lt. Monty Guenin said the 26-year-old man who was wounded in the shoulder, had refused to cooperate with police.

Fox has not been charged in connection with that incident, but police believe Wednesday's incidents are related.

The victim of Tuesday's afternoon shooting was also uncooperative, police on scene said. This shooting happened in the 700 block of Madison Avenue about 12:30 p.m., and, responding to a report of shots fired, police initially didn't know there was a victim.

The shooting suspect, 20-year-old Royce Oneal Calvin, was located and arrested a short while later.

Then officials received a call from St. Mary's Hospital about a 23-year-old man from that area man who had been shot in the leg.

He told police he had seen some men arguing, heard gunshots and then got shot. He got a ride to the hospital, police said, and he refused to press charges when police mentioned they had arrested Calvin.

Calvin admitted to shooting in that area around that time and said he possibly had shot someone, according to his arrest affidavit.

He remains in Vanderburgh County Jail in lieu of $10,000 cash bail and was preliminarily charged with criminal recklessness, possessing a handgun without a license and battery with a firearm resulting injury.

According to that police report, Calvin has a tattoo on his arm that reads "300 WNG BLOCK."

Nelson said they've been tracking several other gangs on the city's South Side, and he said the fights, shootings and bullets that have struck homes and vehicles in that area are all likely gang-related.

"They're not random," he said. "I can tell you that."

"I'm very scared and nervous," said Hazel Hooker, a 60-year-old woman who lives in the 700 block of Madison Avenue.

"I'm worried about the small children for one thing," she said, "because bullets don't have eyes."


Gun charges filed: A known gang member was charged with several gun violations including aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon by a gang member

Posted On 18:13 0 comments

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Mario A. Prado, 19, of the 400 block of St. Charles Street, Elgin, was arrested by Elgin police on charges of unlawful possession of a firearm by a street gang member, possession of a firearm without a firearm owners identification card, possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number, possession of a firearm under the age of 21, unlawful contact with a street gang member and resisting a police officer following an arrest Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2011.

Updated: September 29, 2011 2:23AM

 

 

Gun charges filed: A known gang member was charged with several gun violations including aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon by a gang member, after officers found a loaded sawed-off shotgun up his sleeve Tuesday night, police said. Mario A. Prado, 20, of the 400 block of St. Charles Street, Elgin, was stopped by police at National and Raymond streets about 7 p.m. while driving with another known gang member, police said. Prado also was charged with possession of a firearm without a firearm owners identification card, possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number, possession of a firearm under the age of 21, unlawful contact with a street gang member and resisting a police officer. “The Elgin Police Department will continue to aggressively pursue gangs — especially with our gang and drug units,” said Police Chief Jeff Swoboda. “We’re sending a very clear message: Gangs and gang activity will not be tolerated in our city.” Prado was in the Kane County jail Wednesday in lieu of $250,000 bond; he is to appear in court Oct. 6.


Accused killer teen shows young face of Winnipeg gang war

Posted On 18:08 0 comments

 

Winnipeg's street-gang war took another tragic turn this week when police announced a 14-year-old boy is the suspected shooter in the city's 32nd homicide of 2011. The teenage is facing a first-degree murder charge in a homicide Sunday morning that police say was sparked by tension between rival gangs. David Michael Vincett, 20, was gunned down while walking on the city's Boyd Avenue around 3 a.m. Police arrested the 14-year-old suspect Tuesday evening. He has been detained at the Manitoba Youth Centre. He cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. Const. Jason Michalyshen, spokesman for the Winnipeg Police Service, said police believe the homicide is tied to another recent killing. Clark Stevenson, 15, was stabbed to death as he rode his bike Sept. 10, in what police say was a gang-related confrontation. Days later, an 18-year-old man and 14-year-old boy were arrested and charged with second-degree murder. Before his death, Stevenson had boasted online about being a member of a local street gang. After the arrests, police acknowledged the homicide was motivated by gang tensions. "These groups appear to be in conflict with one another right now, and we're aware of that . . . and unfortunately we have two incidents where we have openly acknowledged that's the case," said Michalyshen. The boy accused of shooting Vincett was affiliated with gangs and may have had "similar associations" as Stevenson, police said. "These don't appear to be random acts, certain individuals appear to be targeted," Michalyshen said. He said before the shooting, Vincett and another teenager traded words about belonging to rival street gangs, before, it's alleged, a gun was pulled out and fired. Police said Vincett was dead by the time officers arrived. There was no indication the two knew each other before the shooting, police said. Michalyshen didn't describe Vincett as a gang associate, but did say "at the time he may have associated himself or verbalized that he was associated to a particular street gang." Winnipeg has had 10 more homicides this year than in all of 2010. On Wednesday, a woman whose own teenage son was shot to death 16 years ago said nothing has changed in the city since the day he died. Nancy Flett, the assistant executive director of the Indian Metis Friendship Centre, is also the mother of Joseph Beeper Spence, a 13-year-old who was slain in 1995. She said the violence in the city "sickens her." "People don't want to be out on the streets, people don't want to walk around on the streets. The only ones you see are a bunch of youth either on bikes, or people driving around," said Flett. "They just randomly go after people. They don't care if they're innocent or not, or if they're not connected in any way." She said society has to be concerned because "all the youth involved in gangs are getting to be younger and younger." Vincett's sister, Judith Ree, described him as a "good kid" in a message to the Winnipeg Free Press. Vincett, the father of a 10-month-old baby, had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. "He was the kind of person who would give the shirt off his back to keep (you) warm or his last five bucks to feed (you)," Ree said. "Everyone makes mistakes in life . . . he just wanted everyone to like him."


Thursday 29 September 2011

Danish court jails 15 motorbike gang members for murder attempts on rivals

Posted On 16:00 0 comments

 

Danish court has sentenced 15 motorbike gang members to jail for six murder attempts on rival gang members. The court said Thursday the bikers would spend from three to 15 years in prison, following the country’s biggest biker-related trial. Loading... Comments Weigh InCorrections? Copenhagen’s city court ruled earlier this month that members of the Hells Angels and their support group, AK81, were guilty of a series of shootings in the Danish capital in 2009. No one was killed but one victim had his leg amputated. The gangs have been feuding over control of criminal markets, including drug trade.


Wednesday 28 September 2011

Long History Of Violent Rivalry Led To Biker Shootings

Posted On 12:41 0 comments

 

One person died, two were wounded when rival biker gangs, in town for the Street Vibrations motorcycle meet, traded shots on a casino floor. . According to law enforcement agencies, the shootings at John Ascuaga's Nugget shortly before midnight Friday and a possible retaliatory driveby shooting that followed were only the latest clashes in a long standing feud between two outlaw motorcycle gangs. The Department of Justice which says both the Hells Angels and the Vagos outlaw motorcycle clubs have been involved in drug distribution and a variety of other crimes over the years and that activity has led to a violent rivalry. The turf war between them erupted into gun fire last summer in a small rural community near Prescott, Arizona. Five were wounded, 27 were arrested. Until Friday night other recent confrontations had apparently been limited to fist fights. This incident started that way as well, but according to court documents casino security video apparently shows the fight escalating as Hells Angel San Jose Chapter Jeffrey "Jethro" Pettigrew pulled a handgun and began pistol whipping several people. Gun shots followed. Police arrived to find Pettigrew and two Vagos members wounded and Hells Angel member Cesar Villagrano with his gun pointing into the crowd. He surrendered and is facing several charges, the only person thus far charged in the incident. Later another member of the Vagos was wounded in a nearby driveby shooting that police have yet to postively link to the earlier incident, Pettigrew died of gunshot and stab wounds and is being mourned by friends and supporters in postings on the obituary page of Bay area newspapers and on an internet radio show where he was described as " a Hells Angel, but also someone's father, someone's son, someone's friend." Bay area police spokesmen familiar with the two groups and the rivalry fear the shooting here will only fuel further violence. Sparks Police say they were aware of the groups' history, but had no specific intelligence warning of an incident here. At this point they say they are pouring over the casino video and hoping for more. "We have witnesses and officers arriving on the scene who saw people taking pictures and video," says Sgt. Greta Woyciehowsky. "So we know it's out there." Woyciehowsky says police have a means of keeping that information anonymous. In addition Secret Witness has posted rewards for information leading to arrest and prosecution--$2,500 for the unsolved murder of Pettigrew and $2,000 for the driveby shooting.


State of emergency lifted in Sparks

Posted On 11:56 0 comments

 

The city of Sparks ended its state of emergency at 5 p.m. today that was declared in the city on Saturday due to the potential of further violence stemming from shootings between rival motorcycle clubs Friday night.. No further violence has occurred from these incidents. "We will not allow, nor will we tolerate violent behavior by any groups or individuals in the City of Sparks." said Sparks Mayor R. Geno Martini. "The special event held in Sparks was intended for motorcycle enthusiasts and attracts thousands of people annually, including families with children. "The safety and security of event attendees in Sparks is a priority," Martini said. "The individuals who engaged in the violence do not in any way reflect the majority of the event attendees. "We appreciate the understanding of our residents and businesses throughout the last 24 hours. We want to thank our regional partners, the city of Reno and Washoe County for their support and resources during this time. We also send our appreciation to Governor Sandoval for his willingness to support our efforts." 11:45 a.m., update: Sparks Police continue to investigate the deadly shooting that took place between rival motorcycle gangs inside John Ascuaga’s Nugget on Friday night and they are seeking people who witnessed the incident. “There is no additional information to be released, however, witness are encouraged to contact the Sparks Police Department or Secret Witness,” police officials said in a statement. In addition, police are also continuing to investigate the drive-by shooting that took place Saturday morning on Victorian Avenue and seeking witnesses in that case as well. The suspect vehicle description in the shooting is a black, 4-door BMW 3-series sedan occupied by two people.


Eight Coloradans among alleged outlaw bikers indicted on gun and drug charges.

Posted On 11:50 0 comments

 

Eight alleged outlaw bikers from Colorado are among the nearly 40 members of the Bandidos motorcycle gang indicted this week on gun and drug charges. Six alleged members were identified Tuesday, including Keith P. Allison, 39, arrested in Golden; Ronald C. Tenorio, 42, and Edward R. Goll, 42, both arrested in Denver; and Adam C. Chavez, 29, arrested in Thornton. Tommy Freyta, 49, was arrested in Rio Grande County. Joseph P. Windsor, 42, was already in jail. Two others, who were not named, were still at large.


Attorney for alleged Hells Angels member seeks personnel records of sheriff, sergeant

Posted On 11:43 0 comments

 

attorney for a Sonoma County man charged in connection with a June fight between rival motorcycle gang members is seeking access to the personnel records of Lake County's sheriff and other agency staffers, alleging political motivations in the case's handling. Oakland attorney Michael Clough filed the Pitchess motion for the personnel records of Sheriff Frank Rivero and Sgt. John Gregore, lead investigator in the case, on Sept. 12. Clough represents 33-year-old Nicolas Carrillo of Santa Rosa, arrested in August for a June 4 fight at Konocti Vista Casino outside of Lakeport. The Sept. 12 filing leaves open the possibility of other sheriff's staffers being added to the list of individuals whose records Clough wants to access. “It's possible that we will file additional Pitchess motions as we get additional discovery,” said Clough. “We anticipate that there's going to be a substantial amount of discovery and motions in the case.” Clough's Pitchess motion is scheduled to be heard on Oct. 17 in Lake County Superior Court. County Counsel Anita Grant, whose office represents the sheriff's office in the matter, said the county will fight the attempt to delve into the men's records. Carrillo – along with fellow Sonoma County residents Timothy Bianchi, Joshua Johnson and David Dabbs – is alleged to be Hells Angels members who participated in the beating of a member of the rival Vagos motorcycle gang, according to the original sheriff's report in the case. In the wake of his arrest for the Lake County case, Josh Johnson was just recently arrested by the FBI, according to Peter Lee of the FBI's San Francisco office. However, Lee could not offer Lake County News further information about the arrest. The District Attorney's Office previously reported that charges against Carrillo include felony participation in a criminal street gang, misdemeanor fighting in public, misdemeanor battery and several special allegations relating to the infliction of great bodily injury and the participation in a criminal street gang. Clough wants information about any complaints filed against Rivero alleging violations of civil and constitutional rights, selective enforcement or prosecution and bias against the Hells Angels, as well as any evidence of “providing or authorizing subordinate officers to release false and/or misleading information about pending investigations to the media” as well as “use of office to conduct politically motivated investigations.” He's seeking similar information for Gregore, as well as evidence of mishandling or failing to disclose evidence, submitting unreasonable requests for excessive bail, preparation of false or incomplete reports, and false or perjured testimony. Other information of interest to Clough is anything that would support allegations that the Lake County Sheriff's Office, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office and the FBI selectively targeted members of the Sonoma County Hells Angels chapter for investigation and prosecution, and if there was a conspiracy to violate the chapter members' civil rights. The goal is to find information favorable to Carrillo's defense that would impeach the testimony of prosecution witnesses at trial, according to the document. Pitchess motions are based on a 1974 California Supreme Court case, Pitchess v. Superior Court, and have since been included in the California Evidence Code. A Pitchess motion is based on the theory that a defendant in a criminal case should have any information that could help their defense, including information about potential misconduct in an arresting officer's personnel files. The right of a defendant to have that information is balanced against a peace officer's rights to maintain the privacy of his or her personnel file. California law has firm protections to guard peace officers in such cases. Grant, whose office has received the motion, said they will respond as the county always does in such cases. The county always and “without exception” responds to Pitchess motions, Grant said, due to concerns that are described in case law as “fishing expeditions.” The legal definition of a “fishing expedition” describes open-ended attempts to get information, and overly broad, unfocused questioning that is not within the case's scope. The county has fought previous attempts to open peace officer records, including one lodged in 2009 during the trial of Bismarck Dinius, who was acquitted in a fatal boating crash. Dinius was steering a sailboat hit in 2006 by a motorboat driven by an off-duty sheriff's deputy, Russell Perdock. Dinius' attorney sought Perdock's records through a Pitchess motion, which both county counsel and Perdock's attorney successfully fought. Carrillo's case is continuing to move forward, with a preliminary hearing still to take place. Bail in Carrillo's case was set at $500,000, which Clough had argued in court filings was excessive. He asked to have it reduced to $75,000. Clough said in his motion that Carrillo has never been charged with a violent criminal offense before this case, and his only conviction on record is for driving on a suspended license. Clough argued that it appeared that Carrillo's Hells Angels membership led to the high bail, and if that's the case it violates Carrillo's constitutional right to freedom of expression and equal protection. The filings in the case also reference a May 14 event during which the Vagos visited Lakeport. That same day, county law enforcement received information from an FBI agent claiming that a group of Hells Angels members were en route to the county to confront the Vagos. Rivero sent a group of deputies to the Middletown area in case the Hells Angels appeared. It's alleged that he was planning to turn the Hells Angels back if they arrived, which Rivero has denied, stating instead in an investigative report that he planned to put in place a roadblock in order to engage in contact with the bikers. Possible civil rights violations in the case remain under investigation by the Lake County District Attorney's Office. Rivero has continued to voice concern over the rival gangs and their activities, sending an e-mail to local media and county leaders over the weekend referencing a news story about a fight and shootout between the two groups that claimed the life of a California Hells Angels leaders in a casino in Las Vegas, Nev., on Sept. 23. A subsequent e-mail from Rivero informed county leaders that there is a statewide law enforcement alert from the US Marshals Service on possible retaliatory actions because of the gang shooting.


Shootout erupted without warning

Posted On 11:16 0 comments

 

While Sparks police continued their investigation into Friday's fatal shooting between rival motorcycle gangs inside John Ascuaga's Nugget, Washoe County's counterterrorism unit said it had no intelligence indicating a shootout was about to take place that night. Killed in Friday's incident was Jeffrey "Jethro" Pettigrew, 51, president of the San Jose, Calif., chapter of the Hells Angels and a heavy equipment operator for the city of San Jose. Two members of the Vagos, Leonard Ramirez, 45, and Diego Garcia, 28, were wounded in the gunfire Friday night. The only man arrested immediately after the shooting -- Cesar Villagrana, 36, a Hells Angel member from California -- was being held Monday on $500,000 bail at Washoe County Jail. He faces a court appearance on felony assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a stolen firearm charges. It was not immediately clear if Villagrana had a lawyer. Also on Monday, police identified Shane Smith, 40, a member of the Vagos motorcycle gang, as the victim of a Saturday morning drive-by shooting. Sparks police said a dark blue BMW 3 series pulled up beside Smith and shot him in the stomach as he was walking on Victorian Avenue, near the Nugget. His condition was not released. Police said the two shootings have not been definitively linked, though both prompted Sparks officials to declare a state of emergency before canceling the remainder of the annual Street Vibrations rally, which attracts thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts to the region. A state of emergency gives a city the power to enforce a curfew, use private property to stage emergency responses and call on the state for additional resources, such as the Nevada National Guard, which Sparks did not do. The declaration lasted 24 hours starting at 5 p.m. Saturday. Video shows crowd seeking cover Deputy Sparks Police Chief Brian Allen said Monday that casino surveillance video won't be made public until investigators complete the painstaking work of identifying about 60 Vagos and 12 Hells Angels amid a crowd of several hundred people gambling and partying. Members of the crowd suddenly dove for cover when gunfire erupted. "We don't want to sensationalize it. We don't want to influence the groups. We don't want to have something happen somewhere else," Allen said in an interview. "A lot of the players are from out of the state and out of the region. If you look at it historically, there've been tensions between these two groups. But we're still looking at what exactly set off this specific incident." In Arizona, more than two dozen members of the rival groups were arrested in August 2010 after a shootout left five people wounded in Chino Valley, north of Prescott. In California, an annual organized crime report from the state attorney general calls long-standing tensions between the Hells Angels and the Vagos "particularly poignant." It cited instances in which the Hells Angels have forced Vagos out of chapters in Hells Angels hotspots. It's not the first time a motorcycle rally has turned deadly in Nevada. According to a 2002 story in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, court documents and gaming officials showed Southern Nevada law enforcement had intelligence that a fight was about to break out between the Hells Angels and Mongols motorcycle gangs during the River Run motorcycle rally in Laughlin that year. Police warned casino operators, according to the story, about the potential for violence before the event turned fatal when a shootout ensued inside the Harrah's Laughlin casino, leaving three bikers dead. Law enforcement officials in Northern Nevada, meanwhile, said no such information existed ahead of Friday's violence that would have alerted them of a melee about to erupt between the Hells Angels and Vagos gangs.


Massive Phoenix drug sweep targets gangs, crack cocaine

Posted On 10:56 0 comments

 

Phoenix police Officer Mercedes Fortune wanted to crack the "Rock Block," a south Phoenix area police say is ridden by rampant narcotics sales, home invasions and murders. Fortune got her wish as a lead investigator in a two-year probe that resulted in more than 40 arrests Tuesday of suspected gang members who had directed crack or "rock" cocaine sales in the South Mountain Village area. More than 300 officers from 10-plus agencies fanned out at 4 a.m. Tuesday to make arrests and seize drugs. A total of 71 indictments were made in the case. "The many good neighbors in this area deserved to live without fearing gang activity, drug sales and shootouts," said Assistant Chief Kevin Robinson, who helped set the probe into motion. The investigation mainly targeted an area from 16th to 32nd streets between the Salt River bottom and Roeser Road. Arrests were made from east Mesa to Avondale. Fortune, 38, served for 11 years with the Los Angeles Police Department, often patrolling the tough South Central LA neighborhoods where she grew up. She came to Phoenix in 2007 to be near her parents, who had moved to the Valley. When hired onto the Phoenix force, she wanted to serve in the South Mountain Precinct. It is a precinct of neighborhoods where poverty, joblessness and crime rub shoulders with upper-middle-income areas of new homes and good schools. It also has seen a string of troubling incidents in the past year: the unsolved slaying of a well-regarded sergeant, accusations by a city councilman of civil-rights violations, the indictment of several officers in an off-duty pay scam, and the indictment of a patrol officer on homicide charges. Nearly the entire layer of upper management in the precinct was replaced in the past year. The precinct is now led by Commander Chris Crockett and six new lieutenants. "We have never stopped serving the people of South Phoenix, and we are glad to be able to demonstrate our dedication to bringing justice to this area," said Lt. Sean Connelly, who helped supervise the probe and called it a "major payday." Officer Clinton David Swick, one of those at the center of the probe, said that a driving force behind it was that "we were taking down a few crack houses at a time. And were we making a real impact? No. We needed to do something different." Enter Fortune. "Shortly after I came to the precinct, I was put on a Neighborhood Enforcement Team and soon was working with people like Dave Swick," she said. "Gradually, looking at the big picture became easier. I realized that though we had a bunch of guys in separate locations selling drugs, they were also talking to each other. There was organization, not just a bunch of individual crack houses operating in isolation. I thought we could find the links." Fortune in August 2009 went to Connelly and Sgt. Jesse Abernathy with a plan. "I said to them, 'Let's start connecting who knows who and who is talking to whom,' " she said. "We'll do it through surveillance, wiretaps, examining previous investigations and files, and we'll build a picture." Connelly and Abernathy knew well that Fortune and Swick and other investigators would be up against decades of success by a violent gang that ran the area drug trade: the Broadway Gangsters. "The Broadway Gangsters have been around so long they are a generational gang," Abernathy said. "A man is in it, his brothers are in it, his son is in it, his nephews and cousins are in it. All of them know each other and trust each other . . . and trust only each other. A guy grows up in the neighborhood, becomes a BWG and it's his life." Fortune, Swick and other officers thought they could break through the gang's wall of silence via surveillance, intensive talks with sources and warrants for wiretaps. A tragic incident gave new urgency to the investigation. In July 2010, Chandler drug detectives conducted an undercover operation that took them to a house in the Broadway Gangsters' domain. They pretended to be making a drug sale. They were armed with service pistols. The gangsters who came to "buy" had a small arsenal that included a shotgun, an AK-47 and various handguns. When four armed Broadway Gangsters entered the house, "all hell blew up," in the words of one suspect who later described it to police. Chandler Officer Carlos Ledesma was killed by four shots from an assault rifle. Two suspects also were killed. Two other officers and a suspect were injured. "When Officer Ledesma was killed, that brought more attention and concern to the area and it also brought Drug Enforcement Administration officers to the neighborhood," Fortune said. "A partnership between us and the DEA then began, and it worked. It was two NET squads and nine DEA officers." It was a powerful partnership. Over the past year, evidence mounted of a wide-ranging drug conspiracy. Police allege that cocaine in powder form was being imported from the Mexican city of Culiacan. A dealer with ties to the Broadway Gangsters turned it into crack cocaine and sold it to upper-level members of the gang, police allege, who then distributed it to gangsters stationed in rented houses in the area. The O.G.s - or Original Gangsters, as the older Broadway Gangsters called themselves - at the top didn't worry much when younger members were netted in drug raids. It was the O.G.s that Phoenix police and the DEA most wanted to snag, because they were directing the drug traffic and making significant profits, police allege. By the end of last week, investigators felt they had sufficient evidence in hand. The information was taken to the Arizona Attorney General's Office, whose prosecutors helped plan the sweep. Arrangements were made for the massive bust that began early Tuesday. Tuesday night, officers took inventory of bales of marijuana, bricks of cocaine, bundles of cash and other contraband, while prosecutors prepared charges. 


40 biker gang members, associates arrested

Posted On 10:50 0 comments

 

40 members and associates of the Bandido Outlaw Motorcycle Gang have been arrested on a variety of federal drug and weapons charges. A Justice Department statement issued Tuesday says that 28 of those arrested were charged in Dallas with conspiracy to possess and distribute heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine. One also was charged with possessing a machine gun. All were arrested Monday and Tuesday in the Dallas area but one, who was arrested Tuesday in San Francisco. Eight others were charged in Denver with conspiracy and possessing meth and cocaine. Six were arrested in the Denver area. One was already in state custody, and another remains on the loose. Three were arrested on assorted drug charges in San Antonio.


Sunday 25 September 2011

A countywide gang raid has ended in the arrest of 22 suspects and the seizure of multiple handguns, rifles and shotguns

Posted On 14:10 0 comments

Weapons seized in gang raidA countywide gang raid has ended in the arrest of 22 suspects and the seizure of multiple handguns, rifles and shotguns, authorities said Friday.

More than 300 Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputies partnered with officers from South Gate, Inglewood, Gardena, Whittier and Anaheim to serve search and arrest warrants at 32 locations.

The warrants resulted from a series of criminal investigations stemming from a bitter feud between rival gangs, officials said.

The gangs originated in Compton, officials said, but warrants were served in Lancaster, Hawthorne, Lynwood, Long Beach, Anaheim and Los Angeles.

The 22 suspects -- 17 men, three women and two youths -- were arrested and booked on charges of murder, assault with a firearm and illegal possession of firearms.

The firearms were either stolen or used to commit crimes, authorities said.

Officers also said they found gang-related paraphernalia and evidence of gang membership, which will be used to seek tougher sentences for suspects.


Saturday 24 September 2011

"Billy's Crew."Gangster who saw shooting held for breach of conditions

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Gangster whose associate was critically wounded in Surrey last week has been remanded in custody until Wednesday on an alleged breach of his court conditions. Sukhveer Dhak, 27, appeared via video link in Surrey Provincial Court Friday. Dhak was with his pal Jujhar Singh Khun-Khun in the 10100-block of 144th at around 9: 30 p.m. on Sept. 16 when gunmen opened fire, hitting Khun-Khun several times before fleeing. Khun-Khun remains in hospital in critical condition. Dhak was picked up Sept. 18 for allegedly violating court conditions on a drug conspiracy charge laid in 2008. He is due to go to trial on that case in November. Earlier this week, the head of the Gang Task Force warned that anyone associated with the Dhak and Duhre crime groups could get caught in an escalating gang war. Supt. Tom McCluskie said gang investigators "have reason to believe these people are being targeted by other criminal groups." And he said his team is probing possible links between the Khun-Khun shooting and the fatal shooting in Kelowna on Aug. 14 of Red Scorpion Jonathan Bacon. Hells Angel Larry Amero and Independent Soldier James Riach were also wounded in that incident. Since the high-profile public shooting outside a busy lakeside tourist hotel and casino, tensions have been escalating between associates of the victims and those they believe are responsible. On one side is an alliance consisting of the Duhres, Dhak and some United Nations members. On the other are some Hells Angels, the Scorpions and the Independent Soldiers. McCluskie said the investigation into Bacon's death is going well, though no one has yet been charged. The Duhre group is headed by three brothers - Balraj, Sandip and Paul - who grew up in North Vancouver and were once associates of the late Bindy Johal. Eldest brother Balraj was shot in a Vancouver restaurant in August 2005, but survived. Sandip escaped injury when his car was sprayed with gunfire at a Surrey convenience store in May 2005, but his friend Dean Mohamed Elshamy was killed. And both Balraj and Sandip were shot at in July 2005 as they drove through east Vancouver. Their bulletproof sedan saved their lives. Sukh Dhak is the younger brother of Gurmit Dhak, who was gunned down outside Metrotown Mall in October 2010. Gurmit Dhak, then 32, was also shot in 2007 in a crowded Kitsilano restaurant. Both Dhaks have been associated with a criminal organization dubbed "Billy's Crew."


Two arrests made in drug deal shooting from July

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Two men have been arrested in a shooting that stemmed from a botched drug deal in southeast Portland earlier this summer. After a lengthy investigation, Portland police officers took Robert Collins and Jonell James into custody Thursday.   Police say they shot 21-year-old Sean Hamm at Glenwood Park near Southeast 89th Avenue and Cooper Street, where the suspects and victim met to deal marijuana in the early morning hours of July 14. Officers say Hamm suffered a gunshot wound to the chest and nearly died. Collins and James are making their first court appearance Friday afternoon.


Nakerrick Dierrie Mosby, who is a known associate of of the Rolling 20's street gang, is being charged with two counts of first degree attempted murder

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Nakerrick Dierrie Mosby, who is a known associate of of the Rolling 20's street gang, is being charged with two counts of first degree attempted murder—one count being for the benefit of a gang—along with four other felonies after shooting a man multiple times in Minneapolis Sept. 16, 2011. The shooting left the victim paralyzed from the neck down. According the criminal complaint, witnesses said they saw Mosby get out of a minivan. Mosby shot the victim in the back after walking past him on a sidewalk and saying something to him. After shooting multiple times, Mosby alledgedly fled in the same minivan. The victim was shot at least four times. The shooting happened in an area "claimed" by the Bloods street gang, according to the complaint. The Rolling 20s and Bloods are rival gangs. The complaint also said Mosby had witnessed a murder two hours before he alledgedly shot the victim. Along with the two first degree attempted murder charges, Mosby is also being charged with first degree attempted murder for the benefit of a gang, assault and assault for the benefit of a gang. Each count carries with it up to 20-25 years in prison.


The New Generation gang was behind the dumping of 35 bodies , 11 more bodies in Veracruz as prosecutors meet

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Despite intense security for a national meeting of Mexico's state prosecutors and tough talk from top cops, criminals dumped more bodies in Veracruz three days after gunmen left 35 corpses on a major avenue during rush hour. An official said Friday that police found 11 bodies around town Thursday, even as this Gulf of Mexico port city ramped up security for the prosecutors meeting by deploying hundreds of soldiers, sailors and police on the streets.  It was unclear who left the most recent group of bodies. Officials believe the New Generation gang was behind the dumping of 35 bodies Tuesday on a busy street just a half-mile (kilometer) from the convention hall as a grim message to the Zetas drug cartel, which dominates the region. Authorities had established a security perimeter around the metropolitan area, with soldiers in trucks stopping people in town they considered suspicious. The prosecutors meeting was Thursday and Friday. Residents in Veracruz said this week's horrors had only deepened the fear scaring visitors away from the tourist destination and keeping some residents at home at night. In August, panicked parents rushed to fetch their children from Veracruz schools after a couple posted Twitter messages warning of nonexistent drug cartel attacks on banks and schools.


East Side Crips Gang Member Sentenced For Felon In Possession Of Firearm

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United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced that Demond Hayden, 30, of Bakersfield, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill to six years and five months in prison for being a felon in possession of firearms. According to his guilty plea, Hayden admitted that he possessed a Hi-Point .45-caliber handgun, a Glock Model 22 .40-caliber handgun, and a Mossberg 500 shotgun with a pistol grip. In sentencing Hayden, Judge O’Neill rejected Hayden’s claim that his criminal history was overstated. Hayden is a documented member of the East Side Crips, one of Bakersfield’s most notorious criminal street gangs. He has prior felony convictions for possessing cocaine for sale in 2003 and being a felon in possession of a firearm in 2006.


Reputed founder of the Brick City Boys represents himself at hearing

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The man described as the founder of one of Anderson County’s largest criminal street gangs impressed a judge during a hearing Friday. Judge Dan Sharp ruled that there is probable cause to move ahead with the armed robbery and burglary charges against Jesse Lee Oliver III. Jesse Lee Oliver III But Sharp also praised Oliver for asking “lucid and intelligent” questions of a detective during a preliminary hearing. Oliver represented himself at the hearing. Law enforcement officials say that Oliver, 21, is the founder of the Brick City Boys. The charges against Oliver stem from a June 10, 2010, home invasion at 100 Wedgefield Court in Anderson, sheriff’s detective Rob Gebing testified Friday. Gebing said an armed group of four men stole about $400 in cash, some of which was counterfeit, and a cell phone from the home’s occupants. One member of the group, a 15-year-old juvenile, later implicated Oliver in the crime, Gebing said. Investigators also spoke with a juvenile witness who saw Oliver and one of his accomplices counting the money taken during the home invasion on the day after the crime, Gebing said. Oliver is being held without bail at the Anderson County Detention Center, a jail spokesman said Friday. Court records show that Oliver pleaded guilty on Sept. 15, 2010, to seven different charges that included assault, attempted robbery, lynching and a pair of drug offenses. Oliver was classified as a youthful offender and sentenced to serve not more than six years in prison, according to a clerk of courts spokeswoman.


Friday 23 September 2011

Langley gangster linked to both the Red Scorpion gang and the Independent Soldiers was sentenced to 14 months in jail this week

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Langley gangster linked to both the Red Scorpion gang and the Independent Soldiers was sentenced to 14 months in jail this week on two firearms counts. Tyler Willock, 30, was also hit with a mandatory 10-year firearms prohibition after pleading guilty to occupying a vehicle with a firearm in it and careless use of a firearm. He appeared in Surrey Provincial Court to be sentenced Thursday morning. The charges were laid after a Gang Task Force investigation in the summer of 2008 during which Willock was stopped in a vehicle in Langley . Several months later in February 2009, Willock was shot at while in a vehicle with friends in Surrey, resulting in charges being laid against rival gangsters in the United Nations gang. That case is yet to go to court and Willock was not injured. And then on March 8, 2009, Willock's Red Scorpion associate Albert Jackman viciously attacked Willock with a sledge hammer, striking him more than 20 times. Jackman was livid over comments Willock made about their associate Kevin LeClair who was shot to death a few weeks earlier. Jackman had been told Willock said that he wouldn't have to repay LeClair $40,000 he owed him. Willock didn't testify at Jackman's trial or provide a victim impact statement. B.C. Supreme Court Justice Robert Crawford said in his decision that he could only imagine the impact of the attack on Willock's life from the photos the Crown entered at trial. Willock suffered broken bones and other injures and has not fully recovered. Crawford heard how Jackman arrived at Willock's house with an associate and ordered Willock to the floor of his bedroom. Jackman then tied him up using zap straps and duct-taped his mouth and eyes. He then struck Willock more than 20 times with the sledgehammer. "Willock was literally smashed to pieces," Crawford said in his decision. Willock's bedroom walls and ceiling were splattered with blood. In July, Jackman was sentenced to 10 years for the attack on Willock. Jackman, 25, is also serving a life sentence for first-degree murder in a stabbing death that took place 20 days later in March 2009.


Gangster who bragged that he “ran Tottenham” after opening fire on his rivals with a machine gun in the street

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Gangster who bragged that he “ran Tottenham” after opening fire on his rivals with a machine gun in the street has had his appeal against conviction turned down by top judges.   Former decorator Yusuf Arslan, now 21, was put behind bars indefinitely for public protection at Kingston Crown Court last September. Arslan belonged to the “Tottenham Boys” gang, which had a long-running feud with a rival Hackney gang, said Mr Justice Wilkie, sitting at London’s Appeal Court. He had opened fire with the sub-machine gun in Lansdowne Road, Tottenham, on September 30, 2009, in revenge for the shooting of a friend who ran a nearby shop. He had blocked his victim’s car in before letting off a volley of shots. A fragment of shell hit one of his targets’ left arm, but the majority of the shots hit their car’s body and windscreen. Arslan, of Oxford Close, Edmonton, was also prosecuted over an incident in December that year in which he and others were stopped in a car wearing body armour and carrying a revolver. One police officer said he heard Arslan brag he “ran Tottenham” and had access to more guns than the police. He was convicted of attempted murder, possessing guns and ammunition and was ordered to serve a minimum 10 years before being considered for parole. His lawyers challenged the convictions on Friday, claiming the identification evidence against him was flawed. But Mr Justice Wilkie, sitting with Lord Justice Pitchford and Mr Justice Holroyde, said the “sure identification” had been made by one of the men Arslan shot at. “This appeal against conviction is unarguable,” he concluded.


Tears at family farewell to slain gangster Panda

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THE mother and girlfriend of slain gang boss 'The Panda' wept last night at his removal mass. More than 100 people turned out to mourn notorious criminal Michael 'Micka' Kelly, who was gunned down in broad daylight as he left his girlfriend Caoimhe's apartment in Clongriffin last week. Silence surrounded St Benedict's church in Kilbarrack yesterday evening, as the 30-year-old's remains were brought inside. There was a strong garda presence outside the church with officers on high alert given the gangster's serious criminal connections. During a service that lasted fewer than 10 minutes, parish priest Fr David Lumsden spoke of the "horrific" effect the death had on Kelly's family. "This has been a horrific time for you as a family. And we know even to this day that there was a little gap to when he died but it is still a great shock to the family." At no point did the priest speak about the victim, or mention his criminal past. Following the service, he privately offered his condolences to Kelly's mother Ann and the rest of his family. His distraught partner Caoimhe was visibly upset as she held her son -- the baby boy who Kelly had come home to see before he died in a hail of bullets. Gardai maintained a strong presence outside the church to ensure the mass passed off peacefully. The father-of-three's execution has been dubbed the most significant gangland killing since the shooting of Eamonn 'The Don' Dunne outside the Faussagh House pub in Cabra on April 23 last year. Gardai were today expected to mount a much larger operation in anticipation that some of Kelly's criminal associates would attend. It has emerged that two gunmen used an AK47 assault rifle to shoot the gangsterat 1.15pm last Thursday afternoon. Kelly -- who made a fortune from drug dealing -- is understood to have a major property portfolio which includes apartments in Dubai and Spain. He had spent most of the last year living in Spain's Costa-Del-Crime but had returned home in recent weeks after his girlfriend gave birth to a baby boy, the thug's third child. Gardai believe Kelly's murder was well planned and that his killers had very accurate information about his movements. They suspect that a former bank worker and close associate of Kelly, known as 'Jewie', was with him when he was killed. Officers were working on the theory that pals of drug dealer Anthony Foster -- murdered by the Panda's mob in 2008 -- enlisted the Real IRA to carry out yesterday's murder. Less than an hour after he was shot dead and his body driven over, the home of a female associate of Foster was raided by armed detectives. No arrests have yet been made.


Hulking gangster Frank "Frankie Steel" Pontillo complains to judge that he can't avoid mobsters on Staten Island

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Poor Frankie. A whiny wiseguy told a federal judge that he wants to stay clear of the criminal life, but it's just too tough while living on Staten Island, what with all the mobsters everywhere. Frank "Frankie Steel" Pontillo made the statements at a sentencing in Brooklyn federal court -- before the same judge he asked leniency of because the FBI traumatized his Yorkie puppy during a January 2010 raid. The Daily News reported the Wednesday exchange between Pontillo and Judge I. Leo Glasser: "I didn't invite the Five Families to gather at the opening of a bar," said Pontillo said, referring to On The Rocks, where, the paper reports, he runs the grill. "Staten Island is very small. There's lots of felons on the island... Every time I go somewhere, I see someone from my past." Glasser responded, "That's a problem with people who grew up in Bensonhurst or Staten Island, spent a good part of their life in prison... People they've known actually their whole adult life [are] convicted felons and members of one organized crime family or another." Pontillo, 41, was arrested back in January 2010 as part of a 100-suspect takedown. His part was buying stolen TVs and electronics from an FBI informant in New Jersey. In a July letter to Glasser, Pontillo's lawyer, George A. Farkas, described the raid: "It was an otherwise tranquil winter morning at about 6 a.m.... when several black SUVs, 2 unmarked minivans and other similarly ominous vehicles converged upon Frank Pontillo's snow covered home." After a further description of the "elite forces" present, Farkas continues: "In an operation worthy of an honorable mention next to the recent and well-publicized Navy SEAL commando raid in Pakistan, the front door of the Pontillo home was blown off its hinges. Then, percussion grenades were tossed into the home, the resulting blast propelling a 4 pound puppy across the room into a wall... The little dog has not been the same since." Farkas pleaded that Glasser not subject his client to supervised release: Pontillo's "weakness" means he'd slip up sooner or later and violate the terms of that release. "It is not hyperbole to suggest that he will serve a life sentence on an installment plan," Farkas wrote. Nevertheless, Pontillo ended up getting six months house arrest and two years of probation. Pontillo was convicted on murder conspiracy in 1993 -- he and four others hatched a scheme to dress as Hasidic Jews in an aborted plan to gun down William (Wild Bill) Cutolo during the Colombo crime family's civil war.


Ex-gangster's girlfriend renews bail request

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The longtime girlfriend of former Boston crime boss James "Whitey" Bulger has renewed her request to be released on bail while she awaits trial for allegedly helping Bulger elude authorities. A lawyer for Catherine Greig filed a notice in court Thursday asking a judge to consider releasing her. Greig's lawyer, Kevin Reddington, said he plans to file "voluminous documents" to support his request, including real estate appraisals. Reddington has said Greig and her sister would put up their homes as collateral. Prosecutors say Greig helped Bulger escape capture for 16 years. Her lawyer says she was in love with Bulger and didn't know the extent of his alleged crimes when she fled with him. Bulger is accused of participating in 19 murders. The couple was apprehended in Santa Monica, Calif., in June.


Thursday 22 September 2011

Gangster's vest stopped rounds

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The body armour worn by gangster Sanjeev Mann stopped some of the bullets fired at him by masked gunmen, a Calgary court heard Wednesday. Det. James Hands, of the Crime Scenes Unit, detailed the exhibits he seized in connection with the 2009 New Year's Day massacre of Mann and two others. Among the items collected by the officer was the Kevlar body armour Mann regularly wore after he had been shot at months earlier outside his parent's home. Hands showed jurors the back panel of the three piece vest Mann was wearing when two assailants opened fire at the Bolsa restaurant, on Macleod Tr. S. He said the vest, seized during Mann's autopsy, showed he had been hit in the back three times. "We found (the bullets) and cut them out," Hands said, as he showed jurors three holes in the outer lining of Mann's vest. Turning the panel around, Hands showed how the inside of the body armour remained unaffected. "The vest stopped the three bullets from penetrating," he said. Both the inside and outside of the panel, which Hands handled wearing gloves, appeared stained with blood. Charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the Jan. 1, 2009 deaths of Mann, his associate Aaron Bendle, and bystander Keni Su'a are Michael Roberto and Nathan Zuccherato. Crown prosecutor Shane Parker had earlier told jurors in his opening address that Mann was struck by four bullets. Meanwhile, despite arriving moments after emergency calls from Bolsa restaurant, Calgary cops could do nothing to save the gunned down victims, court was told. Const. Kory Gash was one of the first officers on the scene of the New Year's Day massacre and the first to enter the south Calgary eatery. Gash said he checked Su'a for signs of life and tried to help put pressure on his bullet wounds, but to no avail. Once he and other officers charged into the restaurant he found both Mann and Bendle on the floor. "I could observe two individuals down and an Asian female crouched down over the individual who was at the back of the restaurant," he said, referring to Mann's girlfriend, Annie Tran. "I checked for a pulse on the individual and based on no pulse and the magnitude of the blood that was there, he had passed," Gash said, adding he did the same with Bendle.


Wednesday 21 September 2011

Cops warn gangsters' families they could be in danger

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Police are warning the families, friends and associates of Dhak and Duhre gang members that they could be in danger. "We have reason to believe these people (the gangsters) are being targeted by other criminal groups," said Supt. Tom McCluskie, in charge of the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit's Gang Task Force. Jujhar Khun Khun, 24, a member of the Dhak gang, was sprayed with a hail of bullets in Guildford Friday night. He is in critical condition in hospital after being shot in a Nissan Murano in the 10100-block of 144th Street at about 9:30 p.m. Police are investigating if the shooting was in retaliation to Red Scorpion gangster Jonathon Bacon being shot dead in Kelowna last month. McCluskie noted that Tuesday's warning was "unusual. "We don't do this every day, but we take this very seriously," he said. "Given the growing gang tensions and potential for violence in the Lower Mainland, we want to assure the public that every effort is being made to get ahead of this violence should it erupt again on our streets. We also want to ensure that people are warned that they could be in danger if they associate with the Duhre and Dhak groups."


Killings described as assassinations

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Gang violence moved from West Bay to George Town on Monday night when teenager Jason Christian became the fourth fatal shooting victim of the week.  A second victim, 22-year-old Keith Montique, was also shot but survived.  Police Chief Superintendent John Jones described how a police patrol officer had been answering an unrelated incident around 9.30pm Monday in Birchwood Drive, off Crewe Road, when an obviously injured Mr. Montique staggered up to the police car and opened the door, saying he had just been shot.  As the officer was transporting the gunshot victim, who had been shot four times, to the Cayman Islands Hospital, the wounded man told him his friend had also been shot and was still in nearby Cranbrook Drive.  When police went to Cranbrook Drive, they found 18-year-old Jason Christian in the driver’s seat of a white Toyota LiteAce van. He had suffered a gunshot wound to the head. Mr. Jones said he was “barely alive” when police arrived, but died very shortly afterwards and was pronounced dead at the scene.  Mr. Jones described Monday night’s killing, and three earlier fatal shootings in West Bay, as “assassinations”. All four victims who have been killed this week were shot in the head.  Mr. Montique underwent emergency surgery at the Cayman Islands Hospital on Monday night and was airlifted off island for further medical treatment Tuesday. He had also been shot in the head, receiving an injury to his ear.   Medical staff at the hospital 
described his condition as “serious, but stable”.  Police said no suspects were found at the scene in Cranbrook Drive, but officers recovered a loaded revolver inside the van. It had not been fired.  At least 10 spent shells have been found at the scene of the killing. Police said Monday night’s shooting may be related to the three killings in West Bay, but said it was too early to say definitively if that was the case. “There are connections between the individuals who were victims of this shooting and with certain people affiliated to gangs or groups in the West Bay area,” Mr. Jones said. “Given the timing, so close to the other three shootings that we’ve had, we think there is a strong possibility that it may be connected.” Preston Rivers, 18, was shot dead near Thatch Palm Villas on Andersen Road in West Bay about 10.30pm Saturday. On Thursday, Andrew Anthony Baptist, 24, was gunned down shortly before 9pm Thursday in a yard of a house on Sand Hole Road in West Bay. Two days earlier, Robert Macford Bush, 28, was shot in the head as he sat in his car on Captains Joe and Osbert Road on Tuesday night.  “To have four murders in such a short period of time is unprecedented for the Cayman Islands,” Mr. Jones said.  Crimestoppers has offered a $50,000 reward for information on these killings and other robberies and gun-related crimes seen in Cayman recently.  He said Mr. Montique had told police that he and Mr. Christian had gone into Cranbook Drive to visit a premises there, but when they got there, the person they were looking for was not there. “After that, it would appear that a gunman approached from bush and fired several shots at Mr. Montique and his friend, who attempted to drive away,” Mr. Jones said.  Police said the white van at the scene had featured in their investigations into an armed robbery at Tortuga Liquor Store in Pasadora Place on Thursday, 15 September. “Whilst that vehicle was not seen to be used by the suspects in that robbery, it did feature in a line of inquiry,” Mr. Jones said.  The shootings in George Town Monday occurred just hours after Commissioner of Police David Baines said gang members who they were seeking in West Bay had moved out of areas they usually frequented.  Police continue to appeal to the public to give them information relating to the shootings, but also to let them know who has weapons in their possession and if further attacks are planned. Mr. Jones said police were rounding up known members of gangs. They mounted an operation on Monday afternoon to target those who they suspect are involved in gangs and have arrested four people in connection with gang affiliation.   A further two people also remain in custody who were arrested in connection with the West Bay murders. A third person who had been arrested in connection with the killings has been released.   Detective Superintendent Marlon Bodden said he was angered that people were now sending police photographs that had appeared on social media like Facebook, of victims of the killings holding firearms.  “We are inundated now with various photographs, various emails, various bits of information extracted from social media, pictures of individuals holding guns. Now, if we had this information before that, I’m very certain we could make some interventions and saved some lives,” Mr. Bodden said.  He said police were pushing for legislation under which they could prosecute people for brandishing firearms in photographs. “We want legislation to be enacted that those individuals prove, the burden of proof is shifted for them to say I was not holding a real firearm... We want to be able to charge them and deal with them because they are the individuals causing the havoc here in the Cayman Islands,” he said.


Gunmen halt traffic, dump 35 bodies on busy downtown avenue in Gulf coast city in Mexico

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Suspected drug traffickers dumped 35 bodies at rush hour beneath a busy overpass in the heart of a major Gulf coast city as gunmen pointed weapons at frightened drivers. Mexican authorities said Wednesday they are examining surveillance video for clues to who committed the crime. Horrified motorists grabbed cell phones and sent Twitter messages warning others to avoid the area near the biggest shopping mall in Boca del Rio, part of the metropolitan area of Veracruz city. 11 Comments Weigh InCorrections? inShare ( no / Associated Press ) - Soldiers and police block off an area where 35 bodies lay under an overpass in Veracruz, Mexico, Tuesday Sept. 20, 2011. Masked gunmen blocked traffic on the busy avenue in a Gulf of Mexico coastal city and left the bodies piled in two trucks and on the ground, according to authorities. The scene was a sharp escalation in drug violence in Veracruz state, which sits on an important route for drugs and Central American migrants heading north. The gruesome gesture marked a sharp escalation in cartel violence in Veracruz state, which sits on an important route for drugs and Central American migrants heading north. The Zetas drug cartel has been battling other gangs for control of the state. Prosecutors said it’s too soon to draw conclusions from the surveillance video. “We’re not going to confirm or deny anything,” Veracruz state Attorney General Reynaldo Escobar Perez told the Televisa network Wednesday. “We’re looking at it in different ways, we’re seeing different numbers, that’s why we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves.” Escobar said the bodies were left piled in two trucks and on the ground under the overpass near the statue of the Voladores de Papantla, ritual dancers from Veracruz state. He said some of the victims had their heads covered with black plastic bags and showed signs of torture. Police had identified seven of the victims so far and all had criminal records for murder, drug dealing, kidnapping and extortion and were linked to organized crime, Escobar said. Motorists posted Twitter warnings said the masked gunmen were in military uniforms and were blocking Manuel Avila Camacho Boulevard. “They don’t seem to be soldiers or police,” one tweet read. Another said, “Don’t go through that area, there is danger.” Veracruz is currently hosting a conference of Mexico’s top state and federal prosecutors and judiciary officials. Local media said that 12 of the victims were women and that some of the dead men had been among prisoners who escaped from three Veracruz prisons on Monday, but Escobar denied the escaped convicts were among the dead. At least 32 inmates got away from the three Veracruz prisons. Police recaptured 14 of them. Drug violence has claimed more than 35,000 lives across Mexico since 2006, according to government figures. Others put the number at more than 40,000.


Monday 19 September 2011

Joe Keane used his car to 'box in' McCarthy-Dundon gang members during a stand-off last week.

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 The feared criminal - who is the son of slain mobster Kieran Keane - confronted the rival gang members following a night out in Limerick city centre. A source claimed Keane believed the car contained gangsters who knew Darren Coughlan, the innocent man he helped kick to death in November 2005. Earlier this month, gangster Joe (23) was released from prison after serving six years for Darren's manslaughter. Gardai claim Keane's release has seriously raised tensions in Limerick's criminal underworld. The notorious thug had previously vowed to get revenge on rival gang members who were behind the murder of his father, Kieran Keane snr. A source claims Keane clashed with Moyross crime figure Erol Ibrahim last week after he boxed in a car he was a passenger in. Tense Ibrahim is well known to gardai and is a close associate of senior members of the McCarthy-Dundon mob. The source said: "Keane blocked in the car because he thought it contained an associate of Darren Coughlan. He was wrong and there was a tense stand-off with Erol Ibrahim. "Apparently, Keane phoned Ibrahim later on and told him he was not the target." Gardai regard Keane as an up-and-coming gang figure and he is extremely close to his uncle, crime boss Christy Keane. The notorious thug has a reputation for violence and has previously vowed to execute his father's killers. When he was just a teenager, gardai seized a note written by Keane to his mother in which he vowed to kill members of the McCarthy-Dundon gang. It read: "People who set up and killed my father, all will be dead by the time I am 32, now I am 14. That's a promise boys." After his release, Keane flew to Spain for a holiday with his mother, Sophie, brother Kieran jnr and Kieran's girlfriend Laura Flanagan. However, since his return a source has claimed Keane has maintained a "high profile" presence on the streets of Limerick. ROW: Gangster Erol Ibrahim Ibrahim is an associate of a criminal who controls the drugs trade in Moyross. The mobster, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is facing serious charges later this year. Ibrahim, whose father is Turkish, first hit the headlines as a teenager when he was a witness in the trial of hitman Gary Campion. Evidence He was sitting in the front passenger seat of drug dealer 'Fat' Frankie Ryan's car when Campion shot him dead in 2006. He initially denied knowing the identity of the shooter but changed his evidence after a meeting with Mr Ryan's brother. However, in his second day of giving evidence in court, Mr Ibrahim said he had never seen the person who had killed Mr Ryan before in his life and could not identify him.


Charges expected after shooting of Raynald Desjardins

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Charges are expected to be filed Monday in Laval court against a man believed to have been acting as a bodyguard for Raynald Desjardins, an alleged associate of the Rizzuto organization who was targeted in a shooting on Friday. The man, described by police as being in his late 30s, was arrested Friday after several shots were fired in what appears to have been an attempt on Desjardins’s life. Desjardins, 57, was a close associate of Vito Rizzuto, who acted as leader the organization before he was extradited to the U.S. in 2006. Desjardins was not injured and the man believed to be his bodyguard suffered a minor injury. Desjardins, the owner of a construction company, claimed in 2009 that his work is now legitimate after having served a lengthy prison term for smuggling cocaine. But an English version of the book Mafia Inc., set to be released in October, alleges that Desjardins and his brother-in-law, Joseph Di Maulo, are suspected by police of “playing a discreet behind-the-scenes role in the parade of collusion, rivalries, partnerships and betrayals that followed the killing of Nick Rizzuto Jr. Far from being shut out of the proceedings, the pair were plotting actively to install a new regime.” A French version of the book, by André Noel and André Cédilot, was released last year and the English version was updated. Nick Rizzuto Jr., Vito’s son, was shot dead in Montreal in December 2009. Di Maulo, 69, has been described by police in the past as an influential member of the Mafia. He was convicted of murder in 1971 but was later acquitted in a second trial ordered by the Quebec Court of Appeal. Despite a conviction in 2008, for possessing a prohibited firearm, Di Maulo has kept a very low profile for years. Police sources have told The Gazette recently that Di Maulo, Desjardins and possibly two other men have tried to assume leadership roles within the Mafia in Montreal. Sometime after 9:30 a.m. on Friday, the Laval police received calls from people reporting the sound of gunfire on Lévesque Blvd. in the city’s St. Vincent de Paul district. When officers arrived at the scene they found Desjardins and the man believed to be his bodyguard near a sport utility vehicle that had been damaged by bullets. Another vehicle was damaged in what police believe was an exchange of gunfire. The shooting took place just a few kilometres from where Desjardins has a residence on the bank of the Rivière des Prairies. Desjardins was given the opportunity to talk to investigators but he chose to say nothing, said Laval police Sgt. Simon Charette. Desjardins was allowed to leave Laval police headquarters late Friday night and faces no charges in the shooting. Charette said the other man who was held for questioning on Friday will likely face charges related to firearms. But, Charette added, a prosecutor will have to decide what charges will be filed. Charette said the man who was arrested is known to police. He also said investigators suspect at least one other person was involved in the shooting but that they have yet to find him. He said, on Saturday, that investigators are still trying to determine exactly what transpired. The apparent attempt on Desjardins’s life is the latest in a series of violence where members of the Rizzuto clan and their associates were the targets. While Vito Rizzuto has been jailed in the U.S., for taking part in the 1981 murders of three Mafia capos in Brooklyn, New York, his son Nick and father Nicolo Sr. have been murdered in Montreal. Rizzuto’s brother-in-law Paolo Renda, another leader in the organization, went missing in May 2010 and Agostino Cuntrera, an influential figure in the organization, was murdered weeks later. In 2009, Desjardins finished serving a 15-year sentence he received in 1994 for his leadership role in a plot to smuggle 5,000 kilograms of cocaine into Canada along with members of the Hells Angels. He had been released from a penitentiary in 2004, after serving two-thirds of his sentence, thereby reaching his statutory release date. He had been released previously but his parole was revoked in 2002 because he was seen shaking hands with Francesco Cotroni, the son of now-deceased mob underboss Frank Cotroni. The years he spent behind bars were problematic for Correctional Service Canada due to his influence over other inmates. Early on in his sentence he was suspected of mandating two other inmates to kill another who was serving a life sentence. The inmate was attacked and guards informed Desjardins they suspected he had put out a contract on the victim. Desjardins was also suspected of trying to poison another inmate.


Shooting Could be Linked to Kelowna Attack

Posted On 02:05 0 comments

 

The young man who was shot several times in the 10100-block of 144th Friday night is linked to a gang that may have inside knowledge about last month’s fatal Kelowna shooting, according to my sources. The 24-year-old has a history of police that stretches back to his late teens. When a gunman opened fire about 9:30 p.m. Friday, he was with others who have been the subject of police “duties to warn” because there are others out there that want them dead. The victim remains in critical condition. He is currently out on bail on trafficking charges. If the motive behind this shooting is in fact retaliation for the Kelowna attack that killed Red Scorpion Jonathan Bacon and wounded Hells Angel Larry Amero and Independent Soldier James Riach, it is exactly what Supt. Tom McCluskie of the Gang Task Force predicted would happen last week. The official police comment is that the man shot Friday has gang links and is known to police. And they said the gunman left in a vehicle, though there is no suspect description at this time. Here is the full statement from Cpl. Holly Marks, of the RCMP: Approximately 9:30 tonight, Surrey RCMP received multiple reports of shots fired in the area of 144 Street & 101 Avenue• On arrival, a male victim was located suffering from gunshot wounds• He has been transported to hospital in critical condition• The victim is in his late 20’s, early 30’s and is known to police and also known to have gang affiliations• Multiple shots were fired• Believed to be Targeted• Multiple suspects fled the scene in a vehicle• The victim was in a vehicle when shot• The issue of gangs & Organized Crime is a Top Law Enforcement Priority• This shooting occurred in a residential neighbourhood showing the gans have a callous disregard for the safety of others• Significant resources are employed to investigate this shooting including Surrey Serious Crime (who maintain conduct of the investigation), PDS, Air One, Forensic Identification Services, Integrated Gang Task Force.


Gangland boss Carl Williams fingers cop Paul Dale from beyond grave

Posted On 00:06 0 comments

 

ON April 24, 2007, deep inside the razor wire of Victoria's Barwon Prison, gangland killer Carl Williams finally decided to tell his story about crooked cops and Melbourne's underworld war. Williams is now dead, but his lurid tale echoed from the grave yesterday as his version of history, made in three statements over two years, was read out to a spellbound audience in the Victorian Supreme Court trial of Williams's alleged murderer, Matthew Charles Johnson. Johnson has pleaded not guilty on the basis of self-defence. According to Williams's statements, his relationship with former policeman Paul Dale began nervously. The gangland killer and the policeman were so "paranoid" about each other that they once met in a swimming pool wearing only bathers so that neither could be "wired" with listening devices. But the court heard the dealings between this odd couple would blossom into something far more deadly. Before long, what began as merely secret payments for information escalated to a murder, sanctioned and paid for by Dale, Williams alleged. The tone of the gangland killer's statements are as casual as they are cold. When Williams heard that the hitman he hired at Dale's request to kill police informer Terrence Hodson had also killed his wife, Christine, he asked the gunman: "What happened with the sheila?" "That's not for you to worry about," the gunman replied, about which Williams said, "That was the end of the conversation". According to Williams, he met Dale following his release from prison in 2002 when Dale requested a meeting with him via another criminal. "I first met him at the Brunswick Club, where Lewis Moran was killed," Williams said. "He (Dale) was telling me he could keep an eye out for me. "In return, Dale expected to be paid for any information that he gave to me . . . I think we were both suspicious of each other at that time and remained so." Williams said, early on, Dale showed him a police report that revealed that an Asian man called Jimmy had been giving information to the police about Williams, who was called "Fat Boy" in the police report. "As a result of reading the report, I dropped off Jimmy and did no more (drug-dealing) business with him." The court heard that Williams's relationship with Dale grew as they met more often. "On most occasions when I met with Dale, I would give him an envelope with money in it. The money I paid Dale usually ranged from $2000 to $5000 each time." On one occasion, he said, Dale asked him if he wanted the detective to do anything to Williams's gangland rival Jason Moran. "It was pretty widely known that Jason and I had problems at the time," Williams said in his statement. "I didn't know whether they (Dale and a fellow detective) were fair dinkum or trying to set me up. Dale said he could kill Jason for $400,000. I told them they were dreaming." Williams claimed that Dale told him he had arranged internal police systems so Victoria Police would be unable to check on Williams without Dale knowing about it. "He told me he did this so that he could keep up to date with any investigations against me." At one stage, Williams said, Dale asked him to meet in a swimming pool near Seaford where Dale told Williams to tip off fellow gangland figure Tony Mokbel about a police investigation into a drug laboratory. "We met at the swimming pool because he was paranoid of me and I was paranoid of him," said Williams. "Dale had two pairs of shorts or swimming togs. We put these on and got into the pool and walked up and down in the water." The court heard that in his April 2007 statement, Williams said he had no knowledge of who killed the Hodsons at their Kew home in May 2004, but in his second statement, in January 2009, he was ready to reveal the hitman. "I didn't want to be a dog and be a protection prisoner, but my attitude has changed," he said. Williams alleged that Dale told him he had to "get" Hodson before he could give evidence at a committal hearing about his alleged involvement in a burglary involving drugs, in which Dale was implicated. He said: "We went for a walk. Dale told me that he had to get Hodson and he had to get Hodson before Dale's committal. "Dale said he didn't want to go back to jail. He said he had been in isolation and it was tough. "He said he had someone on the job but it was taking too long to get Hodson. Dale asked me if I could help him out." Williams claimed Dale told him the job would pay $150,000. Williams said he approached a hitman who he knew had "a reputation as a fairly ruthless bloke". He met with the hitman, who can't be named for legal reasons, on the ground floor of the Marriott hotel. "I told him there was a contract there for Terry Hodson and I told him the amount of $150,000. There was never any contract on his wife and I never mentioned Terry's wife to (the hitman)." Williams said he didn't know exactly when Hodson would be murdered and the first he heard about it was on the news. The court heard that a few days after the Hodsons' deaths, Williams's statement said, he got a call from Dale telling him "it's been dropped off". "I knew he was talking about the money for the Hodson murders," Williams said. "I was at my mum's when Dale made that call to me. I went and checked the bin. It was a large green wheelie bin that Mum kept inside the gate. Inside the bin, I saw a plastic bag and I took it out of the bin and went back inside." He said he counted the money, which was bundled in $10,000 amounts with rubber bands around it. "It might have been $100 or so short but effectively the money was all there." A few days later, Williams met the hitman at the Marriott again. "I left the bag containing the $150,000 on the ground next to our seats and he collected it." "(The hitman said) 'Quick, hey?' and smiled and chuckled. "I said to him: 'What happened with the sheila?' He said: 'That's not for you to worry about.' That was the end of the conversation. "I asked him about the sheila because I didn't think she needed to die and she wasn't a part of the contract. Having said that, I didn't push it any further." Williams said he never spoke again to the hitman about the Hodson murders. "It is an unspoken rule that once a job is done, you don't mention it again so you don't get caught out on a listening device or something." He also revealed that hitmen preferred to kill on cold days because "the cold weather means it's less likely that people will be out walking around and possibly witness something". In his January 2009 statement, Williams said "since I have been locked up, (lawyer Nicola) Gobbo has told me that Dale has asked after me and has asked if there is anything he can do for me. I just dismissed it because there was nothing he can do for me and I don't want to deal with him." Williams was bashed to death in Barwon jail in April last year.


Saturday 17 September 2011

Playboy Surenos (PBS), Varrios Locos (VL) and Little Valley Lokates (LVL) shootout at a Kent low-rider car show; a blast-o-rama that left a dozen people injured

Posted On 19:22 0 comments

 

Four men are now in jail and two more are being sought for their involvement in the July 23 shootout at a Kent low-rider car show; a blast-o-rama that left a dozen people injured and gun prohibitionists blaming gun owners and firearms rights for an incident that was totally gang-related.      A detailed narrative of the investigation is attached to court papers linked by the Seattle Times. It’s quite interesting reading. Done by a Kent police detective, the report reveals that rival members of three gangs were apparently involved: the Playboy Surenos (PBS), Varrios Locos (VL) and Little Valley Lokates (LVL). At some point, a member of a band playing at the event encouraged people in the crowd to “hold their flags in the air,” which the crowd apparently presumed to mean showing their gang signs. From there, things went downhill fast. Advertisement    It is an unusual mix of suspects, considering that two of the men jailed have no criminal backgrounds, and two others – both brothers – weren’t even at the event, but they’re in trouble, anyway. Here’s a roundup, courtesy of reports in the Kent Reporter (linked by the on-line SeattleP-I.com) and Seattle Times: • Patrick A. Auble, 30, of Tacoma. He is charged with first-degree rendering criminal assistance for hiding a gun used in the shooting. He reportedly has a criminal history that includes obstructing justice, reckless driving and ten counts of driving with a suspended license. Currently held on $100,000 bail, he allegedly tried to negotiate with police for the release of his brother from jail and return of four guns belonging to him in exchange for the gun used in the shooting, according to the detective’s narrative. • Shea C. Auble, 21, of Auburn. He’s the brother whose arrest was the subject of Patrick’s attempted negotiation with the cops. Shea is charged with first-degree rendering criminal assistance. He also has a “lengthy criminal history” that includes charges of residential burglary, assault, taking a motor vehicle without permission (that’s auto theft in plain language) and malicious mischief. His bail is also set at $100,000.  • Martin McSmith, 21, of SeaTac. Up to now, he had no criminal history. But he is allegedly one of the shooters, and he now faces charges of first-degree assault. Bail is set at $750,000. • James Lopez Jr., 17, of Seattle. He also had no criminal history until now, and he’s charged as an accomplice for allegedly being the driver of one of the getaway cars. He is charged as an adult and is being held on $250,000 bail.    Currently being sought in this caper are Ignacio Vasquez-Trevino, 19, of Federal Way and Nicholas Moreno, 21, of Auburn. Vasquez-Trevino is allegedly one of the shooters, wanted on three charges of first-degree assault. Moreno is allegedly another shooter, also charged with three counts of first-degree assault.    According to the detective’s narrative, Patrick Auble called police on the night of the shooting, looking to make a deal. An hour earlier, Shea had been arrested on an outstanding warrant, after police were called to a residence where two people were firing guns in the street. Shea was one of the two people arrested, and police also confiscated two 9mm pistols, a .40-caliber pistol and a .223-caliber rifle.    Patrick said he had information about the shooting, a vehicle involved, and a gun. In exchange, he wanted his little brother sprung and his guns returned. He called back later, telling police that “if he didn’t hear back from the police or his brother by 0100 hours, ‘Things will disappear’.” Two days later, on July 25, he called again, with the same demand, the report states.    On July 26, two detectives talked to Shea Auble in jail. Shea turned out to be a negotiator, too, according to the detective’s narrative. He allegedly told the detectives that he had information about the shooting, in exchange for getting five pending felony charges dropped.    The narrative reads like the script to a Quentin Tarantino movie. Not only was Patrick Auble allegedly hiding one of the guns involved, he was also hiding a car belonging to suspect Moreno in the garage of his parents’ home.    There may be other suspects in the case, and when this finally settles out, the problem will not be solved by restricting the rights of law-abiding gun owners, but hammering down on gangs .


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