Gangs apparently targeting people who exchange money at Mexico City's international airport shot a French citizen in the head

Gangs apparently targeting people who exchange money at Mexico City's international airport shot a French citizen in the head on Tuesday, and authorities warned that gangs have put lookouts at exchange windows in the terminal.The 55 year-old French biotechnology researcher, who works at a Mexican university, was attacked and robbed of euro4,800 ($6,336) on a street near the airport, assistant city prosecutor Luis Vasquez and police said. He is in serious condition at a local hospital.
Officials at the French embassy said they could not confirm the victim's name or home town.Mexico City police chief Manuel Mondragon said criminal gangs have posted lookouts at some of the money exchange businesses inside the airport. The lookouts tip off associates waiting outside who rob the victims after they leave the terminal. The gangs often use extreme violence.The lookouts send a message by radio or telephone about who has changed money ... and then cars are sent out to intercept the person, Mondragon said. When the victim resists, it unleashes the most incredible violence, like shooting this man in the head.The Frenchman's driver testified that two cars appeared to follow them after they left the airport, then cut them off, police said. One man got out with a gun and shot the victim when he refused to hand over the bag containing the money.There have been about three other reported cases of foreigners being held up under similar circumstances in recent months, police say.In one case, a tourist from Guinea was shot during a similar attack near the airport in January.Vasquez said the two crimes may be related.
We believe it could be members of the same gang, or another gang using the same methods, Vasquez said.The airport itself is under the auspices of federal police, while the streets outside the terminal are patrolled by city cops.Mexico has seen a wave of drug-related killings that claimed more than 5,300 lives in 2008, as well as violent kidnappings and common crime, but relatively few foreigners have been among the victims.On Dec. 10, American anti-kidnapping expert Felix Batista was abducted in northern Mexico and has not been heard from since.

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Fitzgerald Thomas, otherwise called ‘Chis’, of Doctor Bird Circle fatally shot after he engaged lawmen in a gun battle

36-year-old man was fatally shot after he engaged lawmen in a gun battle at Doctor Bird Circle, Aviary Housing Scheme, Old Harbour, St Catherine, yesterday. A semi-automatic pistol was seized in the incident.Dead is Fitzgerald Thomas, otherwise called ‘Chis’, of Doctor Bird Circle.Reports are that about 5:45 a.m., a team of police went to Thomas’ home to execute a warrant on him. On entering the premises, they were met with gunfire. The lawmen took evasive action and returned the fire. After the shooting subsided, the area was searched and Thomas found suffering from gunshot wounds. The weapon, a .45 Colt semi-automatic pistol, serial number 001722, with two .45 cartridges was taken from him. He was taken to the Spanish Town Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

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Personal possessions of the gangland criminals Kray twins raised more than £100,000 when they went under the hammer

Personal possessions of the gangland criminals raised more than £100,000 when they went under the hammer on Monday night.Two pairs of cufflinks fetched nearly £15,000, while a letter from the artist Francis Bacon to Ronnie sold for £7,400.
One buyer alone spent more than £50,000.Photographs signed by musicians Barbara Streisand and Mark Knopfler, actress Patsy Kensit and TV presenter Fern Britton, raised a total of £1,310.Other goods included a signed copy of comedian Norman Wisdom's autobiography, dedicated to Ronnie, clothes and poems by the brothers.Also among Chiswick Auctions's 160 lots to sell were Ronnie's revered oil paintings, popular with collectors.The notorious pair, who were jailed for life for the murder of Jack McVitie in 1969, dominated London's crime scene in the 1950s and 60s.
They went on to develop a cult-like status among the public and celebrities alike.
A spokesman for Chiswick Auctions William Rouse said: "It was extraordinary, and there's been an extraordinary group of people in the sale room."The interest has been phenomenal from the beginning."A solicitor's letter to Reggie Kray explaining his refusal for parole in May 1995 was included in the sale, making £600.
He was freed in 2000 aged 66 because of his deteriorating health, and died shortly afterwards.Ronnie Kray died in prison in 1995 aged 61.

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Red Scorpion Jonathan Bacon delivered 114 sticks of stolen dynamite, a grenade, seven handguns, two shotguns, a rifle and an Uzi submachinegun

Gangster Jonathan Bacon delivered 114 sticks of stolen dynamite, a grenade, seven handguns, two shotguns, a rifle and an Uzi submachinegun to police as part of a plea bargain for an associate, according to court documents obtained by The Vancouver Sun.
The eldest of the trio of brothers linked to the Red Scorpion gang, Bacon brought the arsenal to Abbotsford Det. Lyle Simpson in February 2007 after the deal was negotiated by a lawyer for Bacon associate Dennis Karbovanec and a Crown prosecutor, the documents say.Details of the plea bargain are contained in court documents related to new charges against Karbovanec, 27. He faces 11 gun charges after being stopped by Abbotsford police last October, wearing a bullet-proof vest and allegedly hiding a loaded 9-mm Luger and silencer in a secret compartment in his leased GMC Yukon.The 2007 plea bargain resulted in a conviction for possession of a prohibited weapon and ammunition and a lifetime firearms ban. Documents available Monday did not disclose the charges that led to the deal.The surrender of the firearms and explosives was arranged in phone calls between Simpson and Jamie Bacon, the youngest of three brothers, who survived a brazen murder attempt at a busy Abbotsford intersection last week.Jamie, 23, is facing his own series of gun and drug charges laid last May as police issued an extraordinary public warning about death threats to the brothers and their associates.Karbovanec was also recently targeted in a shooting, arriving at Mission Memorial Hospital Dec. 31 with two bullet wounds and wearing a bullet-proof vest. He was treated and left, refusing to cooperate with police.Simpson said in the warrant application that when Karbovanec was arrested three months ago, he tried to give his vehicle to two associates who arrived at the scene, but it was towed to Abbotsford police headquarters.A police search uncovered a balaclava, gloves and a police scanner as well as the gun and silencer.
Police were assisted by Paul Vogt, of the Canada Border Services Agency, an expert in vehicle concealment, who helped find the hidden compartment, Simpson said."Vogt described this compartment as one of the most sophisticated he had seen in 16 years of experience in the field," the document said.The next day, investigators arranged to have the Yukon towed to the RCMP's secure lot in Surrey, as two plainclothes officers followed.A black Mercedes leased to Jonathan Bacon followed the tow truck, the search warrant document says."The tow truck stopped at a red light, while the Mercedes drove along the right shoulder of the roadway and came to a position parallel to the GMC Yukon. The Mercedes then stopped and the driver exited, approached the front passenger door of the GMC and extended his hand in a motion to open the door," Simpson said in his application. "Both officers drew their weapons and ordered the male away from the GMC. At this time, the male re-entered the Mercedes and drove off."Simpson said the two officers were not sure if the male was Jonathan or middle brother Jarrod, who is also facing gun charges and out on bail

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Sam Fasulo, 37, died Sunday after being shot several times while he was driving in a sports utility vehicle in Montreal North

Sam Fasulo, 37, died Sunday after being shot several times while he was driving in a sports utility vehicle in Montreal North on Friday afternoon. No arrests have been made in the shooting and investigators are trying to track down a pale coloured sports utility vehicle that is believed to have been used in the homicide. Several shots were fired into Fasulo’s Jeep. Montreal police Constable Laurent Gingras said investigators have little in terms of a description of a white man who witnesses saw inside the suspect vehicle before it sped away. Fasulo only recently finished serving a four-year sentence he received in 2004 for his leading role in a major drug trafficking ring that sold crack cocaine and heroin out of Italian cafés in St. Leonard and St. Michel. When police carried out search warrants in the 2003 operation dubbed Project Espresso they seized a large quantity of drugs but also uncovered a cache of weapons that included automatic and semi-automatic firearms.
According to National Parole Board decision prepared when he was granted a full release in 2005, Fasulo was considered the leader of the highly organized drug trafficking ring that brought in $100,000 a week. The Montreal police had evidence it had operated quietly for years. It was busted after residents who lived near the cafés began complaining that the drugs sold out of the cafés brought problems like prostitution and used syringes to their neighbourhoods. One of the parole decisions notes “(A) police report also indicates a tie to traditional Italian organized crime, which (Fasulo denied).” Despite the denial, the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit investigation Project Colisée uncovered links Fasulo had with Francesco Arcadi, the mob boss with the Rizzuto Clan. In 2002, Arcadi was recorded giving orders to Fasulo to resolve a problem after a drug dealer with ties to the mob was roughed up inside a Montreal bar. Arcadi was recorded telling Fasulo to go immediately to the bar but to not start punching right away. Instead, Fasulo was told, their adversary should only get a warning. “You tell him: ” Don’t you touch this fellow or I will slit your throat like a goat,” Arcadi told Fasulo.
Subsequent wiretapped conversations suggested Fasulo solved Arcadi’s problem in under an hour. Arcadi, 55, is currently serving a 15-year prison term he received in October after pleading guilty to conspiracy and gangsterism charges filed against him in Project Colisée.

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Martin Herrera, of Fountain Valley, was critically injured

Martin Herrera, of Fountain Valley, was critically injured when shots rang out shortly after 4 p.m. Friday in the 600 block of N. Bristol Street. Herrera died the next day as a result of his injuries at UCI Medical Center in Orange, said Santa Ana police Cmdr. Tammy Franks.David Frias, 18, of Fountain Valley remains hospitalized in serious but stable condition, Franks said. Gang detectives arrested Hector Martinez, 23, on Sunday in Corona where he lives. Martinez was booked on suspicion of murder and a gang enhancement and is being held at the Orange County Jail in lieu of $1 million bail. Detectives are not releasing details of what led to the shooting pending the ongoing investigation.Herrera's killing is the third gang-related killing of the year in the city. Last year, there were 13 gang-related killings.

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Vivian Blake, the man who is said to have operated one of the world's most powerful criminal networks may be on Jamaican soil by the end of this week

Vivian Blake, the man who is said to have operated one of the world's most powerful criminal networks may be on Jamaican soil by the end of this week.The infamous shower posse head was released from the confines of prison in the first week of January. Since then preparations have been made for his return to Jamaica. Blake's Attorney David Rowe told RJR News on Monday morning the arrangements for his return are now complete. However, he was unable to reveal the scheduled date of Blake's return because of a bilateral secrecy agreement. "The arrangements are now complete between US Homeland Security and the Government of Jamaica for Mr. Vivian Blake to be repatriated to Jamaica. The precise date is still going to be confidential but all parties have completed their arrangements and his repatriation is eminent," said Mr. Rowe. The former Tivoli Gardens strongman was sentenced to 28 years in federal prison in June 2000 in a Miami Federal Court.He served just nine years of that sentence after turning state's evidence.He had been indicted there 12 years earlier, but fled to Jamaica where he had been hiding until his capture.
He and other members of the Shower Posse were given lengthy sentences based on 52 charges brought by federal prosecutors.These included racketeering, smuggling and distributing marijuana and cocaine from the Bahamas through the United States.
His sentence was shortened after entering a plea deal with US prosecutors.The Shower Posse was implicated in the murders of more than 1,400 persons in the US.US agents said the Posse operated lucrative illegal drug rings in Miami, New York City, Philadelphia and Virginia.Blake was featured on the US Black Entertainment Television's crime series, American Gangster last year.

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Esteban Manuel Saidi died Wednesday night at Intermountain Medical Center of a gunshot wound to the abdomen

Esteban Manuel Saidi died Wednesday night at Intermountain Medical Center of a gunshot wound to the abdomen, Salt Lake County sheriff's deputies said. Two of the Saidi's classmates, also 16, were booked into juvenile detention. The suspected shooter, a sophomore, and his accomplice spoke with the high school safety officer and turned themselves in about an hour after the shooting. They were arrested at a nearby home. The gun was recovered in the area of the shooting. Sheriff's deputies would not confirm for publication the suspects' identities on Wednesday night.
Kearns High School shooting However, a person who identified himself as a relative of the alleged shooter said members of the Sureño gang had been harassing the shooter. Sheriff's officials said the shooting was gang-related, but they would not name the gang affiliations of the victim or the suspected shooter. Sheriff Jim Winder said the suspected gunman and the victim were known to gang investigators before Wednesday's shootings. Saidi was with at least two other people when he encountered the shooter and his accomplice around noon on a side street near the school, 5525 S. Cougar Lane (4840 West), said sheriff's spokesman Don Hutson. It was not clear whether there were others with the two suspects, he said. After Saidi was shot, two of his friends brought him to the school. Another student described the victim lying on the ground. "He was pale. He was dying. He was just laying there with a weird look in his eyes," said the student, who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation. The student said he had heard there was "supposed to be a fight" and was walking toward the scene to watch it when he saw Saidi. Hutson would not comment on the report that the noontime fight was planned. The student said he did not hear gunshots and did not know the victim. He said the school was locked down when he returned. The school reopened at 2 p.m. and will hold classes today, said district officials. A classmate who called himself Kyle said the suspected shooter was known to have gang ties and played on the school football team. "He is a nice kid," Kyle said. "I didn't think he would ever do anything like that." Dillan Davis, a 17-year-old junior, said gang members make little mystery of their affiliations. "It's not hard to tell. Everyone always wears colors," he said. "They're just kids; you can be friends with them. They're just regular." Other students, though, spoke of long simmering tensions between rival groups of Latino and Polynesian teens.
"It's not about ethnicity, really, it's about gangs. It was really bad last year," said 16-year-old Yesenia Rangel. At least three students were handcuffed Wednesday and detained after school for questioning. The students were involved in a fight, which may or may not, have stemmed from the shooting, said Granite School District spokesman Ben Horsley. Winder said that Kearns gangs lately have become more violent. "Just today in our staff meeting we were discussing ... tensions in this area," he said. Aaron Merlo , 18, and Francisco Cardenas, 17, said they have noticed the rise in violence. "After Panda Express, and then this right here," Cardenas said, referring a gang-related shooting Saturday at a West Valley City eatery. A 15-year-old gang member was shot and critically injured after he pulled out a machete during a fistfight with members of the rival Crazy Ass Mexicans gang, according to jail documents. A 21-year-old was arrested. "I don't like Kearns no more," Merlo said. "It used to be more peaceful." Senior Courtney McAfee, 18, said she's frustrated with the violence. "I just don't think people have to bring their business to school," she said. Parent Veronica Hollestelle said she is considering home-schooling her 10th-grade son, Alex, or moving him to a different district.
"I want to get him out," she said. "I'm done with this area." Others said they generally feel safe. "I don't walk through the halls scared," said sophomore Sierra Reid, 16. McKensie Rosenhan, a Kearns graduate, waited during the lockdown to get her 17-year-old sibling. "It sucks it happened here because we get such a bad rap. It's not a bad place at all." Alex Wiles, the Kearns High student body president, said the media have portrayed the school in the wrong light. "We don't have a gang problem," he said, adding that he's never seen a gun at school.

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Anthony Sandoval was arrested and booked into county jail for being a suspected gang member in possession of a firearm

Salinas police arrested a 37-year-old suspected gang member and convicted felon of being in possession of a firearm Friday morning, according to authorities.Officers served a search warrant in the 200 block of Winham Street around 8 a.m. and located a Smith and Wesson .45 revolver, a 30/30 Winchester rifle and gang-related items, police said.Anthony Sandoval was arrested and booked into county jail for being a suspected gang member in possession of a firearm, and being a felon in possession of a firearm, police said.

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Arrested Victor Rios on suspicion of being in the country illegally suspected of belonging to the Monos Criminal Street gang

Arrested Victor Rios on suspicion of being in the country illegally while possessing a firearm and box of ammunition during a search warrant. Rios is suspected of belonging to the Monos Criminal Street gang

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officers arrested Alfredo Jose Rodriguez suspected of belonging to the Westside La Habra Compo gang,

officers arrested Alfredo Jose Rodriguez on suspicion of being in the country illegally while possessing a firearm. Rodriguez is suspected of belonging to the Westside La Habra Compo gang,

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19-year-old Maurice Bowser, an alleged member of the Bloods gang, was charged with three counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill.

19-year-old Maurice Bowser, an alleged member of the Bloods gang, was charged with three counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill. Shots were fired into a passing car, and a man thought to be a member of the Crips gang was hit in the leg.Six people standing on the street nearby and alleged to be inciting the shootings were charged with solicitation to commit a felony, said Elizabeth City police Sgt. Gary Bray.The charges carry penalties less harsh than those against a shooter, but the result is the potential for more gang members to be taken off the street, Bray said.In November, seven alleged gang members were arrested after an investigation of a string of shootings in the summer; authorities employed the seldom-used charge of "going armed to the terror of the public."
Those arrests netted what was believed to be most of the Bloods gang known as West Side Piru, Bray said.Using the old laws to make as many arrests as possible, even for more minor crimes, is part of a zero-tolerance policy used by the Elizabeth City Police Department and neighborhood crime watches.Since zero tolerance was instituted in 2007, murders in Elizabeth City have dropped from seven in 2006 to two in 2007 to none last year, according to the city's annual crime report. Assaults related to gang activity fell to 94 from 104."We want to send a strong message to gang members who influence others to commit crimes, We're going to charge you, too," Bray said.
"Solicitation to commit a felony" can be used when someone induces another person to commit a felony. Without that charge, Bray could have arrested only Bowser, he said.
After a spate of shootings last year, Bray sought a way to arrest gang members who encourage a shooter but are not carrying weapons themselves, he said. He studied the statutes and found "solicitation to commit a felony.""It's not been tested in court yet," he said."Going armed to the terror of the public" allows police to make arrests even if no shots are fired. Both laws originated in England but are rarely used in North Carolina, District Attorney Frank Parrish said."What's happened is what's old is new again," Parrish said.He will prosecute the charges if the evidence supports them, he said.Elizabeth City police are also teaming with federal law enforcement to make large-scale arrests with charges that carry heavier penalties, Bray said.In addition, neighborhood watch groups have been more active, Police Chief Charles Crudup said. Residents have been asked to report even minor crimes around their homes. The city plans to install 18 more cameras - for a total of 24 - in high-crime areas, Crudup said.Officer Eddie Rodriguez is working with neighborhoods, civic groups and individuals in gang prevention. Gangs in Elizabeth City are using drug money to buy guns, said Bray, who heads a combination drug and gang unit.
Typically, shootings happen when a gang "disrespects" a rival gang member or trespasses through drug-selling turf, Bray said.Children as young as 12 join gangs and are used to sell drugs or carry out gun deals, he said. Older gang members know that youths without a record will not get much punishment.
"If you start at 12, by the time you reach 16, you're going to be well-versed," Bray said.Recently, police arrested a 16-year-old after he was pulled over on a traffic stop. A pump shotgun was found in the car. It was discovered that the teen was wanted in New York in the shooting of a rival gang member when he was 14. Now he is awaiting extradition to New York.Years ago, gangs were identified more by neighborhoods, but nationally recognized names have arrived here through the prison system, Bray said. A prisoner is typically forced to join one or the other, he said.
Some gang members say they will "throw down their flag," or leave the gang, after an arrest. "We don't have any documented cases of that actually happening," Bray said.Violent crimes have dropped for two years but can return quickly, he said. Two weeks ago, in what is believed to be a gang-related incident, a man was shot in the back with a shotgun, Bray said. The man survived, but no one has been arrested.
"I don't know if we'll ever get it totally under control," he said. "You try to do the best you can. It gets over-whelming at times."

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Paris DiMarco Moffett, linked to a notorious Eddy Rock street gang was sentenced to 10 years in prison Friday in a federal drug case.

Paris DiMarco Moffett, 30, was arrested in 2007 after a raid at the south Novato apartment he shared with his girlfriend, Delicia Mitchell. Authorities found a large stash of narcotics and a handgun in the apartment, arrested both Moffett and Mitchell, and seized four children in the home, including twin infants.
Authorities said Moffett was a member of the Eddy Rock gang, one of several street gangs accused of terrorizing the Western Addition neighborhood of San Francisco. The city attorney issued an injunction in 2007 barring the gangs from "safety zones" in the neighborhood.Moffett pleaded guilty to possessing 183 grams of crack cocaine at the apartment, or about 6.5 ounces, and possessing a loaded Colt .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol used in his drug trafficking. He was sentenced Friday in U.S. District Court in San Francisco.Moffett's lawyer, Randall Knox, called the outcome "unfortunate.""I'm hopeful that when he gets out he'll be able to lead a productive, law-abiding life," Knox said.Mitchell pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute ecstasy.Under her plea agreement, she is expected to receive probation when she is sentenced in March.

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WANTED: REWARD OFFERED FOR GILBERTO VARGAS, age 31, Chicago.member of the Spanish Cobras street gang

Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is asking for the public's help in locating
VARGAS is alleged to be a member of the Spanish Cobras street gang and is believed responsible for overseeing the distribution of crack cocaine at various locations throughout the City of Chicago. VARGAS was among 30 suspected gang members and associates who were charged in October of 2008 as the result of an investigation code named "Operation Snake Charmer". VARGAS is one of only two defendants from this investigation, who is still at large.VARGAS is described as a Hispanic/male, 31 years of age, 6'2" tall, medium build, weighing approximately 180 pounds. He has black hair, brown eyes and slight facial hair. He is also known to use the street name of "Twin" as he has a twin brother with the same name, Gilberto Vargas. VARGAS has the letters "MOB" tattooed on his left arm and the phrase "Trust no nigga, Love no bitch" tattooed on his stomach.
In appealing to the public for help in locating VARGAS, Mr. Grant announced that a reward of up to $5,000 is being offered for information leading to his location and arrest. Anyone recognizing VARGAS or having any information as to his current whereabouts is asked to call the Chicago FBI at (312) 421-6700.VARGAS has an extensive criminal record, including charges for crimes of violence, and as such should be considered "Armed and Dangerous".The Chicago FBI's Joint Task Force on Gangs is comprised of FBI Special Agents and Detectives from the CPD, Gang Crimes Unit.The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt and that all defendants in a criminal case are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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Eugenio Montoya Sanchez, 38, the brother of alleged North Valley mastermind Diego Montoya Sanchez, faces between 10 and 30 years in prison

Eugenio Montoya Sanchez, 38, the brother of alleged North Valley mastermind Diego Montoya Sanchez, faces between 10 and 30 years in prison when he is sentenced April 3.The maximum life sentence is prohibited under Colombia's extradition agreement with the U.S.Prosecutors say the Montoyas oversaw a drug empire that smuggled cocaine worth some $10 billion to the U.S. beginning in the early 1990s.Eugenio Montoya admitted in court Friday that he handled the cartel's finances and money-laundering work, including a series of cash "stash houses" in Colombia where as much as $20 million in U.S. currency was hidden. Montoya also acknowledged playing a role in the August 2003 torture, killing and dismemberment of a confederate whom cartel leaders feared was cooperating with authorities."Yes, your honor," Montoya answered when U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga asked if the allegations were true."You were a high-ranking manager," Altonaga said.Montoya was arrested in January 2007 at a farm outside Cali, Colombia, and later extradited to the U.S. The North Valley cartel emerged in the 1990s as the leading exporter of cocaine to the U.S. - usually via Mexican land routes - following the demise of the earlier Cali and Medellin cartels.In a written plea agreement, Montoya said he would cooperate with U.S. investigations - possibly including his brother's case - and assist in identifying property and other drug-tainted assets that could be forfeited. That cooperation could result in a future reduction in Montoya's sentence.Montoya's attorney, Ruben Oliva, said the plea deal was the best possible outcome for his client, who would have faced more prison time if the case had gone to trial. Under the agreement, 10 other charges will be dropped.Diego Montoya, 46, was extradited to Miami on Dec. 12 to face the same indictment as his brother. He has not yet entered a plea.
A third Montoya brother who helped run the cartel, Juan Carlos Montoya Sanchez, previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced in 2006 to nearly 22 years in federal prison.

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East Side Loco street gang leader Edwardo Nino Alfaro federal sentence

Edwardo Nino Alfaro, 26, identified as a leader of the East Side Loco street gang, was prosecuted under Idaho’s Criminal Gang Enforcement Act, which enhanced penalties for gang-related crime.Alfaro is already serving a 26-year sentence in Idaho prison in connection with a 2007 drive-by shooting in Caldwell. He will be eligible for parole in 2014, but will need to begin serving his 150-month federal sentence as soon as he is released from state prison, according to a Thursday news release from Moss.U.S. District Judge Lynn Winmill ordered Alfaro’s new federal sentence to run consecutively to his sentence in state prison, saying Alfaro poses “a very serious danger to the community of continued gang and gun violence.” Winmill said he hopes Alfaro is denied parole on the state charge and stays in prison until he is 62 years old.

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Gang-related stabbing of an Antioch man whose injuries have left him in a coma

One man has been jailed and two other suspects identified in the gang-related stabbing of an Antioch man whose injuries have left him in a coma, police said.
Police arrested Nicholas Van Camp, 31, of Antioch, downtown about midnight today after public tips led investigators to identify him along with Antioch residents Robert Garcia, 20, and Jovon Allen, 22, as suspects. Garcia and Allen remain at large, and should be considered armed and dangerous, police said.The victim, a 22-year-old Antioch man, was found on Wilbur Avenue about 2:20 a.m. Monday suffering from multiple stab wounds to his upper body, police said. He was taken to a local hospital, and while he is expected to survive, he was put into a medically induced coma to stave off infection risks, said Antioch police Lt. Leonard Orman.
Orman said an investigation revealed that the victim and the three suspects are all associates of the Norteño street gang, and that the victim disrespected the gang in some way. The suspects were open about making their involvement in the stabbing known, he said."These folks were not keeping this secret," Orman said. "They were broadcasting this out, trying to send a message that they will not stand for any disrespect (to the gang)."Orman said police got numerous tips after news of the stabbing surfaced. All three suspects have extensive criminal histories, he said.
Van Camp was booked into County Jail in Martinez on suspicion of attempted murder and use of a deadly weapon, and is being held without bail because of a parole violation. Orman said investigators will seek a gang enhancement to the charges when they present the case to the District Attorney's Office.

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Finglas Suspected gangland hit was foiled

Shotgun stolen in Dundalk over a year ago was found by Gardai in north Dublin after a suspected gangland hit was foiled.Uniformed gardai were on patrol in the Dunsoghly area of Finglas on Thursday night last when they noticed a car being driven in a suspicious manner.As Gardai pursued the vehicle, one of the two occupants threw an object over a wall and into the garden of a house.After a search of the garden, gardai recovered a loaded pump-action shotgun, which they suspect was about to be used in a 'hit' on a major Dublin gangland figure.It was initially believed that that the shotgun had been stolen in a burglary in Drogheda, but Gardai have since confirmed that it was stolen from a house in the Lisdoo area of Dundalk on New Years Eve 2007.Two men were subsequently arrested and held in Finglas and Blanchardstown garda stations under section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act.

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Edgar Diaz, 23, was a member of the Down Below Gang, which operated in the Sunnydale housing project

Edgar Diaz, 23, was a member of the Down Below Gang, which operated in the Sunnydale housing project in the Visitacion Valley district of San Francisco. Prosecutors said the gang sold crack cocaine and other drugs and protected its turf with violence and murder.Diaz pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco in November to participating in a racketeering conspiracy that included three murders and several attempted murders personally committed by Diaz.The 40-year sentence handed down by Alsup on Tuesday was agreed to by prosecutors and defense lawyers in the plea bargain.Before the guilty plea, Diaz faced the possibility of a rare federal death penalty if his case had gone to trial and he had been convicted. The U.S. Justice Department had authorized local federal prosecutors to seek a death penalty.Alsup referred to the three murders during the sentencing and said, "In a way, it's hard to accept the sentence of only 40 years, as long as that is."But the judge said he had to defer to prosecutors' decision to reach a plea agreement.
A second gang member, Emile Fort, 27, continues to face a possible death penalty if convicted of three different murders he is accused of in connection with racketeering.Fort is due to go on trial in Alsup's court on Feb. 23.Diaz and Fort are among 12 members of the gang indicted in an 86-count indictment in October 2005. The 10 others have pleaded guilty to various charges.One of them, Raymon Milburn, was sentenced by Alsup Tuesday to seven years in prison for his guilty plea on a charge of conspiring to murder a man who was a potential prosecution witness against Fort.

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Tango Blast Houstone. members of Texas' largest prison gang,Ten of the 14 indicted gang members are in custody. Four are still on the loose.

Tango Blast Houstone.The men not yet arrested but also indicted in the case are: Ronnie Elmer Jackson, 36, of Navasota; Raul Sergio Madrigal, 29, of League City; Mario Alberto Gonzalez, 34, of Houston; and Juan Mario Rangel, 28, of Houston.If found guilty of conspiracy to distribute drugs, they would face a mandatory minimum federal sentence of 10 years in prison and a $4 million fine




Tango Blast Houstone. members of Texas' largest prison gang,Acting Houston U.S. Attorney Tim Johnson announced today that 14 members of the highly-decentralized yet populous Houstone gang have been indicted on five counts related to the possession and distribution of marijuana and cocaine. The indictments are the result of the task-force's three-year-long investigation, which involved organizations including the FBI, DEA., ATF, Houston Police Department, and the IRS.
As we reported back in August 2007, Tango Blast Houstone bills itself as a milder and kinder alternative to other state prison gangs such as the Texas Syndicate and Mexican Mafia. Members follow a looser code and set of rules and are not nearly as organized. That said, Tango Blast Houstone members can be just as vicious and involved in crime. So while the gang and its seemingly relaxed approach may look fresh and unique, in many ways it's just an act members are using to recruit unprecedented numbers of people into the largest and fastest-growing gang in Texas.
Johnson hosted a news conference this afternoon to announce that this is the task-force's first made case of the new year. "We're here collectively to wage battle against any gang who chooses Houston as their turf," said F.B.I Special Agent in Charge Andrew Bland.The government is alleging that beginning in 2007, the defendants conspired to possess with the intent to sell 1,000 or more kilos of marijuana and more than five kilos of cocaine. In addition to the drugs, agents also seized guns, jewelry, cell phones, several high-end cars and $12,000 in cash. The government is also seeking the defendants to forfeit $18 million, the alleged worth of the sold drugs, says Johnson.Ten of the 14 indicted gang members are in custody. Four are still on the loose.

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Colin and Dean McCaffrey, aged 24 and 22, were each jailed for 14 years at Sheffield Crown Court after admitting conspiracy to rob UK Bullion

Colin and Dean McCaffrey, aged 24 and 22, were each jailed for 14 years at Sheffield Crown Court after admitting conspiracy to rob UK Bullion on Ecclesall Road in July 2007.Now the pair – described as the ringleaders of the raid – have had their sentences slashed to 10 years each, meaning they will be automatically released after five years when they have served half of their term.Lord Justice Moses, sitting in London's Appeal Court with Mr Justice Pitchford and Mr Justice Griffith Williams, said the brothers had been involved in a "meticulously planned robbery" which had netted an enormous amount of jewellery.The brothers, from Manchester, were part of an organised crime gang which travelled from Manchester to stake out the jewellery store before ramming the shutters with a Toyota Corolla in broad daylight and reversing at speed.Wearing white boiler suits and balaclavas, they burst inside, wielding claw hammers, crow bars and an axe. They smashed all the display cabinets and snatched valuables from the safe.Some employees managed to flee upstairs but others were forced to lie on the floor throughout the terrifying ordeal and one female shop assistant was threatened with an axe.After ransacking the shop in just 60 seconds and stealing watches and diamonds, they sped away in a black Audi, then transferred to other vehicles.But witnesses saw the men passing the gems between vehicles and they were arrested in Manchester the following day.Colin and Dean, described in court as "ringleaders", were caught through a combination of forensic examination work, the monitoring of hours of CCTV footage, number plate recognition systems and mobile phone analysis.Almost the entire stock taken but only £127,000 worth of jewellery was recovered by police. They dropped some jewellery as they fled and earrings worth £6,000 were found in a raid on a house in Merseyside.Lord Justice Moses allowed the appeal which was made on the grounds insufficient credit had been given for the brothers' young age and guilty pleas.

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Anthony Washington, a Rollin' 30s Harlem Crips gang member guilty of three charges.

Federal court jury found 29-year old Anthony Washington, a Rollin' 30s Harlem Crips gang member guilty of three charges. The relatively quick three day trial concluded on Friday.Washington was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of crack cocaine with the intent to distribute, and illegal possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.Los Angeles Police Department Officers arrested Washington in January 2006. Washington was prosecuted under the Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative, a joint partnership between Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the United States Attorney's Office, and local law enforcement agencies. Washington, a multi-convicted felon will be sentenced later this year. He is facing a mandatory minimum of 15 years in federal prison without the chance for parole."We are very pleased with the verdict today. ATF will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to target violent gang members that infect the streets of Los Angeles," said John A. Torres, Special Agent in Charge of ATF's Los Angeles Field Division.The Rollin 30's turf is located in the southwest section of Los Angeles. The well-entrenched street gang is known to engage in narcotics trafficking, home invasion robberies and firearms trafficking. ATF arrested eight members of the gang in March 2007, and an additional 24 members in October 2008.The Rollin' 30's are a Crip gang originally called themselve the Harlem Godfathers in the South Central section of Los Angeles, California in the mid 1970s. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, they possess the second largest territory of all black gangs in Los Angeles with only the Eight Tray Crips covering a larger territory.

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latest victim of the drugs boss was Michael 'Roly' Cronin

latest victim of the drugs boss was Michael 'Roly' Cronin, who had fallen foul of the gangster in a dispute over money.Cronin (35), and one of his associates, James Maloney, whose funeral took place yesterday, were both shot in the head in the front seats of their English-registered car by a gunman who was known to them and who had been sitting in the back of the vehicle.Gardai say the prime suspect for the shooting has not been seen since the killings. They are awaiting the outcome of detailed forensic tests on the murder weapon, a .357 Magnum and clothing dumped by the gunman as he made his escape on foot through Gloucester Place.Meanwhile, four of the five people arrested on Thursday by gardai investigating the double murder were still being held last night at the Bridewell, Coolock and Store Street garda stationsThe three women and one man were all detained at their homes in the north inner city. A second man was released yesterday without charge.Gardai have foiled a suspected 'hit' on a major gangland figure after intercepting a car in north Dublin.
The intended victim, officers believe, is the leader of one of the biggest crime gangs in the capital -- and is alleged to be responsible for ordering the double murder in the north inner city last week.He has been blamed for masterminding at least three murders since he took control of the drug-trafficking empire that was left leaderless after the shooting of Martin 'Marlo' Hyland at a relative's house in Scribblestown Park, Finglas, in December 2006.Uniformed gardai were on patrol in the Dunsoghly area of Finglas on Thursday night when they noticed a car being driven in a suspicious manner.The gardai followed the car, which then sped off into the Dunsoghly estate, off the Ratoath Road, where the gardai saw one of the two occupants throw an object over a wall and into the garden of a house.The gardai intercepted the car at Cappagh Road and detained two men, aged 30 and 27. One of the men is from Finglas and is associated with the victim of one of the murders alleged to have ordered by the gang boss. The second man is from the Oriel Street area of the north inner city.After a search of the garden, gardai recovered a loaded pump-action shotgun. Inquiries established that the shotgun had been stolen in a burglary in Drogheda.Last night, the two men were being held in Finglas and Blanchardstown garda stations under section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act. They can be detained without charge for a maximum of three days.Gardai say the drugs gang boss and one of his accomplices have addresses in that part of Finglas and they believe the shotgun was to have been used in an attack.

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Daniel Uruiza and Guillermo Garcia, both 16, and Raymond Sullivan, 17, are scheduled to be arraigned Jan. 27 on charges of murder

Daniel Uruiza and Guillermo Garcia, both 16, and Raymond Sullivan, 17, are scheduled to be arraigned Jan. 27 on charges of murder and intent to promote a criminal street gang in San Bernardino Superior Court.The Three teenagers were ordered held over for trial Tuesday in last year's deadly stabbing of 16-year-old Robert Banuelos near Arroyo Valley High School. After listening to testimony from law-enforcement witnesses, Judge Kyle Brodie determined that sufficient evidence was presented during a preliminary hearing to try the trio. Uruiza also faces a special allegation of using a weapon, a knife, according to court documents. "This brings us one step closer to bringing justice to the victim's family, and hopefully closure," said Deputy District Attorney Ron Webster, who is prosecuting the case. Banuelos was confronted and stabbed near Ninth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, after school on May 20, according to San Bernardino police. He was a documented gang member from the Los Angeles area, according to earlier accounts from police. Witnesses said the defendants, who are members of a Westside street gang, were "putting in work" for their gang, Detective Pete Higgins testfied. Higgins told defense lawyers during questioning that Banuelos was targeted for death after a fight involving him and Garcia. Uruiza and Sullivan did not attend Arroyo Valley, authorities said.With Uruiza charged as having the weapon, lawyers for Sullivan and Garcia aimed to portray their clients at the hearing as bystanders at an after-school fight. Uruiza's lawyer, James Gass, declined to comment when reached after the hearing.
Highway Patrolman James Helm said the defendants were part of a group of young men who crossed Ninth Street in front of his patrol car, 20 to 25 minutes before the stabbing. Helm later heard a dispatch about the stabbing. In court, he identified two of the defendants, and was mostly sure about Garcia except for a different haircut, as being detained for the stabbing near Mount Vernon Avenue and Vine Street. San Bernardino police Officer Edward Lee testified that he was flagged down by a friend of the victim's. During encounters with police before the stabbing, Uruiza and Sullivan had signed "gang cards" identifying them as members and had been added to a street gang injunction on the city's Westside, testified Officer Chris Gray. Uruiza and Sullivan both have tattoos representing the gang, and Uruiza has a tattoo on his stomach in connection with the "Dead Presidents" case, Gray said. In that case, four gang members - two of whom were gang presidents - were gunned down in the driveway of a West Vine Street duplex in July 2000.

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Red Scorpions brothers James, Jarrod, and Jonathan Bacon gang task force warned that anyone associating with the brothers could be in jeopardy

Abbotsford Police got reports of shots fired just previous to 4 p.m. at the Abbotsford Village Shopping Centre and a black Ford 150 truck fleeing the scene.James Bacon narrowly escaped with his life after gunfire erupted at a shopping mall in Abbotsford this afternoon. Moments later, a black Mercedes SL500 heading west on South Fraser Way a block or so from the mall careened down an embankment and slammed into the stone stairway of the Abbotsford Keg Restaurant located on West Railway. Police and firefighters arrived to find the empty Mercedes, engine still revving emitting smoke and fumes in front of the restaurant. A witness waiting at the stop sign at the intersection of West Railway and South Fraser Way said he saw the driverless Mercedes come down the road and plunge down the 10 to 15 foot slope .
Looking up along the road he saw a man on his hands and knees in the middle of South Fraser Way get up and run into the industrial area immediately south. Moments later James Bacon was taken into police custody in an alley behind businesses on Abbotsford Way. Wearing a blue bullet proof vest and hoodie with splashed with a gold pattern, he was overheard telling officers he was shot at with an automatic weapon. He was transported from the scene in a back of a patrol car. Abbotsford Police are not confirming the man taken into custody is James Bacon. However, the individual, in his twenties, is well known to police and believed to be the target of the shooting, said Const. Casey Vinet. He has been questioned and released, said Vinet. A mother driving a van loaded with her four kids was in one of the lanes adjacent to the black Mercedes when shots rang out. "We heard six pops. It was like pop, pop, pop. We didn't even know it was gun shots." "I've got four kids under eight with me. If the bullets had of missed him. I was right beside him. It's too scary." Immediately after the shots, she looked over to see a big dent in the driver's side door and the car take off through the intersection. The young mom said she was shaken up that this level of violence could take place in her neighbourhood.
"It's pretty freaky. I just want to get us home."Vinet said no one was injured in the shooting, but a third vehicle unrelated to the shooting was struck by a bullet.
No arrests have been made. Abbotsford brothers James, Jarrod, and Jonathan Bacon are currently the subject of a extraordinary public warning issued by the the B.C. Integrated Gang Task Force.The gang task force warned that anyone associating with the brothers could be in jeopardy as the trio were targets in a murder plot by rival gangsters.As a result, the Bacon family home in east Abbotsford is under surveillance by police cameras for the safety of area residents.The warning was issued in May, following the arrest of James 23, and Jarrod, 25, in connection with two separate RCMP firearms investigations.The pair are charged with numerous weapons offences.According to their bail conditions, the two brothers must abide by a curfew and reside at the family home, not carry weapons of any kind, not wear or possess any paraphernalia associated with the Red Scorpions gang, and must not have any contact with Dennis Karbovanec.

Karbovanec a long time associate of the Bacon brothers survived a targeted shooting in Mission on New Year's Eve.

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Edgar Diaz,member of the Down Below Gang in San Francisco was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison

Edgar Diaz, 23, originally faced a possible death sentence but reached agreement with federal prosecutors on a prison term in November, when he pleaded guilty to taking part in a racketeering conspiracy. The charge included distribution of crack cocaine, ecstasy and marijuana, a number of attempted murders, and the murders of Beverly Robinson in April 2004 and Kenya Taylor and Antoine Morgan in June 2004.member of the Down Below Gang in San Francisco was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison Tuesday after admitting that he took part in three murders.Another defendant, Raymon Milburn, was sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to murder a man identified by prosecutors as a witness against the gang.
Police say the Down Below Gang has terrorized the Sunnydale public housing complex in Visitacion Valley since the late 1990s. Twelve alleged members were indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2005, and U.S. District Judge William Alsup has now sentenced 11 of them to prison.In a court filing urging the judge to accept the plea agreement, attorney Tony Tamburello described Diaz's upbringing in the squalor and violence of Sunnydale while his mother drank, used drugs and was periodically hospitalized or imprisoned. The final defendant, Emile Fort, an alleged leader of the gang, is scheduled to go to trial in February on racketeering charges that include multiple murders and could be sentenced to death if convicted.

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Police in Manchester are investigating a shooting at a popular restaurant.

Police in Manchester are investigating a shooting at a popular restaurant.Police said no one was injured when several shots were fired into a hallway at Rocco's Bar and Grille at about 9:30 p.m. Monday.The circumstances of the shooting are under investigation.

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GANGSTER Dave Courtney has avoided a prison sentence after a Bristol judge heard the criminal turned-author had taken a new direction in life

Reformed GANGSTER Dave Courtney has avoided a prison sentence after a Bristol judge heard the criminal turned-author had taken a new direction in life.
Courtney, 49, author of a number of best-selling true crime books, appeared at Bristol Crown Court on Tuesday afternoon to admit a charge of possessing ammunition - a single bullet – without a firearms certificate.
But after Judge Ticehurst heard Courtney, from Plumstead, south London, had the round in his possession for a prop in a stage show, in which he encourages wayward youths to keep on the straight and narrow, he let him off with an 18-month conditional discharge.
Courtney, who claims to have had links with notorious criminal siblings the Kray brothers, has a long list of antecedents including affray and theft – all of which are chronicled in his numerous books.
But Courtney's counsel Donal McGuire told the judge his client, who has also starred in various movies and documentaries, now spends his days raising cash for community centres and lecturing would-be crooks with his mantra "crime doesn't pay".
Prosecutor Simon Morgan told the court Courtney was pulled over by police on October 29, 2007, in Lewins Mead, in the city centre, because the red BMW he was in had the illegal licence plate BADBOY1.
Officers searched Courtney and his vehicle and found the live ammo in his pocket, as well as a number of other prop weapons in the boot.
Mr Morgan said: "He told officers it was for a show. He displayed these as part of his performance. He was taken straight into custody where he said it was blank ammunition.
"He was extremely surprised to learn it was in fact live ammo. The officer tells me his surprise was in fact very genuine.
"But the simple point is, a man with his record, he should know better."

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Fresh Off the Boat gang involved in a bloody battle with a rival gang

Three alleged members of a street gang involved in a bloody battle with a rival gang have been denied bail.Court of Queen's Bench Associate Chief Justice Neil Wittmann detained Chantha Kim and brothers Marcel and Daniel Landry following a lengthy bail hearing on Monday.Crown prosecutor Shane Parker argued for the trio's detention. Lawyer David Chow, who represents the Landrys, and Steve Virk, who represents Kim, sought their clients' release.Details of the hearing cannot be revealed because of a court-ordered publication ban.The three men, all alleged members of the FOB Killers gang, were previously ordered released by provincial court Judge Heather Lamoureux on Dec. 18, but Wittmann quashed her order.The three men, along with Shaun Roberts and a 17-year-old male, each face four counts of attempted murder, four counts of discharging a firearm with intention to endanger life and two other weapons charges related to the Nov. 16 gun battle in the 200 block of Centre Street S.Roberts and the youth were also ordered released before Christmas.Police said the shooting started when the occupants of an SUV pulled up alongside a car and opened fire.
Two of the four wounded occupants in the smaller vehicle have been identified through court documents as Hans Eastgaard and Timothy Chan--both long associated with the Fresh Off the Boat gang.Matthew Chubak, who was also in that vehicle, was shot to death last Tuesday.Police say 21 people have been killed since members of FOB split in a dispute over drug profits and became known as the FOB Killers.The Landrys, Kim and Roberts will be back in court on Friday.

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Leifel Jackson,who claimed to have founded Little Rock’s “Original Gangster Crips” in the early 1990s and spent nearly 10 years in prison

Gov. Mike Beebe announced Friday his intention to grant pardons to nine Arkansans, including a man who claimed to have founded Little Rock’s “Original Gangster Crips” in the early 1990s and spent nearly 10 years in prison on drug convictions.Leifel Jackson, 47, known as “O.G.” during his criminal days, said that during his time in prison, he learned to read and began thinking about the damage his drug dealing had caused.After his release in 2001, Jackson began working with organizations tackling youth violence, activities that authorities cite in support of his pardon.
Beebe spokesman Matt De-Cample said he knew of no law enforcement agencies that opposed the proposed pardon.“I can tell you generally that any pardon application that we look through, what the person has done with their life since their conviction and jail time is taken into consideration,” De-Cample said.Pulaski County Prosecuting Attorney Larry Jegley, who normally objects to pardons for convicted felons, didn’t oppose Jackson’s application “Given my track record of raising Cain about clemencies in the past, this is one where I think the power can be exercised properly,” Jegley said.“I’ve been watching Leifel Jackson since he got out of prison ... and I’ve had several conversations with him.”Jegley said Jackson has given him some insight into what is happening on the streets.
“He’s not a snitch, don’t get me wrong, but he has a perspective that is helpful,” the prosecutor said.Jegley said any doubts about Jackson’s sincerity were overtaken by the man’s good intentions since his release.“At first I was a little skeptical, but I’ve been convinced, not because of anything he’s told me, but because he’s shown me that he has turned his life around,” Jegley said. “I wish more of the people who go through the system could say the same thing.”Attempts to reach Jackson on Friday were unsuccessful.Jackson was featured in a pair of HBO documentaries on gangs in Little Rock, the second of which concentrated on his efforts to keep children out of gangs. He founded the group Reaching Our Children and Neighborhoods.
The program works with 60 children between the ages of 6 and 18, giving them a place to gather after school and during the summer to study and play.“We give them an opportunity to just be kids,” Jackson said, in an October interview with Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc.’s weekly publication Sync. “To be kids and be around other kids.“We deal with academics, but we deal with behavior as well,” he told the publication. “A lot of kids are not able to be kids today. They have to grow up so fast. ROCAN plays a part in giving them a chance to be a kid long term. It gives them a safe place to be a kid.”Maumelle Police Chief Sam Williams, who spent more than 20 years with the Little Rock Police Department, several of them as commander of the department’s Special Investigations Division, had a different perspective on Jackson’s proposed pardon.“If the authorities that are making those decisions feel like he’s eligible for a pardon, I can’t argue,” Williams said. “Maybe he has turned his life around, but I’m always skeptical.“I do know this - during the course of his life he did a lot of harm, but he would probably be the first or second person to admit that,” Williams said.“He dealt a lot of dope,” Williams said. “I can tell you that.”

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