Shootings were planned and executed by members of the Sureno 13 gang, also known as SUR 13.

Shootings were planned and executed by members of the Sureno 13 gang, also known as SUR 13.William VanEyck, 24, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a .357 Magnum revolver and using it to commit one of the shootings. He will serve four and a half years in prison.Gonzalo Venegas, 22, the gang’s operational leader, will serve three years and one month after he pleaded guilty to the same possession charge and admitted he frequently drove the vehicle and supplied the weapon to be used.Rigoberto Rubio-Castillo, 22, admitted to taking possession of a stolen Norinco rifle and providing it to Venegas for safe-keeping and will serve four years.
No one was injured in the shootings.

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Jonathan Cabrera, 27, was arrested on charges of murder and attempted murder

Jonathan Cabrera, 27, was arrested on charges of murder and attempted murder after he allegedly fired numerous shots striking 20-year-old Rodrigo Vasquez and 31-year-old Samuel Castro last week outside La Escondida, 5524 14th Street W. Vasquez died a few hours later after he was taken to Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg. Castro remains in critical condition at Tampa General Hospital. He had surgery Friday. Cabrera told detectives he turned himself in after reading about the shootings in the Bradenton Herald. He went to a sheriff’s office substation located in Oneco to contact authorities.When questioned about the shootings, he said he didn’t pull the trigger.At about 1 a.m. April 4, there were about five men inside the nightclub, including Cabrera, Castro and Vasquez, who were acquaintances. Cabrera allegedly became upset with one of the men because he did not like one of the people in the bar. He reportedly kicked the chair of Albert Morales, who he was upset with, and said, “Let’s take it outside,” according to the report. Morales and Cabrera went outside to fight in the parking lot, with people in the bar following. The five men began walking to their cars parked next door at Value Pawn. Cabrera went to a gold Nissan Maxima and emerged with a firearm. He reportedly opened fire, striking two of the men and several buildings, then left, the reports said.Cabrera told detectives he had nothing to do with the shootings and left after the argument. He told authorities he has no idea who the Maxima belongs to. Vasquez’s death marks the 11th homicide in Manatee County this year. Six of those cases remain without arrests. Last year, there were a total of 17 homicides. Cabrera, who is a documented member of the SUR-13 gang, was arrested twice for attempted murder in gang related cases in 2002 and 2006, according to documents. In both cases, the shootings were against a rival gang.In this latest case, the shooting is believe by detectives to involve gang affiliates. Castro is friends with Cabrera, according to Castro’s relatives. The men also share criminal history together, according to documents. Castro and Cabrera were in a white Mercedes Benz when Cabrera reportedly fired 10 .40 caliber shots at another vehicle in a drive-by gang shooting in 2002, according to documents. A man in the other car was shot in the ribs, according to the warrant charging Cabrera with attempted murder in 2002 filed by Bradenton Police Department. In another case, in 2006 Cabrera allegedly fired a shotgun at a rival gang member in Eastside Crips, according to the warrant.The State Attorney’s Office declined filing charges in the previous cases because witnesses were not cooperative and there was not enough evidence.

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Steed Dennis, 30, of Wichita Falls, pled guilty in February to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm

Steed Dennis, 30, of Wichita Falls, pled guilty in February to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and is scheduled to be sentenced in June. On January 9, 2009, Dennis was stopped in his vehicle by a Wichita Falls Police Officer. The officer, who knew Dennis to be a known member of Puro Lil Mafia of Wichita Falls, and a convicted felon, was in possession of a .22 caliber firearm in his vehicle. According to documents filed in Court, the Officer also observed Frederick Trujillo, also a known member of Puro Lil Mafia, in the back seat of the vehicle.Dennis Bachman, Chief of the Wichita Falls Police Department, said, “These arrested persons have posed a danger to the city for some time. We're happy to support the Safe Streets Task Force with the cooperation of all agencies involved. We expect these partnerships to continue and believe the result will be safer communities in Wichita Falls.”
In one indictment, Edward Buck Izaguirre, Miguel Antonio Martinez and Joe McDonald are charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. In addition, Izaguirre is charged with one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and two counts of felon in possession of a firearm.Other separate indictments returned this week charge Jessie James Greek with two counts of felon in possession of a firearm. Andrew Cecil Harris, Jose Skinner, Anthony Merito, James Frederick Trujillo, and Jason Grantham are each charged with one count of felon in possession of a firearm. In addition, Harris, is charged with one count of felon in possession of ammunition.In other separate indictments, Hugo Lopez is charged with one count of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. Betty Bustillos is charged with two counts of making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm. Wesley Swick is charged with one count of possession of a stolen firearm or ammunition.An indictment is an accusation by a federal grand jury and a defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty. However, upon conviction, the felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of ammunition, possession of stolen firearm or ammunition, possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, and making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm counts each carry a maximum statutory sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, upon conviction. The conspiracy count carries a statutory sentence of not less than five nor more than 40 years in prison, upon conviction. The possession of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence charge carries a mandatory five year penalty, to run consecutive to any other imposed sentence.

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West Drive Locos gang is very heavy into murder

West Drive Locos, now with about 60 members, takes its name from a main north-south street through a tough neighborhood in the middle of the city.Police say the gang's reputed founder, Emilio Avalos, came to the desert from the San Fernando Valley shortly before the gang's founding.“He brought some of the background and knowledge of the L.A. gangs he knew out there to form the gang as we know it today,” Monis said.Avalos, 31, is currently jailed awaiting a May murder trial for the Dec. 19, 2001, drive-by slaying of Marine Cpl. Henry Lozano, 20, in Desert Hot Springs. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.Lozano was dating Avalos' ex-girlfriend. As Lozano left his girlfriend's home on Third Street, Avalos was lying in wait in a car at the corner, police say. As Lozano turned to head north on Palm Drive, slowing for a drainage channel in an intersection, Avalos allegedly pulled alongside Lozano's Ford Focus and riddled it with gunfire.The Marine's death shocked and outraged the community. Though Avalos was suspected, police were unable to pin the case to him.At the urging of Lozano's parents, then county deputy district attorney Rod Pacheco pushed to reopen the Lozano murder case in 2006, which led to the arrest of Avalos.
“The West Drive Locos gang is very heavy into murder,” said Pacheco, who took office as district attorney in 2007.“They're very, very dangerous. That's a gang we talked about going after from the beginning.”But they're not alone.Police say Desert Hot Springs and the surrounding area is now home to at least six gangs. And the conflicts and rivalries between them have left city residents in the crossfire.Desert Hot Springs for years has had among the highest per capita violent crime rates for cities of under 100,000 population in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, according to statistics kept by the FBI.Auto thefts in Desert Hot Springs were up 13.6 percent in 2007 compared to 2006.“Auto theft and dope-dealing are two of the primary things gangs do to sustain themselves,” Police Chief Patrick Williams said.“We have to turn a corner, and that's through getting these violent crooks off the street.”By the fall of 2007, West Drive Locos gang members were brazenly making their presence known in a city neighborhood's centerpiece.Park becomes a base for crimeGuy J. Tedesco park opened with fanfare and a rededication ceremony on Sept. 22, 2007. Desert Hot Springs city officials had put $3 million into renovations at the park, bordered by east and west Arroyo Drive.The park fast became a popular spot for kids to bicycle, skateboard and play basketball; for parents to barbecue as their smaller children played on the new playground equipment.West Drive Locos members also discovered the sparkling new park. Within weeks it became the the gang's “corporate headquarters, for all intents and purposes,” Daniels said.The gang spray-painted its graffiti on the park's sign, forcing city officials to spend days scrubbing it away.
“That pissed me off,” Daniels said.Worse problems were soon to come.
On Nov. 17, 2007, a teenager jumped out of a car on Flora Avenue west of the park. He ran to the park's edge, a semi-automatic pistol in hand.He fired 13 rounds at seven people seated at a picnic table, then ran back to the car, which sped away.One intended victim was unharmed. He would tell police nothing. Another victim, likely shot, also left the scene. Police found a blood trail, nothing more.Monis, who served as a Desert Hot Springs police officer in the 1990s, said he wasn't surprised that the shooting victims were uncooperative.“If you're an active gang member and you're ratting on someone — even if it's a rival gang member — it's looked upon as you being a snitch,” he said. “And in the gang world, once you have a snitch label on you, you're in trouble.”It is a classic example of how gang violence escalates.
A drive-by shooting elevates the shooter's status within his gang, and the gang's reputation among the gang community. And the victims, individually and as a gang, are “punked,” having their status decreased, said Chuck Cervello, a senior D.A. investigator. He was the lead case agent and gang expert for Team DHS.
“Now you not only have to get even with that gang; you actually want to get one up on them,” Cervello said. “That's why a lot of times the violence tends to increase.“The whole reason why they do what they do is for this misled perspective of respect. They want to earn respect, and in their world, that's how they get it.”The city's multimillion-dollar Tedesco Park investment in a struggling neighborhood was intended to bring the community together and provide a place for positive activities.Within weeks it had instead become a base for crime, intimidation and terror.“It scares me to death to have this go on right outside our front door,” said Flora Avenue resident Elizabeth Cunningham the day after the 2007 park shooting. Cunningham lives fewer than 100 yards from Tedesco Park with her three children.
Gang members surrounded the house. Inside they expected to find a rival gang's drugs and money.They shot their way in.More than 30 shots were fired, police later determined, both inside and outside the house in a neighborhood between Ironwood Drive and Two Bunch Palms Trail.Blood spattered the walls and pooled on the floor, but police found no one inside.The violent scene unfolded at 4:30p.m. in the middle of a residential neighborhood in the fall of 2007. No one — not a single neighbor — called 911.Desert Hot Springs City Manager Rick Daniels, on the job for about six weeks, said that's when he realized the pervasiveness of the gang problem in his community, and how citizens were gripped with fear.“The people are afraid to call the cops; they're afraid to put a stop to this,” he said. “And there are bullets flying around in residential neighborhoods.”The West Drive Locos street gang had a three-year head start on police in Desert Hot Springs. The gang formed in 1994; the city police force in 1997.The great economy and affordable housing that brought a population boom to the Coachella Valley in the 1990s also brought criminal street gangs.“The Coachella Valley gang scene is very heavily influenced by the entire L.A. area,” said Ryan Monis, a senior investigator with the Riverside County District Attorney's Office and part of Team DHS, the investigators and prosecutors who carried out the eight-month gang mission.
“As people moved out here because of the housing prices compared to Los Angeles and Orange County, obviously you bring some of that (gang) element with you,” he said.Desert Hot Springs, with the valley's lowest rents, pervasive unemployment and poverty, was fertile ground for gangs to flourish.The West Drive Locos, now with about 60 members, takes its name from a main north-south street through a tough neighborhood in the middle of the city.Police say the gang's reputed founder, Emilio Avalos, came to the desert from the San Fernando Valley shortly before the gang's founding.
“He brought some of the background and knowledge of the L.A. gangs he knew out there to form the gang as we know it today,” Monis said.
Avalos, 31, is currently jailed awaiting a May murder trial for the Dec. 19, 2001, drive-by slaying of Marine Cpl. Henry Lozano, 20, in Desert Hot Springs. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.Lozano was dating Avalos' ex-girlfriend. As Lozano left his girlfriend's home on Third Street, Avalos was lying in wait in a car at the corner, police say. As Lozano turned to head north on Palm Drive, slowing for a drainage channel in an intersection, Avalos allegedly pulled alongside Lozano's Ford Focus and riddled it with gunfire.The Marine's death shocked and outraged the community. Though Avalos was suspected, police were unable to pin the case to him.At the urging of Lozano's parents, then county deputy district attorney Rod Pacheco pushed to reopen the Lozano murder case in 2006, which led to the arrest of Avalos.“The West Drive Locos gang is very heavy into murder,” said Pacheco, who took office as district attorney in 2007.“They're very, very dangerous. That's a gang we talked about going after from the beginning.”But they're not alone.Police say Desert Hot Springs and the surrounding area is now home to at least six gangs. And the conflicts and rivalries between them have left city residents in the crossfire.Desert Hot Springs for years has had among the highest per capita violent crime rates for cities of under 100,000 population in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, according to statistics kept by the FBI.Auto thefts in Desert Hot Springs were up 13.6 percent in 2007 compared to 2006.“Auto theft and dope-dealing are two of the primary things gangs do to sustain themselves,” Police Chief Patrick Williams said.“We have to turn a corner, and that's through getting these violent crooks off the street.”By the fall of 2007, West Drive Locos gang members were brazenly making their presence known in a city neighborhood's centerpiece.Park becomes a base for crime.Guy J. Tedesco park opened with fanfare and a rededication ceremony on Sept. 22, 2007. Desert Hot Springs city officials had put $3 million into renovations at the park, bordered by east and west Arroyo Drive.
The park fast became a popular spot for kids to bicycle, skateboard and play basketball; for parents to barbecue as their smaller children played on the new playground equipment.West Drive Locos members also discovered the sparkling new park. Within weeks it became the the gang's “corporate headquarters, for all intents and purposes,” Daniels saidThe gang spray-painted its graffiti on the park's sign, forcing city officials to spend days scrubbing it away.
“That pissed me off,” Daniels said.Worse problems were soon to come.
On Nov. 17, 2007, a teenager jumped out of a car on Flora Avenue west of the park. He ran to the park's edge, a semi-automatic pistol in hand.He fired 13 rounds at seven people seated at a picnic table, then ran back to the car, which sped away.One intended victim was unharmed. He would tell police nothing. Another victim, likely shot, also left the scene. Police found a blood trail, nothing more.Monis, who served as a Desert Hot Springs police officer in the 1990s, said he wasn't surprised that the shooting victims were uncooperative.“If you're an active gang member and you're ratting on someone — even if it's a rival gang member — it's looked upon as you being a snitch,” he said. “And in the gang world, once you have a snitch label on you, you're in trouble.”It is a classic example of how gang violence escalates.A drive-by shooting elevates the shooter's status within his gang, and the gang's reputation among the gang community. And the victims, individually and as a gang, are “punked,” having their status decreased, said Chuck Cervello, a senior D.A. investigator. He was the lead case agent and gang expert for Team DHS.
“Now you not only have to get even with that gang; you actually want to get one up on them,” Cervello said. “That's why a lot of times the violence tends to increase.“The whole reason why they do what they do is for this misled perspective of respect. They want to earn respect, and in their world, that's how they get it.”
The city's multimillion-dollar Tedesco Park investment in a struggling neighborhood was intended to bring the community together and provide a place for positive activities.Within weeks it had instead become a base for crime, intimidation and terror.“It scares me to death to have this go on right outside our front door,” said Flora Avenue resident Elizabeth Cunningham the day after the 2007 park shooting. Cunningham lives fewer than 100 yards from Tedesco Park with her three children.A recent study showed Desert Hot Springs needed 38 to 42 officers to effectively police the city. Going into 2008, the police department had 19 able bodies.As gang violence and crime escalated, officials began squeezing the budget to increase police staffing.Williams also worked on collaborative initiatives with other agencies, including county gang and drug task forces and having the California Highway Patrol increase traffic patrols.The efforts took the number of police patrol vehicles on the streets in the city to an all-time high.That didn't sit well with the West Drive Locos.On the night of May 26, a Desert Hot Springs police officer followed a BMW along Cactus Drive, believing a wanted gang member was inside.According to police, near First Street the car slowed. Alleged West Drive member Francisco “Poncho” Salcido got out and fired on the officer as the car sped away.The officer fired back, but neither was hit.Salcido escaped, but was arrested two days later following a police manhunt.Police at the time continued the search for another alleged West Drive member wanted in another shooting incident, Anthony “Clumsy” Paez.Two days after Salcido's arrest, officers in a California Highway Patrol vehicle on May 30 on Cactus Drive spotted a car with three young men inside, none wearing their seatbelts. The officers at the time didn't know that one of the occupants was Paez.The CHP officers followed the car as its path became more erratic. As the gang members tried to speed away into the night, the officers pursued.Two passengers in the car leaned out the windows with shotguns and fired on the CHP officers, who returned fire.One of the car's occupants, Alexis Melendrez-Acosta, 18, of Desert Hot Springs was shot in the head during the exchange of gunfire. He was pronounced dead at Desert Regional Medical Center the next day.
Paez and a 15-year-old boy ran from the car into a house on Via El Rancho, just south of the city.The gang members continued to trade gunfire with police from the home. The standoff ended hours later, about 4 a.m., when the pair gave up after tear gas was fired into the building.Paez was treated for multiple gunshot wounds. He remains jailed awaiting trial for attempted murder of a peace officer, felony grand theft auto and felony evading police.The juvenile, Edgar Antonio Flores, now 16, is being tried as an adult on two counts of attempted murder.Within a one-week period, West Drive Locos gang members had been in three gun battles with police.“It was extremely disconcerting,” Mayor Yvonne Parks said.
“Gangs were getting out of control. They were getting arrogant. It was in-your-face gang activity.“There was a realization something had to be done.”She wasn't alone.“When the shootings started happening on the officers,” Daniels said, “that's when I thought, ‘This has just escalated to where no one is safe.'”

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Red Scorpion Gang Leaders

Red Scorpion Gang Leaders are Jonathan, Jarrod and Jamie Bacon
These 3 brothers are believed to be in the top ranks of a drug-trafficking group which has running links to the Red Scorpions. In the last few months hey have been targeted by the UN gang, who they used to align with. Jonathan, 27, has survived two attempted murders, including one in the driveway of his parents’ Abbotsford home in 2006. Other gangsters tried to kill Jamie, 22, on Jan. 20 during a shooting at a Abbotsford intersection in the middle of the day.
Somphavanh Chanathabouala Chanathabouala was charged in Victoria alongside a 16-year-old youth for murder and attempted murder after a shooting outside the Red Jacket nightclub killed Truong and left two wounded. Chanathabouala’s younger brother, Kevin, is a known Red Scorpion drug dealer who, used to live in the same condo where the Surrey Six were killed
Dennis Karbovanec, associateKarbovanec was the target of a gang hit on New Year’s Eve, however thanks to his bullet-proof vest he lived to tell the tale. He is currently facing several weapons-related charges. In 2007, his close friend Jonathan Bacon turned over 114 sticks of stolen dynamite, a grenade, seven handguns, two shotguns, a file and an Uzi submachinegun to Abbotsford police as part of a plea bargain for Karbovanec.
Kevin LeClair, associate 26-year-old LeClair was shot and killed in a violent daylight shooting at an IGA in Langley Feb. 6. Kevin was alleged to have played a key role in both trafficking and money laundering within the Red Scorpions Gang. The day before he was murdered, he was seen having coffee with Jonathan Bacon in Port Moody.
Jimmy (Grover) Lee, associate Lee operated a crack house from which he sold meth, other drugs and used tires. He was gunned down last October. He was associated with UN members in North Surrey through the meth and crack trade.
Konaam Shirzad,Shirzad attempted to get even with a teenager in 2005 who testified against him in court by having another RS Gang member, Nam Hoang, take care of him. The hit went wrong when Hoang’s shooter hitting the wrong Lynn Valley home. Shirzad and Hoang pleaded guilty to mischief endangering life for their involvement.Some known members and associates include: Kyle Daniel Ali, Ashley Marie Apolinario, Hishem Bennink, Raphael Jose Blanco, Justin Houchen, Mark Andrew Hubahib, Mario Kraljevic, Tommy Tung Nguyen, Homayon Rafieyan, Aleksander Reljic, Kurtis Schmidt and John Romar Supena.

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'Fat' Freddie Thompson riding shotgun for this kid

'Fat' Freddie Thompson, Dublin gangster was spotted at a District Court sitting in the city this week where he accompanied a young defendant, who is himself facing serious charges.The accused, in his late teens and from south Dublin, is believed to have 'hired' Thompson as security during his court appearances, after an incident a number of weeks ago in which he was attacked with a knife -- in court."Freddie was riding shotgun for this kid," said a source."It looks like Fred has gone into the bodyguard business," the source added.The young man, who is free on bail despite the serious nature of the charges he is facing, had a narrow escape as he waited for his case to be called. Another man pulled a knife and attempted to stab him, but was apprehended by gardai and removed from the court.Gardai believe that members of the young man's family contacted Thompson to ask him to appear in court this week as 'security', to intimidate other criminals and offset any attacks.Thompson (28) duly appeared at the court and stood beside the youngster, while the teen waited for his case to be called yesterday. The accused cannot be named for legal reasons.
Crime boss Thompson, who is known to head a Crumlin-based gang, then left the court after the hearing.
"Freddie just stood beside the young lad and let it be know that he was with him. The kid is in trouble with other people from his local area and the knife attack in court was obviously a pretty serious matter."The guards in court were joking that Freddie must be hit by the recession if he had to hire himself out as a bodyguard."The incident was Thompson's second court appearance this week, following his own arraignment last Monday on public order charges. He is accused of threatening behaviour and failing to comply with the instructions of a garda.The charge was brought over an alleged incident which occurred on Aungier Street the previous evening. The court heard that Thompson replied, when charged, "I just want to apologise to the guard".Despite his involvement in underworld activity, Thompson's previous convictions are for relatively minor offences.

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James Kyle (Jamie) Bacon, a member of the Red Scorpions gang, was charged Saturday in B.C.'s worst gang slaying.

James Kyle (Jamie) Bacon, a member of the Red Scorpions gang, was charged Saturday in B.C.'s worst gang slaying.
His co-accused, Cody Haevischer, appeared in court Monday to face charges in the deaths of six men who were gunned down inside a Surrey apartment in October 2007.Bacon is charged with one count of first-degree murder in the death of Corey Lal, and one charge of conspiracy to commit murder in Lal's death.On Oct. 19, 2007, Lal, his brother Michael Lal, Ryan Bartolomeo and Eddie Narong were shot in the head in a targeted hit. The four men who had ties to the drug trade were killed along with Chris Mohan and Ed Schellenberg, who happened to be in the apartment building the night of the murders.Crown counsel Wendy Dawson on Tuesday asked Justice Jean Lytwyn for a direct indictment, which would skip a preliminary hearing and push the murder trial straight to B.C. Supreme Court.
Bacon is scheduled to appear in court again on May 15.The 23-year-old was also in court facing weapons charges along with his older brother, Jarrod Bacon, amid top security.

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Gilbert Sanchez was taken to Kern Medical Center, where he died as a result of his injuries.

Gilbert Sanchez was taken to Kern Medical Center, where he died as a result of his injuries. Homicide detectives arrived and continued the investigation. As information began to be developed, members of the Sheriff’s Gang Suppression unit were called in to assist in the investigation. Two men were identified as being involved in the killing of Sanchez, the KCSD reported.They were identified as Angel Cruz and Jerry Mendoza.Both are believed to be members of a local criminal street gang. Both men were located and arrested without incident, the KCSD reported.Two weapons believed to be used in the homicide have been recovered, the KCSD reported.Angel Cruz, 19, was booked into the Kern County Jail on the following charges: murder, robbery, conspiracy, and participation in a criminal street gang.
Jerry Mendoza, 18, was booked into the Kern County Jail on the following charges: murder, robbery, conspiracy, and participation in a criminal street gang

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Jarrod Bacon is facing several gun-related charges

Jarrod Bacon had to go through heavy security checks to get into the courthouse. Bacon is facing several gun-related charges.
He was accompanied to court by his father David, and his mother Susan. Bacon seemed to enjoy the attention of the cameras. His arrival was in sharp contrast to the arrest of his co-accused and brother Jamie, who was picked up by police on Friday outside his Abbotsford home. Jamie is facing first-degree murder charges in relation to the Surrey six slayings that occurred in October of 2007. After the brief court appearance, Jarrod and his parents had nothing to say to reporters. Both Jarrod and Jamie are back in Surrey Provincial Court May 15th. The family was picked up by third brother, Jonathon, who is also before the courts.

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Thomas Crawford second-in-command in the local chapter of the Independent Soldiers

Thomas Crawford, who Kamloops Mounties used to believe was second-in-command in the local chapter of the Independent Soldiers, had his bail revocation overturned in B.C. Supreme Court.
"I'm satisfied that the order that I made revoking Mr. Crawford's bail was an order made without any jurisdiction," said B.C. Supreme Court Justice Bruce Preston, who pulled the 27-year-old's bail on Monday after he pleaded guilty to breaching his conditions."Mr. Crawford, you should take the order of revoking your bail as a preview of what's going to happen if you breach your conditions again."In pleading guilty, Crawford admitted to breaching bail conditions on which he was placed in 2007 after he was arrested and charged with a number of drug- and weapons-related offences.On March 20, he was out past his curfew with two other men, who are alleged to have been waving guns around at a pair of Sahali restaurants.He was also prohibited from being inside one of the restaurants, where he is alleged to have conspired with alleged Independent Soldiers leader Jayme Russell to sell drugs to a pair of undercover cops in 2007.Last summer, Crawford claimed in court to have left the Independent Soldiers — and defence lawyer Chris Thompson said his client has since had his gang tattoos covered with other ink.However, Thompson said, the decision by Crawford to leave the gang has created "a tremendous amount of animosity" between him and the other gangsters.As a result, Thompson said, Crawford is in danger at Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre — where Russell has been in custody since his arrest last month.
"He didn't come out of his cell all the time he was in KRCC because he knows he can't," he said. "This is as serious as it gets."
Russell was among five men — all of whom police say are affiliated with the Independent Soldiers — arrested March 11 at the conclusion of a four-month undercover investigation.Mounties say they seized three kilograms of cocaine, thousands of dollars in cash, a loaded semi-automatic handgun, body armour and three vehicles at the conclusion of the investigation.Crawford's drug charges stem from his alleged dealings with undercover officers in a separate investigation in early-2007.He's alleged to have sold the cops four ounces of cocaine, a .357-calibre handgun and a box of bullets.
Russell was also charged in connection with the 2007 sting, and was convicted in January of trafficking in a controlled substance.
He's scheduled to be sentenced on April 8.Crawford is scheduled to stand trial on his charges in July, but Thompson has indicated a guilty plea may be entered before then.Preston sentenced Crawford to 30 days in jail for the breach charge.

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Cody Haevischer, a member of the Red Scorpions gang, was charged Saturday in B.C.'s worst gang slaying

Cody Haevischer, a member of the Red Scorpions gang, was charged Saturday in B.C.'s worst gang slaying.Haevischer appeared in court for two minutes Monday amid tight security, as prosecutor Wendy Dawson told provincial court Judge Harvey Field the Crown intends to proceed by direct indictment, meaning the murder case will bypass a preliminary hearing and go straight to B.C. Supreme Court.
Nanaimo RCMP say Haevischer is known to regularly visit the city to see family or party but prior to his arrest, according to Cpl. Dale Carr of the Integrated Homicide Investigative Team, Haevischer did not live in Nanaimo.Police have monitored his whereabouts when he is in the city.He charged with executing Ryan Bartolomeo, Eddie Narong and Corey and Michael Lal -- along with Chris Mohan and Ed Schellenberg, who happened to be in the apartment building the night of the murders.Jamie Bacon, 23, and Matt Johnston, 24, are also charged with murder in the so-called 'Surrey Six' slaughter.
Haevischer is not allowed to contact either of his co-accused, Dawson told the court.Bacon and Johnston are scheduled to appear in court Tuesday under equally tight security.On Friday, Dennis Karbovanec, who also has ties to the Red Scorpion gang, pleaded guilty to three counts of second-degree murder in the case.Karbovanec, 27, will appear in court to be sentenced Thursday after his surprise plea.

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Lycrtis Sutton, 22, of Ray Street, was arrested Tuesday night and charged with assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury with intent to k

Lycrtis Sutton, 22, of Ray Street, was arrested Tuesday night and charged with assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury with intent to kill. Police believe he and two men are responsible for shooting Darryl Mullins Jr., 18, in a yard in the 300 block of Dyer Street around 5 p.m. Police have identified one of the other men as Jamil Sylvester Hall, 18, of Liberator Street, and are working to identify the third suspect. Hall has not yet been arrested. Police said the three assailants, who were in a small Ford Ranger pickup, pulled up in the street near Mullins and shot him at least twice, once in the hand and once in the side. Mullins was treated and released from Albemarle Hospital Tuesday evening, police said. Investigator Jerry Boyce would not go into detail about what may have spurred the shooting, but he said that a small-caliber handgun was used in the attack.
Boyce said Sutton is believed by police to be an associate of the Bloods street gang. Hall and the third assailant are believed to be Bloods gang members. Police further believe that the shooting victim is associated in some way with a different gang, Boyce said.

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The Avenues have been ranked as fourth out of the top five most dangerous gangs in Los Angeles

L.A. gang The Avenues has long been a threat to Northeast L.A. As a branch of the Mexican Mafia, which has several divisions, The Avenues is the most powerful of the groups and calls Drew and Estara its home turf. "The Avenues have been ranked as fourth out of the top five most dangerous gangs in Los Angeles," President of the City Council, District 13 representative, and former Oxy Professor Eric Garcetti said.Murder, hate crimes, robbery, narcotics trafficking, intimidation, racketeering, illegal immigrant smuggling, and vandalism are just some of the charges Avenues gang members have been convicted of over the years.
The very terrain of the Drew Estara neighborhood has contributed to the danger it has posed to police as well as the substantial difficulty law enforcement has had in this area. Drew Street runs straight for almost half a mile, increasing in elevation from its dead-end on the west side of the neighborhood until it hits Weldon Road. Only two streets intersect it, and the combination of its steep incline makes it easy to spot approaching police cars.
Its position next to Forest Lawn Memorial also gives gang members easy access to a hiding spot. "Gang members would park cars next to the walls of Forest Lawn Memorial Park so they could jump up on the hoods and hop over the fences if they had to run from cops," Captain Murphy of the Northeast division of the L.A.P.D. said.
At the head of the gang lies the quite literal matriarch, Maria "Chata" Leon. Maria, an illegal immigrant from the town of Tlalchapa, Mexico, arrived in the Drew Estara neighborhood in the mid-eighties when she was in her early twenties. Over the next two decades, she gave birth to thirteen different children from five different fathers, almost all of whom were upper echelon gang members and drug dealers.Most of Maria's boys grew up to be drug dealers themselves, the most notorious of whom went by the surnames of Real, Leon, and Martinez. Brothers Francisco and Nicolas Real, Danny and Jose Leon, and Randy and Jesus Martinez are all high-ranking members of the Avenues gang.Maria has been arrested on at least 14 separate occasions since her arrival to Drew Street in 1985, according to the L.A. Times. "Maria has also been deported several times," Murphy said. "She was arrested here this past summer."Murphy was unaware of Maria's current whereabouts, although she is last known to have purchased a home in Victorville, California, about 80 miles northeast of Los Angeles, which has now been confiscated by the IRS.The Leon family's former residence at 3304 Drew Street, referred to as "Satellite House" for the large black satellite dish on its roof, became the epicenter of Drew Street's fear and violence.Past searches of the Leon family home have turned up explosives, automatics weapons, surveillance cameras, and even a laser tripwire system. Under the same roof as this veritable armory were living six children under the age of ten, including Maria's then three-month-old boy. A "shrine" to the early twentieth century folkloric figure, Jesus Malverde, known as the "patron-saint" of drug traffickers, was also discovered in the Satellite House. In the afternoon of February, 2008, 22-year-old Drew Street gang member Danny "Klever" Ivan Leon drove down to Cypress Park, home to a rival gang of The Avenues. Near Aragon Elementary School, 36-year-old Marcos Salas walked while holding the hand of his two-year-old granddaughter. As Leon's White Nissan sedan passed Marcos, the passengers of the car opened fire, wounding Salas who later died of his injuries. Miraculously, Salas' granddaughter escaped the barrage of bullets unharmed.As Leon and his fellow Avenidas fled the scene of the crime back to Drew Estara, an unmarked car containing an L.A.P.D. Criminal Apprehension Team who had been alerted of the shooting, tailed the gangsters.When Leon and his passengers spotted the C.A.T. car following them, the Avenues members pulled over. Donned in a ski mask, Leon pulled out an AK-47 and opened fire on the police. A shootout between The Avenues gangsters and the police ensued, shutting down the area for dozens of blocks, and resulted in the death of Leon. Leon's accompanying gang members, Guillermo Ocampo and Jose Angel Gomez were immediately apprehended by the police, and driver Rafael Carrillo, who had fled the scene, was found and arrested four days later.Danny was the half-brother of Francisco "Pancho" Real, another son of Maria Leon, and an active Avenues member who had allegedly been given control of the Drew Estara area by the Mexican Mafia. According to the LA Weekly, L.A.P.D. wire taps on Francisco telling of his half-brothers death led him to conclude, "Shit happens."The Drew Street shootout with Danny Leon wasn't the sole tipping point that incited further L.A.P.D. presence in the Drew Street area. In the Fall of 2007, the Northeast division of the L.A.P.D. went to the Federal Government for assistance. "Drew Street was the worst area we had," Murphy said. "Our narcotics units were in there all the time. In order to really stop it, we needed to go in there with the Feds."With federal cooperation, a task force was formed against the Drew Street clique. Police used wire taps on known gang members and put cameras on their homes. "We worked the wire for five to six months," Murphy said.

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Immigration agents targeted the Puro ‘Lil Mafia (PLM) gang

Immigration agents targeted the Puro ‘Lil Mafia (PLM) gang. They were armed with federal and state indictments.Authorities say the PLM Gang is responsible for many violent gun crimes, and the recruitment of young boys and girls into their gang. 7News has been following the effort to fight gangs in the Falls for several years, and since October, 2007, police and federal authorities say they have been tracking this particular gang's activity.Just last year, the city secured an injunction against the PLM Gang to further crack down on their members' crimes. Now, several members face time in prison. Seven homes were searched during the Wednesday morning takedown, and the message from law enforcement and the Wichita Falls Police Chief was abundantly clear. "We will not tolerate anybody shooting up Wichita Falls."Shooting up Wichita Falls is what the PLM Gang is accused of doing. "The vast majority of them carry weapons constantly, like the chief talked about," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Taly Haffar. "Doing drive-bys they always have guns in their cars, they're always walking around with guns on them - it's a big problem," he said. "It's bad enough that the other gang members that they're shooting at get hit, but we have innocent citizens out there who get hit," said Chief Dennis Bachman. "We shouldn't have a community like that anywhere in the United States."With federal authorities involved, the U.S. Attorney's Office sought to crack down on a growing trend in Wichita Falls and the rest of the country. It's called "Straw Gun Purchases." "...where somebody is buying a firearm, and telling the firearms' dealer they're purchasing it for themselves, and they turn around and hand it off to a convicted felon or somebody else who is not allowed to possess a firearm," said Afar.Wednesday's announcement included indictments for "straw" purchases. "If you're going to commit crimes in Wichita Falls, you might expect to go to jail and prison," Bachman said. "We believe this will dismantle - if not completely destroy - this street gang," said Afar.Authorities say some of the arrests were attributed to drugs - specifically large amounts of powdered cocaine. In all, they say 14 people face federal charges, including a man from Illinois. 7News is told that he is an associate of the gang. Four more people face state charges, and more arrests are expected.Bachman says that while it always is good to have bad guys off the street, he considers today's operation a success because no one was hurt.

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Bo Stefan Eriksson cult figure in his native Sweden, has the moniker of "Tjock Steffe'' or "Fat Steffe" as a key player in Uppsala organized crime

Bo Stefan Eriksson, 47, was arrested March 30 and went before a magistrate April 2 for a detention hearing.Eriksson is currently jailed in Uppsala, where a judge gave Eriksson's attorney two weeks to gather defense evidence and set an April 16 date to return to court.Two other men were arrested in Stockholm this week in connection with the related charges. Warrants were issued for the trio's arrest in March.Eriksson, a cult figure in his native Sweden, has the moniker of "Tjock Steffe'' or "Fat Steffe" (Swedish for the nickname Stevie) from his days as a key player in Uppsala organized crime. Eriksson was arrested and sent to prison in Uppsala in 1994 following conviction for fraud, extortion, kidnapping and related crimes.In 2006, Eriksson split in half a red Ferrari when it crashed on Pacific Coast Highway, west of Trancas -- while traveling at 199 miles per hour. He was subsequently convicted of drunk driving, embezzlement, auto theft, and felony weapons possession, asnd spent two years in stte prisons.
When Eriksson was released from state prison in January 2008, he was immediately deported from the United States and faded from public view until this week,

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Arrested Ignacio Moran Kick, 24, for the stabbing and for acting as a gang member

Arrested Ignacio Moran Kick, 24, for the stabbing and for acting as a gang member, Sgt. Steve Fraga reported.Police officers went to the Monte Vista Apartment complex at about 4 a.m. Sunday after getting calls about gunfire and a fight.They found Geno Cairo, 21, of San Francisco, with a large stomach wound collapsed in front of the complex.He underwent emergency surgery at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital and Sunday was in critical condition but expected to live. Cairo had come to Santa Rosa to visit a cousin who lives at the complex.Cairo apparently had been confronted in a parking lot by a group of suspected gang members and then was stabbed, Fraga said. The wounded man had made his way to the front of the residential area before falling to the ground.Gang and violent crime detectives spent Sunday interviewing witnesses and searching two apartments in the complex, one related to the stabbing and one to the report of shots fired, Fraga said.Detectives found evidence in one apartment linking Kick, a resident there, to the stabbing. He was arrested on suspicion of attempted homicide and two gang enhancements.Officers also determined multiple shots had been fired at the complex just prior to the stabbing. No one reportedly was injured.The stabbing was related to the gunfire, said Fraga, who released no further details. On Sunday, Fraga indicated Cairo wasn’t believed to have been involved in the gunfire and that he wasn’t a gang member.

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Brandon Prevey was found dead in his vehicle shortly after 3 a.m. in southeast Red Deer

Brandon Prevey was found dead in his vehicle shortly after 3 a.m. in southeast Red Deer.“We don’t see this level of violence in our city,” Red Deer RCMP spokesman Sabrina Grunow said yesterday.
“We have had our share of homicides in the past, but this, by far, is very unusual and ultimately alarming.”She said the city is no stranger to serious assaults and knife violence, but death by firearm – police are not releasing what type of weapon may have been used – is not something police see often.She added that Prevey, 29, is believed to have been connected to gangs and the drug trade and was known to police.Rayhan Jones, an incarcerated friend of the victim’s, says Prevey was a member of the Crazy Dragons gang, a claim police would not confirm.“Living like this, everybody knows that people get shot,” Jones said when asked if he was surprised to hear the news. “(It’s) just living the life of a gangster.”He added that he believed Prevey was the father of a young child.Grunow said the victim recently moved from Edmonton to Red Deer.Residents of the high-end subdivision were surprised to see police at their doorsteps.“It’s shocking news,” said one neighbour, who lives about three blocks away and asked not to be identified. “I was really, really surprised, I’ve never seen cops like that in the area before.”He added the area is generally safe.
Municipal officials were equally caught off-guard by the kind of violence usually associated with bigger cities.“It’s a pretty unhappy event in any community. We’re a small city, so anything like this is very unusual, to say the least,” Coun. Gail Parks said. “I don’t think it’s any secret that we have gangs in Red Deer.”She said Highway 2 is a popular corridor with criminals and Red Deer is a “natural stop” for them between Calgary and Edmonton.
“I hope that we can make it so unpleasant that they wouldn’t want to be here,” Parks continued. “I don’t know why or how this could have happened in our community, but I guess I’d say it’s one less bad guy.”Prevey made headlines in 2005 after Kenyon Joseph Gardiner, 20, was stabbed to death and four people were shot or stabbed at a May 15 house party in west Edmonton.Prevey was originally charged with second-degree murder, but after witnesses failed to show up for the trial, he ended up pleading guilty to assaulting one of the other party-goers.
He was sentenced to a year in jail in early 2007.Police are asking for the public’s assistance in solving the case they have few leads on.“Given the time of night that it happened, and the fact that the only thing we have at this point for suspects is a small black car, ultimately we are leaning towards the public’s assistance in maybe helping us with some information,” Grunow said.

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European Court of Human Rights has been 'aggrandising its jurisdiction,' over-riding the decisions of domestic courts and attempting to impose uniform

Lord Hoffman, the second most senior Law Lord, was right in his accusation this week that the European Court of Human Rights has been 'aggrandising its jurisdiction,' over-riding the decisions of domestic courts and attempting to impose uniform rules on states. He said the court -- set up in Strasbourg in 1959 as part of the post-war Council of Europe -- should not be allowed to intervene in the detail of Britain's law, nor in the details of the law of any other state.Lord Hoffman was all quite right, until he got to his charge that the court is trying to lay down a 'federal law of Europe.' If only that were all it is doing. What the court is up to is far, far worse than that. It is trying for a 'centralised' law of Europe: by its decisions, it appears to be trying to establish that there is no area of the law of the member states in which it cannot interfere.

At least in a federal system -- if by federal system, one takes as an example the United States -- the constitution lays down powers reserved to the states and the congress with which the court may not meddle, and to which it is subject.
For example, the appellate jurisdiction of the US Supreme Court allows the court to hear cases on appeal from lower federal courts and from the highest state courts -- much as the European Court of Human Rights hears cases appealed from courts in Britain. But the constitution limits the Supreme Court's power to hear cases on appeal by any 'exceptions and regulations' the Congress may choose to impose. Indeed, the Congress has the power to withhold all appellate jurisdiction from the Supreme Court, if it decides to.
In fact, in the midst of one famous appeal to the Supreme Court, ex parte McCardle in 1868, Congress actually repealed the act which allowed the appeal. The case was halted even as it was being decided.Then of course there is the ultimate congressional power of removal of Supreme Court justices by impeachment and trial. This has never happened, but there have been a few close-run episodes.
The Westminster parliament has no such powers, nor indeed any powers at all, over the judges in Strasbourg. That makes the court far worse than 'federal.'So why is Lord Hoffman, a man no doubt as careful with words as any senior barrister, talking about 'federal' law? It goes back to one of Mrs Thatcher's wobbly moments in the 1980s. Even in warning about the increase in European Union power, she could not bring herself to admit she was capitulating in the shift of Britain towards a centralised European state. So she warned instead about a growing 'federal' state -- knowing, no doubt, that most British really don't know the difference, and anyway 'federal' seemed less dangerous (that is, USA-style) than 'centralised' (USSR politburo-style).

The word entered the debate about powers shifting to Europe, and there it stays, seeping even into an otherwise excellent lecture by Lord Hoffman.

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Professor Mark Findlay, of the University of Sydney, said intelligence on gang operations was essential but their information was "pretty poor"

"Governments often respond to threats to public security with preventative or proscriptive legislation," Professor Findlay said. Professor Mark Findlay, of the University of Sydney, said intelligence on gang operations was essential but their information was "pretty poor" because members were feeling threatened.
A source close to the Hells Angels suggested that the measures could be playing into the hands of the worst elements of bikie culture.He said there was suspicion that the recent wave of violence was being orchestrated by people who want to see laws in place which would make the older, more traditional clubs suffer.
"[The clubs] think this is being contrived so that these laws are put in place, because these laws won't affect Notorious and the Comanchero because they'll ignore them," he said.Late on Sunday Peter Zervas was shot outside his home in Lakemba, one week after his brother Anthony was fatally bashed at Sydney Airport during a bikie brawl.
The Police Minister, Tony Kelly, said the situation was under control but the Premier, Nathan Rees, promised tough new laws by midyear.In 2003 the Australian Crime Commission was established, giving investigators special coercive powers, including the ability to summon a person to an examination to give evidence under oath and the power to obtain documents.But last week the commission's chief executive, John Lawler, told the Herald most bikies chose to be charged rather than give evidence.In 2006 new laws enabled the prosecution of anyone who was part of a criminal gang. But of the 164 people charged, only 23 were members of outlaw motorcycle gangs and only half of them have been convicted.The Opposition police spokesman, Mike Gallacher, disagreed. He said new laws should allow the Attorney-General to draw up a list of proscribed groups and argued it would not backfire.

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Jacqueline Benoit was taken into custody on Tuesday night at the John F. Kennedy airport as she got off an airplane from Ireland.

Jacqueline Benoit was taken into custody on Tuesday night at the John F. Kennedy airport as she got off an airplane from Ireland.
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokeswoman said she was apprehended about 7:30 p.m. and was to appear before a judge Wednesday afternoon in New York City.A warrant for Benoit's arrest was issued last Thursday as Quebec provincial police made 10 other arrests in an operation dubbed Baladeur (Walkman).Quebec provincial police Const. Claude Denis said Benoit is alleged to have taken part in two murders and one attempted murder.Denis said police aren't sure when Benoit will be returned to Canada but said the government has taken steps to ensure her extradition.In the operation last week, provincial police targeted suspects allegedly connected to biker gangs and organized crime, primarily in the Montreal and Quebec City areas.The suspects are believed to have links to 28 cases of murder and 13 of attempted murder between 1978 and 2003.The arrests were made after Benoit's ex-boyfriend, Gerald Gallant, turned informant.Gallant, a contract killer who is already serving a life sentence for first-degree murder and attempted murder, admitted to even more murders in a court appearance on Tuesday.Gallant pleaded guilty to an additional 27 charges of first-degree murder and 12 of attempted murder before a judge in Quebec City.

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Jose Juvenal Camino of Garden Grove was convicted in January of second-degree murder for the Sept. 30, 2007 shooting of Rolando Palacios.

Jose Juvenal Camino of Garden Grove was convicted in January of second-degree murder for the Sept. 30, 2007 shooting of Rolando Palacios. The two friends were drinking beer outside at a convenience store in the city when rival gang members came up to them, according to Deputy District Attorney Mark Geller.
The men started arguing, and Palacios shot at them, Geller said. The rival gang members fled, and Camino, Palacios and another friend named Miguel Angel Martinez followed in a car. The chase ended in a nearby alley, Geller said, where Palacios was shot and killed Camino and Martinez were charged Palacio's murder under the "provocative act" murder theory, which means a dead man's friend can be charged in a death if the dead man had initiated the altercation, Geller said. In this case, Palacios initiated the incident by shooting first, he said.Today, Palacios' sister, Monica, spoke on behalf of her family, and told Superior Court Judge John Conley that the family visits her brother's grave weekly.Rolando Palacios was attending college, and wanted to go into real estate, she said. "My brother was a really good kid,'' said Monica Palacios, crying as she spoke. "He had goals and dreams. We loved him so much.'Last month, a jury deadlocked on similar charges against Martinez, another of Palacios' friends charged with murder for his death.

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Fernando King, 38, "Supreme Inca," the No. 2 leader of the Latin Kings street gang, sentenced to the minimum 20 years in prison for drug conspiracy.

Fernando King, 38, "Supreme Inca," the No. 2 leader of the Latin Kings street gang, to the minimum 20 years in prison for drug conspiracy.While acknowledging Fernando King, 38, was the leader of a gang responsible for narcotics trafficking and murder, U.S. District Judge David Coar said King could be sentenced only for the crimes for which he was convicted and not the broader destruction caused by the gang.Prosecutors sought 45 years in prison for King for offering to protect the drug trafficking operation of Jesse Guajardo, another high-ranking Latin King. King didn't realize Guajardo was secretly working with the government and recording face-to-face meetings.The audio recordings also captured King ordering gang members to beat a fellow member for violating gang rules, bragging about the Latin Kings' influence nationwide and exhorting members to use violence to protect their turf."The Latin Kings are precisely what's wrong with this city," said Assistant U.S. Atty. Andrew Porter. "It hurts people. It kills people. It makes law-abiding people afraid to go out of their homes."Porter said King was directly responsible for the "mayhem" wrought by the Latin Kings and asked Coar to give King the maximum sentence to "send a message loud and clear that this has to stop."But King's lawyer, Joseph Lopez, said gangs have been a part of Chicago for more than a century and locking up his client for longer than 20 years would do nothing to change that."Whatever you do today is not going to stop gang life in Chicago," Lopez said. King gave a rambling statement, telling the judge that he was not a "monster" and would give up the gang life and work for community peace if given the chance. "I am a very positive person," King said.
King alleged that prosecutors offered him a sentence of about 9 years in prison if he helped nab Augustin Zambrano, the Latin Kings' reputed No. 1 leader. King said he refused the deal. After announcing the sentence, Coar said he would recommend to federal prison authorities that King be sent to a prison closer to Chicago so his ailing mother could visit him."I appreciate that," responded King before standing up and blowing a kiss to his mother and other relatives as he was led from the courtroom.

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The Red Devils have strong links to international criminal organisations and he believes they are trying to get a foothold in the South Island.

Four newly patched Red Devils members appeared in a charity ride last month and Nelson Area Commander Brian McGurk says it is the first time the gang has been seen in New Zealand.Inspector McGurk says anyone who thinks the group is just a social club is totally naive. He says the Red Devils have strong links to international criminal organisations and he believes they are trying to get a foothold in the South Island.McGurk says they are monitoring the group and its associates.And he says he is concerned tensions are building between the newcomers and the already established Lost Breed Motorcycle Club.Nelson's mayor believes police are well equipped to deal with bubbling tensions between the rival motorbike gangs. Kerry Marshall supports any action police deem necessary to discourage the Devils from setting up camp.

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Jerome Williams Jr member of Dawg Life street gang.

Jerome Williams Jr., who was named by an accomplice in the murder-for-hire of a South Bend woman and has not been charged, said he would appeal his conviction and sentence based in part on the fact that prosecutors were not able to produce the drugs they claimed he had sold."The evidence they had was the testimony of people that didn't get along with me and people in trouble trying to get out of jail," Williams said at his sentencing hearing, which was Friday morning in the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Indiana.Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald J. Schmid said prosecutors relied on the testimony of 10 to 12 witnesses who had known Williams for years. Some had worked for him while others had been his clients."This was a historical case," Schmid said after the hearing. Schmid said Williams, 33, had distributed as much as 1,700 grams of crack cocaine."I'm absolutely convinced that the streets of South Bend will be much safer," Schmid said.One of the people Williams had dealings with was Chris R. Deguch, who was sentenced in November to 20 years in prison after he admitted his role in the murder of Melissa Shields.Shields was strangled in September 2007. Her body was found in Ravina Park.At his plea hearing, Deguch identified Williams as the man he paid to harm Shields. But Williams has not been charged in connection with the case, and the St. Joseph County prosecutor's office has declined to comment on the open investigation. Williams suggested during his sentencing hearing that he was really being punished for his suspected role in Shields' murder and denied having killed her.Schmid said he could not comment on the Shields case, but acknowledged that some of the evidence used by federal prosecutors was developed by homicide investigators with the St. Joseph County prosecutor's office."We always work in conjunction with them," he said.A sentence of life in prison was mandatory in Williams' case because he had been previously convicted of two other drug-related felony offenses, Schmid said.A person with two prior drug-related felony offenses who is convicted of dealing 50 or more grams of crack must serve life in prison, according to federal law. Williams has had a total of 17 misdemeanor and felony convictions since 1994, said Schmid, who called him a "significant member" of the criminal gang Dawg Life.In all of 2008, federal prosecutors in the Northern District of Indiana had one case of mandatory life sentence for drug dealing, Schmid said.

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Dennis Richard Karbovanec has plead guilty to three counts of second-degree murder and one count of conspiracy to commit murder

Dennis Richard Karbovanec has plead guilty to three counts of second-degree murder and one count of conspiracy to commit murder, RCMP confirmed Friday afternoon. It comes 18 months after the so-called ‘Surrey Six’ slayings that saw two innocent men die.Karbovanec, 27, plead guilty at B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver Friday morning, RCMP said.The murder charges concern the deaths of 19-year-old Ryan Bartolomeo and 26-year-old Michael Lal. The third charge is for the death of 22-year-old Chris Mohan, who RCMP say was an innocent bystander caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.Ed Schellenberg, 55, was the other innocent victim.Karbovanec also plead guilty to conspiring to commit first-degree murder in the death of 21-year-old Corey Lal, Michael’s brother.Speaking with reporters briefly Friday, RCMP Integrated Homicide Investigation Team spokesman Corp. Dale Carr called the murders on the 15th floor of a condo complex “horrific.”“[We’ve] obviously made it a very big priority, allocating resources that were almost unprecedented,” Carr said.RCMP say arrests are ongoing. Three other people named as co-conspirators are James Kyle Bacon, 23, of Abbotsford; Matthew James Johnston, 24, of New Westminster; and Cory Ray Haevischer, 24, of Nanaimo.RCMP have scheduled a press conference for Saturday afternoon, where it’s expected further details of the investigation, dubbed Project E-PESETA, will be made public.Police have issued rare public warnings about Karbovanec and Bacon, saying they were known gang members being targeted by rivals and that associating with them could put people in harm's way.Bacon survived an attempted hit in January and has two other Bacon brothers who have also been the subject of police warnings.
The brothers have been linked to the Red Scorpions, a gang that police say is currently in a turf war with the UN gang.
Gang expert Julian Sher said the arrests mark a significant breakthrough for police, but it's difficult to say how they will affect the ongoing violence."We don't know (the effect), is the simple answer," said Sher, an author whose work has focused on biker gangs such as the Hells Angels."Generally, it's a good sign. Suddenly, your gang is fighting a war on a different front. Suddenly, you need lawyers, you've got to fight for bail. It keeps you busy and it's going to make them a lot more nervous."The Bacons live in a quiet neighbourhood of newer homes near Abbotsford, with panoramic vistas of the Fraser Valley, their house adorned with lights and security cameras.Next-door neighbour Silvio Zampieri said nearly a dozen police cars surrounded the two-story house on Friday, as officers with "very big guns" told him and his family to stay inside."They said to close the windows and doors and go back inside," said Zampieri, who lives with his wife, two children and mother-in-law."I was scared and all my family were scared."Zampieri said he has not spoken to the Bacon brothers or their parents, who they live with, although he sees them coming and going occasionally. He said he and his wife but will say "hi" to the parents when they see them.

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Pulling the patches of the Toronto Bandidos branch The No Surrender Crew

Six gang members or associates are now on trial in Ontario Superior Court here in connection with the deaths of eight fellow Bandidos in April three years ago. All of the accused men face eight counts each of first-degree murder and all are pleading not guilty.Since the discovery of the bodies, stuffed into four vehicles abandoned on a country road southwest of London, the deaths have been widely described as execution-style killings, a term which evokes a picture of crisp if not merciful efficiency.Earlier this week, for instance,

Elgin County Crown attorney Kevin Gowdey told the jurors in his opening statement that most of the men died of gunshot wounds to the head, most delivered at close range. And a day later, jurors saw for the first time close-up photographs of the men's bloody and fatal head wounds. But what they learned yesterday was that one of the victims, Luis (Chopper) Raposo also had his right middle finger amputated and that another, John (Boxer) Muscedere, the supposed Canadian president of the Bandidos, was not only shot three times, but also suffered multiple fractured teeth and severe abrasions to both knees, the reasonable inference that he had been forced to kneel at some point.As well, another victim, 28-year-old George (Crash) Kriarkis was shot no fewer than seven times - four times in the face or head and once each in the shoulder, chest and abdomen.

Mr. Kriarkis's mother was in court yesterday when Ontario Provincial Police Constable Ross Stuart, the main forensic identification officer on the case, was describing the men's injuries as the jurors watched a slide show of pictures documenting them. She fell weeping into the arms of friends and once cried aloud, "Why?"Another victim, Frank (Bam Bam) Salerno, was shot at no fewer than nine times.Five of the shots connected - one to the bridge of his nose, another to his right cheek, another to his right ear, one to his right hand and one to the right thigh. Three more grazed his lower right leg, another grazed the top of his right hand.In total, not counting any that may have missed the mark, 33 shots were fired at the eight victims.In addition to gunshot wounds, Constable Stuart said, many of the men suffered other lacerations or abrasions, several to their wrists or hands, sometimes interpreted as wounds incurred when people try to defend themselves. Other injuries, such as the laceration to the top of Jamie (Goldberg) Flanz's head, may have been inflicted by the alleged ringleader of the plot, Wayne (Wiener) Kellestine, whom Mr. Gowdey described as having kicked one victim in the face and hit another, all the while dancing and singing bizarrely.According to the prosecutor, all the victims were members or associates of the tiny Toronto Bandidos branch called the No Surrender Crew.
With the Toronto branch on the outs with the group's head office in Texas, and also embroiled in an internal battle for control with a probationary Bandidos group in Winnipeg, the decision was made to "pull the patches" of the Toronto crew, leaving Winnipeg as the only Canadian chapter.Mr. Kellestine, who reportedly had aligned himself with the Winnipeg group, is alleged to have lured his Toronto colleagues to his farm, located just 14 kilometres from the site where the vehicles crammed with bodies were later found.
He and his five co-accused - Michael (Taz) Sandham, Dwight (Dee) Mushey and Marcello Aravena, all from Winnipeg, and Frank Mather from Toronto - allegedly donned gloves and armed themselves in preparation for the patch-pulling, with Mr. Sandham, a former police officer and soldier, allegedly hiding in the loft of the barn where the meeting was held.After a brief exchange of gunfire between Mr. Raposo and Mr. Sandham - it left the former bleeding from the neck and chest and the latter complaining his bulletproof vest had been hit - Mr. Gowdey said the rest of the Toronto Bandidos were searched and held at gunpoint."In the hours that followed," Mr. Gowdey told the jurors, the remaining men "were taken outside, unarmed, and shot one by one in their vehicles ... Not everyone [who is accused] actually shot and killed, but everyone participated and contributed ... People who deliberately help or encourage killing may be equally guilty as those who pulled the trigger."The revelations of the apparent cruelty of the men's deaths came late yesterday, and could not have contrasted more with the testimony of the morning.These early witnesses - several OPP officers who were first on the scene, a paramedic who had the unenviable task of checking the bodies for signs of life and who found instead in some the onset of rigor mortis - included a gentle woman named Mary Steele.She lives with her husband on the Stafford Line, near where the abandoned cars were found on April 8, 2006. Retired dairy farmers, the Steeles learned that there were cars on and near their property when at the breakfast table they got a call from a neighbour, an older man who every morning brought the day's newspaper over.She described this man, Forbes Oldham, as one of the retired farmers who, used to the early hours of rural life, routinely keep boredom at bay by going on "crop tours" of the area.
Eventually, the Steeles went to check out the cars themselves, albeit from a distance because, as Mrs. Steele said, "My husband and I watch CSI. We decided we weren't going to touch anything."
They phoned the police - twice, in fact - and were on the road when they heard the first officer cry that he'd found a body and learned that CSI was at their doorstep.

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20 Devils Diciples members arrested

The following individuals are facing charges of using a communication facility in furtherance of drug trafficking, according to a statement from the FBI:
Paul Anthony Darrah, aka Pauli, age 44, of Macomb Township, DDMG-National Vice-President
Cary Dale Vandiver, aka Gun Control, age 49, of Mt. Clemens, DDMG-National Warlord
Alexis Catherine May, 56, of Burtchville
John Renny Riede, also known as Bear, 61, of Bay City
Christopher Raymond Marrocco, also known as Slomo, 31, of Algonac
Gary Lee Nelson, 42, of Marine City
Charles Edward McCarthy, Jr., also known as Chuck, 48, of Roseville
Dean Anthony Tagliavia, 41, of Port Huron
Lauri Ann Ledford, 39, of Kimball Township
Jennifer Lee Cicola, 38, of Macomb Township
Vernon Nelson Rich, also known as Vern, 44, of Kimball Township
Deborah Ann Heacock, 46, of Port Huron
Michael Vernon Darrah, 47, of Marine City
Howard Joseph Quant, also known as 44, 52, of Jeddo
Timothy Paul Downs, also known as Space, 51, of Chesterfield Township
Paula Mileha Friscioni, 43, of Fraser
David Roy Delong, also known as Reverend, 55, of Port Huron was charged for making false statements.Jeff Garvin Smith, also known as Fat Dog, 54, of Mt. Clemens was charged with being a violent felon in possession of body armor.
Possessing body armor as a violent felon is punishable by up to three years in prison and/or a fine up to $250,000. Using a telephone in furtherance of drug trafficking is punishable by up to 4 years and/or up to $250,000.20 Devils Diciples members were arrested as part of an investigation into drug trafficking by the FBI, Michigan State Police and the County of Macomb Enforcement Team.In addition to the indictment and criminal complaints, federal forfeiture complaints
were filed against the following properties: 2424 Little Street, Port Huron, Devils Diciples Motorcycle Gang Clubhouse – Port Huron Chapter and 43653 Gratiot, Clinton Township, Devils Diciples Motorcycle Gang Clubhouse–National Headquarters, State Headquarters, and Detroit/Blue Water Chapters.Investigators also seized 42 firearms, 3,000 rounds of ammunition, 3 bulletproof vests, $12,000 in U.S. currency, 1 1/2 pounds of meth, 55 pounds of marijuana, 1,000 vicodin/oxycontin pills and 15 casino style slot machines, according to the FBI.

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Rebels outlaw member has been charged with multiple firearm offences

Rebels outlaw member has been charged with multiple firearm offences after police raided a Sydney unit where they found a pistol, a sawn-off shotgun and a quantity of steroids.
Police said the 36-year-old man is a member of the Rebels outlaw motorcycle gang and his arrest is part of the recent crackdown on bikie activity. Officers executed a search warrant at a unit in Rawson Street, Rockdale, at about 4.15pm (AEDT) yesterday.They allegedly seized a pistol, a shortened pump-action shot gun, a large amount of ammunition, a rifle scope, pistol holster and a quantity of Viagra tablets and vials of steroids.The man was charged with five firearm offences, including possessing an illegal firearm and failing to safely store firearms. He was also charged with four drug offences. The man has been refused bail and will appear at Kogarah Local Court today.The incident follows the bashing death of Anthony Zervas, 29, during a brawl between the Hells Angels and the rival bikie gang Comancheros at Sydney airport on March 22. On Sunday, Mr Zervas' brother, Hells Angel Peter Zervas, was shot four times in front of his Lakemba unit and remains in hospital in a stable condition.

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Comanchero chief Mahmoud "Mick" to have a $100,000 contract on his head issued by the Hells Angels.

Comanchero chief Mahmoud "Mick" to have a $100,000 contract on his head issued by the Hells Angels. Police are also seeking to find Hawi and question him over a fatal brawl with rival Hells Angels at Sydney airport. Police have been unable to find Hawi. Instead, they have been involved in negotiations with his lawyers to have him present himself to police for questioning. Hawi's laywer Lesly Randle said Hawi had arranged to meet gangs squad detectives at a police station yesterday but that this did not go ahead because his barrister "became unavailable". Negotiations over a meeting were continuing. Hawi was not at the two properties in Sydney's south linked on the public record to the 28-year-old Comanchero national president. His large family home in southern Sydney had mail piled up at the front gate and no one answered the door. There was also no answer at another address, also in southern Sydney, a housing commission unit linked to one of Hawi's companies.
bikie and law enforcement and that Hawi's life is at risk. "He'll be holed up in a hotel somewhere," one said. A source said he was informed the bounty had been issued from the "cashed-up" Hells Angels, whose Guildford sergeant-at-arms Peter Zervas, 32, is in hospital after being shot on Sunday night at Punchbowl. No charges have been laid over the shooting. Zervas' brother Anthony, 29, was killed in the airport brawl allegedly between the Hells Angels and Comanchero seven days before. The Comanchero are strongly suspected of being behind Peter Zervas' shooting, as a "pre-emptive" strike against a revenge attack over his brother's murder. "There's no doubt if the Angels found out where Hawi was, in my view, they'd go after him, whether there was a price or not," one source said.

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Bacon brothers , the Red Scorpion gang associates shot dead in Gangland Slayings

Abbotsford Police Const. Casey Vinet said both victims were men in their 20s, but would not say if they were known to police, given that positive identifications had not yet been made.
Gang contacts have said that both were front-line workers in the drug trade and associates of the notorious Bacon brothers and the Red Scorpion gang.Homicide investigators were looking for possible connections Tuesday between the targeted slayings of two young men less than nine hours apart.The two murders came after a lull in the gang violence that has rocked Metro Vancouver this year, leaving 28 dead and more than a dozen others wounded.Police have said there is an all-out gang war as rivals battle over turf and long-standing disputes.Supt. Dan Malo, who heads the Integrated Gang Task Force, said most of the victims are mid-level drug dealers or those running dial-a-dope lines. Some are killed by rivals, but others are shot by their own crews because of internal disputes or debts.
“That’s where we are seeing all of the violence right now,” Malo said. “It’s a continuation of the spike we’ve been seeing of late and we’ve still got to get around the corner.”
The first victim was found slumped over the steering wheel of a gold-coloured import car at the entrance to Bateman Park about 10:45 p.m. Monday, shot to death in a targeted hit.The second man remained under a yellow police tarp most of Tuesday beside the popular Yellow Barn produce store just off the Trans-Canada Highway on Sumas Prairie near the Abbotsford-Chilliwack boundary.Vinet said the second victim displayed some “injury” but could not say what the cause of death was until an autopsy has been completed.
The body lay in a field just off the parking lot and appeared to have been dumped there, something investigators were considering, Vinet said.He said police were called about 7 a.m. by a motorist who saw the body lying a few metres from the store’s propane tank.
Workers at the barn said they arrived about 7:30 a.m. to find the whole west side of the parking lot behind yellow police tape.Vinet said there were no overnight reports of gunshots in the area of farms and produce stands, sandwiched between mountains.But there was a shots-fired call just before 1 a.m. in the 6000-block of Riverside Street.One shot hit a house. No one was injured in that shooting and police did not believe it was connected to the two deaths, Vinet said.He said he could not remember another time when Abbotsford police were called to two separate murders in such a short time span.“It is unusual. It is concerning,” he said. “There are still a lot of details we don’t know. There’s still a lot of work to be done.”Abbotsford had seen a lull in gang violence in recent weeks following its high-profile campaign to monitor the movements of the two youngest Bacon brothers — Jamie and Jarrod — who are both marked for death by rivals. Both are out on bail on a series of gun and drug charges.Their Red Scorpion gang has been engaged in a bloody turf war with the rival United Nations gang.Abbotsford Mayor George Peary said he had just been chatting with Police Chief Bob Rich about how the shootings seemed to have died down.“And then two homicides in one night,” Peary said Tuesday. “Sadly of course, no community is safe and no community can escape this violence.”He said two murders so close together were unusual for Abbotsford.
“It’s troubling and it’s symptomatic of the violence we have had across the Lower Mainland in recent months,” Peary said.He said he was confident the region’s integrated policing teams have a great deal of intelligence on the gangs and those doing the killing.“But it is really difficult for them to prevent this kind of stuff,” he said. “There are far too many guns available.”
If there is any good news out of the latest tragedy, it is that the slayings were in semi-rural locations and did not endanger the general public, Peary said.“There was less likelihood of an innocent bystander getting caught in the cross-fire.”In Vancouver meanwhile, RCMP Deputy Commissioner Gary Bass said Tuesday more arrests and major charges are pending against Metro gang members.“You’re going to see more arrests in the coming weeks, significant arrests,” Bass said during a meeting with The Vancouver Sun editorial board to discuss gangs and organized crime.

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