Prevention and Intervention
Nonprofit aims to provide gang prevention tools to Portsmouth students
10/14/24 | WTKR
Virginia: There's a push to help at-risk students in Portsmouth succeed, not only in the classroom, but in life. Communities in Schools focuses empowers students. They are working with Edward Brown Foundation, a non-profit organization, to provide gang prevention to studnets in Portsmouth schools. In a few weeks, the Edward Brown Foundation says they will be mentoring and providing gang prevention tools to students in Portsmouth Public Schools. Kameron Dancey, a teen says the foundation has been pivotal when it comes to having a positive male role model. "Mr. George as a mentor signed me up for this boxing program. I liked it. It gave me exercise and how to control my anger and self-defense," Dancey said.
Suppression and Prosecution
MS-13 Gang Associate Sentenced to 50 Years in Prison for the Murders of Four Young Men in a Central Islip Park
10/1/24 | Department of Justice
New York: Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, Leniz Escobar, also known as “Diablita,” an associate of the Leeward Locos Salvatruchas (Leeward) and Brentwood Locos Salvatruchas (Brentwood) cliques of La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as the MS-13, a violent transnational criminal organization, was sentenced by United States Second Circuit Judge Joseph F. Bianco, sitting by designation, to 600 months’ imprisonment. On April 8, 2022, Escobar was convicted after a four-week trial of racketeering, including predicate acts of murder, conspiracy to murder rival gang members, and obstruction of justice, and murder in aid-of racketeering. Those charges stemmed from her participation in the April 11, 2017 murders of Justin Llivicura, Michael Lopez, Jorge Tigre and Jefferson Villalobos, who were hacked to death with machetes and other sharp objects after Escobar lured them to a local Central Islip park.
Four Leaders Of Notorious Nuestra Familia Prison Gang Convicted Of Racketeering And Related Crimes
10/2/24 | Department of Justice
California: A federal jury found David Cervantes (aka “DC”), James Perez (aka “Conejo”), Guillermo Solorio (aka “Capone” aka “Caps”), and George Franco (aka “Puppet”) guilty of racketeering, for their roles as senior members of the Nuestra Familia criminal enterprise, which engaged in murder conspiracies, attempted murder, drug distribution, and money laundering. The jury’s verdict follows a 12-week trial before the Hon. Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, U.S. District Judge. The evidence at trial established that the four defendants—Cervantes, 76; Perez, 70; Solorio, 45; and Franco, 59 – all were senior members of the Nuestra Familia (NF) prison gang, all serving on the General Council, the primary decision-making body for the gang.
MS-13 Gang Members Charged In Superseding Indictment for Crimes of Deadly Violence in Nassau County
10/3/24 | Department of Justice
New York: Earlier today, a 17-count superseding indictment was unsealed in federal court in Central Islip charging seven members of the violent transnational criminal organization La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as the MS-13, with multiple racketeering offenses including two murders, one attempted murder, murder conspiracies, a narcotics trafficking conspiracy and related firearms offenses (the “Superseding Indictment”). Two of those defendants, William Lainez-Duran, also known as “Chino” and “Spanky,” and Elvin Eulises Vasquez-Lopez, also known as “Pikachu,” were arrested this morning in Hempstead, New York and will be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Steven L. Tiscione. Another defendant, Jose Omar Yanes-Romero, also known as “Jose Pineda,” “Chino” and “Iron,” was arrested this morning in Culpeper, Virginia, and will be arraigned at the Charlottesville federal courthouse in the Western District of Virginia. Two of the remaining three defendants are in custody on criminal charges, and the third is in immigration custody and will be arraigned at a later date.
DPS says San Antonio gang bust netted members of Tren de Aragua
10/5/24 | Spectrum News 1
Texas: A multi-agency gang bust in San Antonio on Saturday netted 19 arrests, including members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA), the Texas Department of Public Safety said. According to DPS, the operation occurred at the Palatia apartment complex and involved more than 150 officers and agents, including members of the San Antonio Police Department, FBI, DPS, HIS and U.S. Border Patrol. DPS said the operation followed reports of human trafficking, narcotics and threats to apartment staff. DPS said undercover San Antonio officers learned that members of TdA had “taken over” vacant apartments and were committing crimes. Nineteen people — 16 Venezuelans and three U.S. citizens — were arrested. Of those, DPS said, four Venezuelans were determined to be members of TdA and one a TdA enforcer.
Minnesota men convicted of gang charges connected to federal crackdown
10/8/24 | ABC News
Minnesota: A Minnesota jury convicted three alleged members of a Minneapolis street gang on Tuesday of charges stemming from what prosecutors said was a yearslong pattern of violence and murder. The charges are part of a federal gang crackdown authorities announced in 2023 that ensnared dozens of members or associates of two major Minneapolis gangs. Tuesday's guilty verdict marks the first conviction in the federal operation with the rare use of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) statute. The anti-corruption law is used to target organized crime, and prosecutors compared the defendants' actions to the mafia.
Ten Defendants Associated with “Everybody Shines Together” Street Gang Sentenced in Federal Drug and Gun Conspiracy
10/11/24 | Department of Justice
Kentucky: This week the last of ten defendants, each of whom were associated with the “Everybody Shines Together” street gang (also knowns as “EST”), was sentenced as part of a conspiracy involving federal drug and firearms offenses. According to court documents, Eric D. Mosley, 33, of Louisville, was sentenced on October 10, 2024, to 20 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, distribution of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a stolen motor vehicle. Mosley was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses.
Carr: Three Gang Members Convicted in March 2023 Fatal Shooting in Five Points Neighborhood in Athens
10/17/24 | Georgia Office of the Attorney General
Georgia: Attorney General Chris Carr today announced that Anthony Brown, Glendarius Tate, and X’Zydric Faust have been convicted and sentenced to prison for their involvement in the March 5, 2023, fatal shooting of 24-year-old Ja’Vanni McDavid in Athens, Georgia. Brown, Tate and Faust are members of Everybody Killa (EBK), a hybrid criminal street gang based in Athens. EBK has ties to major national Bloods and its primary alliance is with Everybody Eats (EBE), another hybrid criminal street gang based in Athens. Both Everybody Killa (EBK) and Everybody Eats (EBE) are engaged in a violent feud with Red Tape Gang (RTG), another hybrid criminal street gang based in Athens.
Communities
After Spike In Humboldt Park Shootings, Violence Interrupters Working To Resolve Gang Conflicts
10/9/24 | Block Club Chicago
Illinois: Community leaders are ramping up efforts to interrupt gang violence amid a series of Humboldt Park shootings in recent months. There have been 28 shootings, five of them fatal, in the neighborhood since July, according to city crime data. During the same time period last year, there were 16 shootings that left one person dead. Among the violence: The were four shootings Sept. 25-Oct. 1 in the Humboldt Park neighborhood, killing two people and wounding four others, according to police and media reports. On Sept. 15, a man was shot dead and two others were stabbed during a fight in Humboldt Park, the Sun-Times reported.
Bringing awareness to gang activity, violence in Scranton
10/9/24 | WBRE
Pennsylvania: Bringing awareness to gang activity and violence in our area the hot topic during a forum in Scranton Wednesday morning. The Interagency Council of Lackawanna County hosted the gathering. A number of police, first responders, and community groups talked about ways the community can help keep young people engaged and steer them away from gang involvement. There has been a recent spike in gang-related crime in the region. The group also said they want to refer to the activity as group violence rather than gang.
Union warns Texas fire, EMS crews after arrest of Tren de Aragua gang members
10/10/24 | EMS1
Texas: The San Antonio Professional Firefighters Association is raising concerns over the presence of Tren de Aragua gang members, particularly for first responders, following the arrest of several gang members on Oct. 5 during a multi-agency raid on an apartment complex. San Antonio Professional Firefighters Association President Joe Jones advised first responders to “keep your heads on a swivel and watch your six,” urging vigilance, News Nation reported. The firefighters union noted department leaders urged caution as the gang’s presence grows. Jones expressed concern that gang members might mistake firefighter and paramedic uniforms for police, putting first responders at risk.
Fighting Utah’s gang crime
10/13/24 | KSL NewsRadio
Utah: Like most places, Utah has gangs, but law enforcement has some unique challenges fighting gang crime in the Beehive State. “Utah is unique in terms of what it’s like compared to the rest of the country,” Lt. Nate Hutchinson with the Salt Lake Area Gang Project said. “Yes, Utah does have a gang problem. We cannot close our eyes and just pretend and hope that it goes away. We’re going to have to deal with it.” Hutchinson said gangs in Utah tend to be spread out geographically. Most other places where gang activity is present are defined by neighborhoods or blocks, or by some other uniting characteristic.
MTSU professor shares research on gang violence in Middle Tennessee
10/15/24 | WKRN
Tennessee: The mass shooting on Jefferson Street during near Tennessee State University’s homecoming celebrations highlights the danger of gangs in Nashville. An expert who has studied the danger of gangs for years shared with News 2 what he’s seeing in Middle Tennessee and what the latest incident tells him. “Nashville has had recurring gang issues off and on just like every other large city in the country,” said Carter Smith, assistant professor at Middle Tennessee State University for the Department of Criminal Justice. He said over the years, gangs have evolved. According to his research, in 2011 students and police saw a growing gang problem within the campus community.
Times Square’s ‘Little Devils’: Street gang subset causing mayhem in Midtown, NYPD chief says
10/15/24 | amNewYork
New York: They call themselves “Los Diablos de la 42,” which translates in English as “Little Devils of 42nd Street.” They’ve proven to be a big problem for Times Square and the NYPD. Police officials say they are working to nab members of the Los Diablos, a subset of the infamous migrant street gang known as Tren de Aragua, who have been linked to numerous robberies and other crimes at the “Crossroads of the World.” For NYPD officials, the group of about 20 gang members — some of whom are as young as just 11 years of age — has given rise to concerns that this glorified crew may challenge members of the rival Latin Kings and potentially start a turf war. Over the summer, police said, the Los Diablos de la 42 graduated from simple snatch-and-grab robberies to using knives and guns in their crimes, even leading to some victims being hospitalized.
Tren de Aragua gang member arrested in Cochise County, gang's first known appearance in Arizona
10/16/24 | KVOA
Arizona: A notorious Venezuelan gang that has been gaining national attention recently has now appeared in southern Arizona. The Cochise county sheriff’s office tells me they recently arrested a suspected member of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua tied to a human smuggling case. Now adding Arizona to the list of areas this dangerous gang is turning up. "It’s very troubling this is also the first time that I've heard of an official Tren de Aragua gang member being found in Arizona," Rep. Juan Ciscomani said. Congressman Juan Ciscomani represents Cochise County. He’s worried seeing the growing reach of a notorious Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua.
Prison
MS gang members planned to use drones to deliver drugs to prisons. One is headed to prison
10/2/24 | Sun Herald
Mississippi: A self-professed Simon City Royals street gang member once featured in a documentary about Mississippi prison gangs is headed to prison for 50 years for trafficking meth set for delivery at Mississippi prisons, according to Pearl River County District Attorney Hal Kittrell. Dakota Anthony Smith, 34, pleaded guilty to aggravated trafficking on Monday. Smith’s arrest followed an undercover narcotics investigation that began in September 2020 into plans by members of the Simon City Royals street gang to facilitate the use of drones to deliver meth into Mississippi prisons.
Rikers inmate beat, slashed in clash with Bloods gang: DA
10/10/24 | PIX11
New York: Four Bloods gang members are accused of brutally beating and slashing an inmate at Rikers Island, leaving the detainee with a massive scar on his face, authorities said. Jamaud Cayenne, 21, David Mingo, 21, Damien Linares, 19, and Tony Smith, 20, were indicted Wednesday on assault and gang assault charges in connection to the March 17 attack, according to the Bronx District Attorney’s Office. Cayenne and Linares allegedly punched and kicked the victim in the face and body before Cayeen slashed his face with a sharp object, according to court documents. Mingo hit him in the face and Smith allegedly kicked the detainee, officials said. The victim needed 45 stitches to treat the facial cut. “We will not tolerate gang violence in the jail,” Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said.
South Carolina Detainees Drop Gang Signs, Smoke Joints On Snapchat
10/10/24 | FITSNews
South Carolina: Contraband cell phones and illicit drug use are pervasive South Carolina’s jails and prisons. Our media outlet has been provided with stellar examples of both of these issues occurring in the Darlington County detention center. A pair of alleged murderers – Quinton McLeroy Jr. and Jameare Lorenzo Jr. – are both also purportedly avid Snapchat users while awaiting trial. Sources in Darlington County provided FITSNews with screenshots of social media posts purporting to have been posted to McLeroy’s Snapchat account where he can be seen throwing what appear to be Blood gang signs.
Cell phones, gangs and tech solutions: Tackling the new wave of prison crime
10/15/24 | Police1
There are approximately 1.2 million men and women currently serving time in U.S. prisons. In the not-too-distant past, prison inmates were largely isolated from civil society while incarcerated. They could have visits from family members and attorneys, of course, and they could – under tight restrictions – make telephone calls and use other communications media. It’s a different world today, and the difference is being driven primarily by two things: mobile phones and gangs.
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