Official websites use .gov Moody appeared at the news conference Monday along with DEA Special Agent in Charge Mike Ferguson. In the past, large-scale, high-profile federal indictments of street gangs on drug trafficking have focused on black street gangs like the Rukns, the Gangster Disciples and the Vice Lords; law enforcement officials often have described Latino gangs as more interested in rivalries and violence than narcotics. Authorities accused Zambrano and other gang leaders of extorting a "street tax" from non-gang members who sold false identification documents, and using force and threats of violence unless they received it. Flame Wreck Feat. [15] Luiz Flvio Gomes, 62, Brazilian jurist, professor and politician, Deputy (since 2019), leukaemia. Mr. The sentence was announced by Gary S. Shapiro, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, together with Cory B. Nelson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Larry Ford, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Simmons ran with the bodyguard in pursuit and the sheriffs officers now less than a block away. Rudy Kato Rangel Jr. was a leader of the Latin Kings when he was shot and killed in June 2003. CHICAGO (AP) Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson will meet in a runoff to be the next mayor of Chicago after voters denied incumbent Lori Lightfoot a second term, He was sentencing Latin Kings leader Alexander Vargas, who had ordered two murders and been involved in drug trafficking, while taking into account his cooperation with the government, which aided in the conviction and guilty pleas of several other gang members. History [ edit] The gang was founded in 1955 by Mexican youth who lived in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago. For much of the last several years, the barrel-chested Colon was housed at the Menard Correctional Center's honor dorm, where he had the key to his own room and could wander the prison grounds even when other inmates were locked in their cell. He fired repeatedly into the body of [the victim], and then casually held the gun to the head of [the young woman], who was spared only because the killers earlier zeal had emptied the weapon.. As witnesses told the court, the Have a question about Government Services? "It demonstrates that the combined and coordinated efforts of federal, state and local law enforcement can assemble cases looking at disparate crimes such as selling false identification documents in Little Village and tie them all the way back to the gang leaders responsible for a broad array of criminal conduct. Donell states that as Bro Man handed the gun to him, Bro Man told Donell, Dont miss. [1], In 1995, he was convicted of ordering multiple murders from prison by writing to members of the Latin Kings on the outside. In total, more than 80 people associated with the gang have been charged, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. Amaya must serve at least 85 percent of the sentence. Based on those records, this is the story of the killing of Rudy Kato Rangel Jr. Born on Thanksgiving Day 1972, Rangel grew up in LeClaire Courts on the Southwest Side but ended up traveling in lofty circles in two worlds: crime and rap music. Bro Man told Donell about a lick that a Puerto Rican had done for 150 kilos of cocaine, a detective wrote after interviewing Simmons. The Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administrations Colon was found guilty on all but one of the 21 counts leveled against him. He got six years in prison but was credited with five years and 10 months of time served. Vargas was part of a more than 20 gang members who were indicted for their parts in multiple murders and drug trafficking. He and one of his friends soon approached the group, according to court records. Garcia, also known as DK or Disciple Killer, together with Augustin Zambrano, the leader or Corona of the Latin Kings, and two additional defendants were found guilty in April 2011 of running a criminal enterprise to enrich themselves and others through drug-trafficking and preserving and protecting their power, territory and revenue through acts of murder, attempted murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, extortion, and other acts of violence. The Bloods and Crips in New York don't have a huge connection to the ones in California, therefore, it's not gonna last long without a structural background. Officer Patrick ODonnell was ordered released on his own recognizance following a bond hearing Wednesday at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse that was attended by dozens of his fellow officers. Detectives investigating Rangels death learned of an informant being used by the police departments Organized Crime Division whod recorded conversations with Nunnery in which he implicated himself in the shooting. Three of the defendants who pleaded guilty testified as government witness at the trial, the news release said. Nunnery said his job was to locate Rangel, and Spanns was to get someone to rob him. Those criminal cases concluded in 2008 with convictions and prison for everyone but Spann. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has become the first incumbent to lose a re-election bid in 40 years, as voters in Americas third biggest city expressed their fury over rising crime levels. Before his sentence was handed down, Vargas, 35, expressed remorse for his actions with the Latin Kings. Pissetzky noted that Colons brother Cristobal, himself a former member of the Latin Kings, has for more than 25 years served as the pastor of Gods Army Ministries, a church on the Northwest Side. "As the CEO of this gang, Zambrano bears responsibility for its criminal acts.". Of those 31, 24 pleaded guilty, four were convicted at trial and three remain fugitives. "This verdict inflicts a serious blow to the to leaders of the Latin Kings," U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said in a news release. Martise Nunnery. Colon fired three more rounds into Burrs body after Burr fell to the ground, according to court records. over the Skip to document Ask an Expert Sign inRegister Sign inRegister Home Ask an ExpertNew My Library Discovery Institutions Seneca College The University of Western Ontario | Illinois Department of Corrections. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. WebThis paper reviews the history, characteristics, and threat of the Latin Kings, a gang that began in Chicago more than three decades ago and now has influence in 34 States. During the two-month trial, prosecutors played dozens of recorded phone calls that illustrated Colons control of the Latin Kings. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The cases will be prosecuted by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moodys office. Rangel married someone from the neighborhood: Valerie Gaytan, daughter of a Chicago cop. WebAs for leaders, the Latin Kings have not been able to sustain a peaceful environment within their gangs. The U.S. Attorneys Office argues that Colon is serving a sentence that is within the advisory guidelines range and fully justified given his role as leader of the Latin Kings. Prosecutors have also focused heavily on Colons murder conviction in state court, a tactic that Pissetzky called a red herring., Its just unconscionable, I think, to keep somebody in prison for a drug offense for that long of a time, Pissetzky said. Detectives told Simmons they were matching evidence to those involved and had DNA. His brother, Jose Vargas, who was not in a gang, was gunned down by the Latin Dragons in 2006, so Vargas directed his vengeance toward that gang, including ordering the 2007 murders of Latin Dragons leaders Joe Walsh and Gonzalo Diaz as they left a Griffith restaurant. Lock Core Plays. In addition to Colon and his wife, others charged in the indictment for drug conspiracy were Chicago-area residents: Jorge D. Martinez, 32; Wilfredo Escobar, 35; The nation's highest-ranking leader of the Latin Kings was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison Thursday. He said the man drove them three blocks to a Hollywood Video at Roosevelt and Spaulding where Nunnery called his girlfriend, who picked them up, dropping him nearby before taking Spann to Arthington and Karlov. But interviews and thousands of pages of records from the U.S. attorneys office, the Chicago Police Department, the Cook County states attorneys office and the Cook County medical examiners office reviewed by the Chicago Sun-Times suggest another possible motive: that the murder was contracted after Rangel stole 150 kilos of cocaine. While incarcerated, Spann was charged with bringing drugs into a penal institution and harassing a witness, which added three years and two years to his armed robbery sentence, though he also was credited with more than 700 days of time served in jail. Also seized were about 100 roosters that Chronister said were used in illegal cockfighting. Prosecutors presented some disturbing evidence during the trial, including a video showing about a dozen Latin King members beating and kicking a fellow gang member for several minutes as punishment. A Rockford man was indicted today by a federal grand jury on charges of arson for allegedly setting fire to two buildings in Rockford, Ill. A federal grand jury in Chicago, Illinois, returned an indictment, which was unsealed yesterday, charging three Illinois men with operating an odometer and title fraud scheme that involved hundreds of Chicago-Area Man Charged With Conducting Illegal Sports Gambling Business, Eastern Division WebCHICAGOA Chicago man alleged to be a Corona of the Latin Kings, making him the highest-ranking leader outside of prison and responsible for overseeing the illegal activities of all factions of the powerful Chicago street gang, is among 18 defendants charged in a sweeping new federal indictment against the gangs alleged hierarchy. For the first time in three years, Latin's math department hosted the Middle School Math Contest in person on Saturday, January 28. Colon did come back to Chicago, but not in the way he hoped. Tha Ladder 04. A man who authorities said was second in commandofone of the country'slargest street gangs has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for organizing a violent criminal enterprise that plagued neighborhoods in Chicago and beyond, prosecutors said. Of those 31 defendants, 24 pleaded guilty, four were convicted at trial, and three remain fugitives. Vargas was an "Inca," or regional leader, overseeing the south suburbs of Chicago and Northwest Indiana. Though Simmons and two others went to prison in Rangels death, some details of the high-profile killing rapper DMX later recorded a tribute to Rangel called AYo Kato never came out. Bro Man said a Cuba mother or Mexican wanted dude taken care of. Bro Man asked Donell to kill the dude for ten to thirty thousand dollars.. Outside the barbershop, they saw Rangels blue SUV, drove a block west and turned, parking just north of the alley, according to what Nunnery and Simmons told authorities. Deputies also seized 15 firearms and multiple vehicles, including a Mercedes Benz and a BMW that officials said were bought with proceeds from drug sales. Its not clear when the judge overseeing the case will issue a ruling. Two high-level leaders of the Latin Kings gang were among 21 people arrested in a months-long investigation that resulted in the seizure of large amounts of fentanyl and other drugs in southern Hillsborough County, officials said Monday. The convictions result from a sustained, coordinated effort by federal law enforcement agencies, working together with the Chicago Police Department and other state and local partners, to dismantle the hierarchy of the Latin Kings and other highly-organized, often violent Chicago street gangs. UChicago Medicine Volunteers: Serving Patients and Families in From its origin and base in the west side Little Village neighborhood, the Latin Kings spread throughout Chicago and Illinois and established branches in other states, where local leaders acted with some autonomy but adhered to the rules and hierarchy of the Chicago gang, according to trial evidence and court records. [14] Edward L. Feightner, 100, American Navy officer and flying ace. Makin Rounds Feat. Fifty years ago this week June 27, 1971 Gustavo Colon, a teen Latin King, shot and killed Glenn Burr, a teen Vice Lord, at the intersection of Potomac Avenue and Leavitt Street. Simmons told detectives that, in May 2003, Spann told him about talk of Rangel having stolen 150 kilos of cocaine and hired him to kill Rangel. Amaya was in charge of over 1,000 soldiers many of whom were simply boys sent off to kill or be killed under rules and policies he oversaw, the government argued in seeking a sentence of 40 years imprisonment. | Chicago Police Department. The transcripts included one between Nunnery and the informant seven weeks after the shooting. And three of those runoffs would involve incumbents appointed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot over the last year. Vargas' attorney, Todd Pugh, said his client lived a double life, as a father of five children, union bricklayer and Little League coach, while he was involved with the drugs and violence of the gang. Finally, the judge said that he himself, rather than the Federal Bureau of Prisons, would control the case. He put the gun to her head and pulled the trigger, but it didnt fire. Outside, a 21-year-old, recently paroled ex-con named Donell Squeaky Simmons walked through the alley to the shop, a red, white and blue Nets cap on his head and a pistol at his waist. Garcia and Zambrano were the highest-ranking Latin Kings to be convicted and sentenced since Gustavo Gino Colon, who also holds the title of Corona, was sentenced to life in prison in 2000. If such trades happen, theyll be much simpler than the Jake McCabe and Patrick Kane monstrosities that preceded them. Rockford, IL 61101, Chicago: (312) 353-5300 A sheriffs officer chased but lost Simmons. Authorities are looking for the other five defendants. "This sentence holds Garcia accountable for the barbaric enterprise known as the Latin Kings and his role in murder, attempted murder, shootings, beatings, drug trafficking, and other crimes," U.S. Attorney Gary S. Shapiro said in a statement. 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