California mom charged in gang shooting
June 30, 2007
PALMDALE, Calif. --A mother faces firearms charges after she allegedly drove her son's friends
to a rival gang member's house to take part in a shooting, authorities said.
Michelle Wright, 37, pleaded not guilty Thursday to three counts of assault with a firearm and one
count of shooting a firearm at a dwelling, said Los Angeles County sheriff's Detective Robert Gillis
on Friday. She was held on $250,000 bail.
Wright drove her son's two friends to a rival gang member's house in Palmdale early Tuesday,
authorities said. One of the son's friends got out and fired at a bedroom window before the three
drove away.
Two small children and a teen were in the room, but no one was injured.
Detectives acting on a tip arrested the woman's son and the gunman, Gillis said. Authorities
recovered a shotgun they suspect was used in the shooting, he said.
Wright told authorities she drove her son's friends to do the shooting because she believed police
were not doing enough to stop gang members from harassing her children, Gillis said.
Wright's son and the two other teens, whom authorities have accused of being members of a
street gang, were charged and held in juvenile custody.
An attorney representing Wright could not be located, and her phone number was unlisted.
Palmdale is located in northern Los Angeles County.
Feds Bust MS-13 Gang Members for Ordering Murder
From Prison Cells
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
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E-MAIL STORY
PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION
AP
June 5: Attorney General Gonzales arrives at a press conference at the Department of Justice.
WASHINGTON — Three Salvadoran members of the deadly street gang MS-13 were indicted
Tuesday on federal charges that they ordered U.S. gang members to carry out cold-blooded murders
and other vicious crimes — directing it all from their prison cells in El Salvador.
Dany Fredy Ramos Mejia, Saul Antonios Turcio Angel and Rigoberto Del Transito Mejia Regaldo conspired
in a racketeering plot with murder, robbery, obstruction of justice and witness tampering, according to the
30-count indictment.
The indictment says the three defendants and at least 13 others conspired to commit murder and other
violent crimes with firearms, baseball bats, machetes, bottles, and knives.
The three are members of MS-13, La Mara Salvatrucha, a violent street gang of immigrants or
descendants of immigrants with members in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico and the United
States.
Two of the members allegedly directed other MS-13 members to commit crimes, including murdering two
people in the United States, from 2001 to March 2007. They also are connected to eight murders in
Maryland and a murder in Virginia, the Justice Department said.
In 2004, Mejia and Angel videotaped themselves and fellow gang members in El Salvador planning gang
activities, according to the indictment. In 2005, Angel used a cell phone to call members of the Teclas Locos
Salvatruchos clique in Maryland to discuss crimes. Later that day, gang members killed two people and
wounded a juvenile.
The three defendants remain in an El Salvador prison for crimes allegedly committed in that country. They
face a maximum sentence in a U.S. prison
All three defendants are currently incarcerated in El Salvador on charges for crimes allegedly committed in
that country. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum sentence in the U.S. of life in prison for
conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise.
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales praised the indictments and thanked Salvadoran government officials for
their assistance in the investigation.
"Together we are going to make the streets and the neighborhoods of all of the Americas safer for our
children," Gonzales said at a press conference announcing the indictments.
Acting Director Michael J. Sullivan of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives said the
indictment sends a message to gang members.
"MS-13 is a criminal organization that has terrorized our nation's neighborhoods and jeopardized community
safety for far too long," Sullivan said. "This indictment sends a strong signal that anyone who joins the gang
and participates in violent acts on its behalf will continue to be brought to justice, no matter where they may
hide."
3rd teen arrested in Fla. gang rape
1 hour, 1 minute ago
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - A third teenager was arrested Thursday in the gang rape and assault
of a mother and her 12-year-old son in a housing project, police said.
Fingerprints in the woman's house linked 15-year-old Jakaris Sansay Taylor to the June 18
attack, West Palm Beach police spokesman Ted White said.
Up to 10 masked teenagers raped and sodomized the woman and beat her son, police said. They
also forced her at gunpoint to perform oral sex on the boy, she later told a TV station.
Taylor was arrested at his home in the housing project on charges of home invasion robbery with
a firearm, wearing a mask while committing an offense, sexual battery and armed sexual battery
with multiple perpetrators. He will be transferred to a juvenile detention center once investigators
finish questioning him, police said.
Taylor's mother, Jacqueline Minor, declined to comment when reached by phone Thursday.
Two other teenagers, Avion Lawson, 14, and Nathan Walker, 16, were being held without bail in
the assault and gang rape.
The state attorney's office will seek a grand jury indictment to ensure all defendants are charged
as adults, spokesman Mike Edmondson said.
Posted on Fri, Jul. 20, 2007
BY DEANNA BOYD
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER
FORT WORTH -- Gangsters take heed: Throwing gang signs could result in authorities throwing
the book at you.
An 18-year-old Fort Worth man found himself in a world of trouble Wednesday night when he
flashed gang signs at a passing car, only to find that its occupants were undercover gang officers.
The incident occurred about 10 p.m. as the two officers, in an unmarked car, passed a home in
the 3800 block of North Terry Street -- a known hangout of a north side gang.
The officers called for officers in marked units to detain the teen for disorderly conduct/gesture,
said Lt. Dean Sullivan, a police spokesman.
But that wasn't the teen's only mistake, police said.
As officers patted the teen down, they found a bottle of what appeared to be Xanax inside his
pocket. The teen could not explain why he had the pills, Sullivan said.
Then, when officers asked for his identification, the teen told them it was in his bedroom and led
them into the home. There, on a table, officers spotted a clear plastic baggie with what they
believed was cocaine inside, Sullivan said.
Based on the discovery, narcotics officers were called and obtained a search warrant for the
home. They uncovered a cache of weapons, including an Uzi, an AR-15, a .44-caliber Magnum
pistol, a 12-gauge shotgun and other handguns. Officers also found approximately 3.6 kilos of
suspected cocaine, a pound of what appeared to be marijuana and about $65,000 in cash,
Sullivan said.
"In addition to that, there were six wrappings from kilos of cocaine that they had already
apparently opened and sold, we presume, or distributed," Lt. Robert Rangel said.
The 18-year-old, identified as Alex R. Perez Jr., and his 17-year-old brother, Paul A. Perez, were
arrested on suspicion of drug and weapons violations.
Agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Immigration
and Customs Enforcement are assisting in the investigation.
Authorities will seek federal charges against the 18-year-old and state charges against his
brother.
"It was a bad career move and lousy timing for the gang member," Rangel said.
Deanna Boyd, 817-390-7655
dboyd@star-telegram.com
Hundreds Protest Music with Disparaging Lyrics
Posted May 4, 2007 by
permafrog in Entertainment | 13 comments | 216 views
Hundreds of people march through the streets of
Manhattan yesterday in a protest march lead by the
reverend Al Sharpton.
"We're not talking about free speech," Sharpton told the crowd
Thursday. "We're talking about three words."
The three words Sharpton is referring to are the same as those
used by Don Imus when he described a predominantly black
women's basketball team as "nappy headed hos."
Sharpton as been leading the charge against former radio
shock jock Don Imus who was fired over the remarks. The
controversy around Imus's firing still rages with Imus filing a
lawsuit..
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Chanting "Decency now!" the protesters followed a path that
led them past the New York headquarters of four of the largest
music labels: Sony, Warner, Universal and Time Warner.
Sharpton said that "You can't have standards for some, and when it
comes to women and African-Americans, you don't have standards,"
he said.
Not everyone agrees with Sharpton. Rapper Snoop Dogg says
the lyrics rappers use are drawn from the harsh backgrounds
and neighbourhoods from which rappers often hail.
Orthodox Jews Renew
Their Protests Against
A Gay Parade In
Jerusalem
1 comment
Rappers are not talking about "collegiate basketball girls who have
made it to the next level in education and sports," Snoop Dogg told
MTV last month, in reference to Imus.
This is a story that is not going away anytime soon, nor should
it. There is much at stake here and much that needs to be
discussed in the open air. Will that actually happen or is what
we see more likely to be a polarization of issues with opposing camps digging in and firing their
salvos at the opposition?
REV. AL SHARPTON: TAKING IT TO THE STREETS
Posted Apr 30th 2007 12:10PM by Karu F. Daniels
Filed under: Entertainment Newswire
By Karu F. Daniels, AOL Black Voices
Who knew that two weeks after Don Imus's ouster and Oprah Winfrey's big "Town
Hall" meeting, the saga demonizing hip-hop culture would continue.
Last week "Hip-Hop CEO" Russell Simmons asked the industry to ban "The N-Word,"
"The B-Word" and "The H-Word."
This week, Reverend Al Sharpton is staging a "March of Decency."
On May 3, the former presidential candidate and formidable civil rights activist will colead a march from Sony Music's United States headquarters on Madison Avenue and
continue to Time Warner's Columbus Circle headquarters.
Universal Music Group's Broadway offices are also a part of the marching trail.
"I think it is important that we make a strong appeal as consumers to demand standards
that will not offend us or dehumanize us based on race, gender or any other category,"
Sharpton said. "This march will be lead by Tamika Mallory, Councilwoman Darlene
Mealy and other women, but we encourage that it be attended and supported by all and I
am proud to be a part of it."
According to Sharpton's longtime spokeswoman Rachel Noerdlinger, the children of
late "Godfather of Soul" James Brown will also march. May 3 would've been the music
pioneer's 74th birthday.
Through its new Decency Initiative, the Sharpton-helmed National Action Network will
call for record companies implement a code of conduct for artist in their lyrics. The
primary focus of the march is to protest sexism, racism, and homophobia in music and
the image that is perpetuated in the recording industry that glamorizes misogyny,
Noerdlinger explained.
Taking the Rap
Are Civil Rights Leaders Frontin’ for Hip Hop Gangstas?
by Peter Noel
January 10 - 16, 2001
Source of the problem? Critics accuse hip hop
magazine of promoting thug culture.
be social
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Hip hop troublemakers such as
reputed gunslinging duo Sean "Puffy"
Combs and Jamal "Shyne" Barrow are
scampering to the civil rights
movement for political cover as their
gangsta personas and alleged criminal
conduct come under increasing attack.
But a bitter behind-the-scenes feud
over this "shameful alliance"—which
for several months has pitted a hardedged anti-gangsta rap crusader
against prominent black leaders and
music industry bigs—could erupt
around Combs's and Barrow's
upcoming trial in Manhattan. Barrow is
charged with attempted murder and
Combs with illegal gun possession.
Poised for a showdown is Conrad Muhammad, the self-appointed moral conscience of
hip hop, who heads the conservative group CHHANGE (Conscious Hip Hop Activism
Necessary for Global Empowerment). Muhammad, the 36-year-old former chief
minister of Nation of Islam Mosque No. 7 in Harlem, has been seething with outrage
since Reverend Al Sharpton allegedly usurped his idea for a hip hop summit
attacking rap music's violent and sexually explicit lyrics. He claims that Sharpton,
leader of the Harlem-based National Action Network, is conspiring with David Mays,
founder and publisher of The Source magazine (the bible of hip hop culture), to "use
the moral cover of the civil rights movement" to deflect criticism that gangsta rap
crosses the lines of good taste, dignity, and decency. Sharpton and nine top rappers,
including Shyne, Master P, and Queen Latifah, are featured on the cover of The
Source's February issue.
The Baptist minister hosted the first summit, held in October at his headquarters,
and participated in a second forum, on racial profiling in hip hop, at Harvard
University last month. Muhammad was infuriated because Sharpton and other black
leaders did not single out Combs and Barrow as symbols of gangsta rap's
stranglehold on the mindset of young African Americans. Muhammad, who is known
as "the hip hop minister," contends that the summit and the forum were shams that
allowed Combs and Barrow to solicit the support of high-profile black leaders who
might be called as character witnesses at their trial.
"That may be the rappers' intent, but we have not been to one of their trials," says
Sharpton. "I will not be misused, and I don't see how, by inviting these artists to a
summit, we're giving them political and moral cover." Mays did not return a Voice
call for comment.
On January 17, Combs and Barrow, along with Anthony "Wolf" Jones, Combs's
bodyguard, go on trial in state supreme court in Manhattan for a shooting at Club
New York on West 43rd Street in December 1999. Prosecutors say Barrow fired shots
that struck three people, seriously injuring one woman. Combs is charged with
possession of one of two guns police say they found after they stopped his fleeing
Lincoln Navigator. Combs and Jones also are charged with bribery.
"I'm challenging the civil rights establishment, who essentially have become hired
guns," says Muhammad, who hosts Sunday Night Live, a talk show on WBLS-FM.
"I'm going to put the spotlight on the hypocrisy of civil rights leaders who may line
up like ducks to testify for two people they haven't had a longstanding relationship
with. Two years ago, Puffy wouldn't return none of their phone calls. So the question
I am asking is, "Is the civil rights movement for rent, for sale, to the highest
bidder?"
After learning about the summit last September, Conrad Muhammad called Al
Sharpton and the two activists began to quarrel. Muhammad and Sharpton had a
rocky relationship during Muhammad's tenure at Mosque No. 7. Muhammad has
"cussed out" Sharpton and Sharpton has "cussed out" Muhammad. But Muhammad
claims that in recent months Sharpton knew he had been trying to organize a similar
gathering of hip hop's biggest stars to chastise them. He says that during their
phone conversation, he chided Sharpton for trying to shut him out of the summit.
"We had a big, big fight," Muhammad recalls. "I told him, 'If you screw me this time,
it's on between us. Don't screw me on this.' We are supposed to be brothers.' "
Sharpton, he says, had lined up his civil rights buddies, such as Martin Luther King
III of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the NAACP's Kweisi Mfume, and
Hugh Price of the National Urban League to participate. "I told him that this is my
area of expertise," Muhammad says. "I saw him as someone trying to use young
people to gain further stature in the civil rights establishment. He would say, 'Look, I
can deliver these young people.' But I challenged him. I said, 'If the Urban League,
the NAACP, and groups like the Southern Christian Leadership Conference had done
their job, we wouldn't even be talking about gangsta rap. If they failed so miserably
to address the issues of urban America, how you gonna bring them to address young
people?' " Sharpton says the majority of the activists who planned the summit did
not object to inviting the civil rights stalwarts.
Muhammad feels Sharpton is in way over his head and might unwittingly derail
attempts by him and others to curb, if not eradicate, the scourge of gangsta rap.
"You have to understand the subtleties of hip hop, which many of our older leaders
do not," he asserts. "If you're gonna work with rappers, you gotta understand that
you're not dealing with people who have been projecting positive images of
themselves or other blacks. Sharpton himself said he does not know anything about
hip hop. He said he thought Usher was an usher in somebody's church. He was
serious. You think he knows something about what these guys are saying in rap? No,
he doesn't know this stuff."
Says Sharpton: "He is right. I don't know much about hip hop, which is why we
invited him to the summit. But the summit was about racial profiling in hip hop,
which I know about. We in the civil rights movement fought against police who
racially profiled people like Amadou Diallo and Patrick Dorismond, who were
members of the hip hop generation." Muhammad says gangsta rappers are
piggybacking on the racial profiling bandwagon, sometimes proclaiming that they are
the cops' favorite targets.
Sharpton and other civil rights leaders must not be misled, he insists. Prosecutors,
according to the New York Post, are threatening to introduce Barrow's lyrics as
evidence against him. "I bang . . . and let your fuckin' brains hang, snitches," Barrow
signifies in "Bad Boyz," which was produced by Combs for his Bad Boy Records label.
"Niggas wanna bang, we could bang out/'Til the clip's done, or your vital arteries
hang out."
"When you talk about people who have projected images of themselves as ganstas
and find themselves involved in violent incidents, that's not racial profiling,"
Muhammad maintains. "If you go out and say you are a gangsta and the police trail
you, that's not profiling you—you told them you are a gangsta."
After tense negotiations with Sharpton, Muhammad's CHHANGE was selected as a
co-sponsor of the Harlem summit. There he remained true to form, lambasting
gangsta rappers, calling on them to stop writing raunchy lyrics that denigrate black
women and extol violence. "I gave them the benefit of the doubt by co-sponsoring
the first forum, but it became obvious to me at the forum that they didn't want to
address the hard issues," Muhammad complains. "Puffy and Master P came, but
neither of them addressed any of the issues that were on the table: Master P talked
about some kind of union, and Puffy just said he was happy to be there. With the
exception of speeches by myself, Erica Ford, and James Mtume, they were not
challenged."
Muhammad believes he was deliberately left out of the forum that Sharpton
participated in at Harvard (where Muhammad is completing a double master's degree
in divinity and public administration). "I wasn't notified about it," he claims. He adds
that after the Harvard forum, he was "absolutely convinced that Sharpton and David
Mays were not interested" in addressing the issue of rappers assuming "personal
responsibility" for their often criminal behavior. Sharpton says he did not organize
the forum.
"I believe they don't want certain issues raised," Muhammad says of Sharpton and
Mays. "The alliance that exists between them is an alliance of convenience because
The Source magazine has been, in many respects, one of the main purveyors of thug
culture."
Mays, who is white, has been credited in some circles with saving rap music. His
monthly glossy "magazine of hip-hop music, culture & politics" gave rappers who
were shut out of mainstream publications their own voice, while heralding the advent
of so-called hip hop journalism. Counters Muhammad: "I am saying that there are
many people in the African American community who are outraged at the fact that
The Source, which has played a destabilizing role in black popular culture, can now
hypocritically suggest that it wants to address the issue, but in a way that does not
call blue-chip rappers into account."
Conrad Muhammad, hip hop avenger, spews most of his fire at Sean "Puffy" Combs
and Jamal "Shyne" Barrow, who face lengthy prison terms if convicted. In his
opinion, Combs and his henchmen—"who are paying high-priced lawyers to get them
out of trouble"—are guilty. "They've already been found guilty in the eyes of Malcolm
X, Dr. Martin Luther King, Marcus Garvey, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, and
those who have fought hard to establish the dignity of black people," he declares.
"As for me, I'm speaking from the perspective of a black man who is bitterly angry,
and is willing to take a strong stand against rappers like Puffy and Shyne. In their
lyrics, it's pimps up, whores down, stuff that Minister Farrakhan and myself have
fought against."
But Muhammad's voice sinks at the drop of Combs's name. "I've known Puffy for
years; I've helped him in many instances," he says disappointedly. He remembers
that at the height of the so-called East Coast-West Coast feud between rappers, he
assigned scores of Fruit of Islam elite guards to watch over Combs, who was
receiving death threats from hoods tied to Marion "Suge" Knight, boss of L.A.-based
Death Row Records. "When Suge Knight was blasting through town, I sent soldiers
from Mosque No. 7 to do security for Puffy," he says.
After Death Row star Tupac Shakur was gunned down in Las Vegas in 1996, Combs
and rapper Notorious B.I.G.—who was on Combs's Bad Boy label and was Shakur's
New York rival—promised Muhammad they would attend a "hip hop day of
atonement," which Muhammad had organized to stop the killing. But as the event
attracted national attention, Combs, according to Muhammad, suddenly withdrew.
Combs allegedly went to Mosque No. 7 and pleaded with Muhammad to take him off
a roster of celebrities because his participation in the Day of Atonement could scuttle
a huge deal with music mogul Clive Davis. "It's hurting my deal," Combs reportedly
said. "Get me outta this."
A dejected Muhammad tried to convince Combs that "it was a critical time for him
and Biggie to show that they were absolutely remorseful" over the slaying. (Six
months later Biggie was killed in Los Angeles, allegedly at the behest of Knight.
Detectives previously had identified Knight as a suspect in Biggie's killing, alleging
that he may have ordered it while in jail on a parole violation. Knight's attorney
denied he ordered the killing, and Knight has not been charged. He is serving nine
years for a 1992 attack on two rappers in a recording studio.) During the ceremony,
Muhammad held his tongue, simply telling the rappers' fans they couldn't make it.
Today, Muhammad feels that Combs backed out because some people did not want
him to be associated with the Nation of Islam.
Muhammad has a message for awestruck Combs fans who mobbed the superstar last
week after a hearing delaying the start of his trial: "Our support right now should be
for the single mother who was shot in the face" in the Club New York shooting.
"That's gangsta?" asks Muhammad, scowling at a line in Shyne's lyrics. "It was a
cowardly act. So don't run back to the community of hard-working black folk and ask
us to use the civil rights movement to protect you."
The Magazine Reader
Don Diva: Rap Sheets, Rap Stars And Pinups
By Peter Carlson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, October 25, 2005; Page C01
Don Diva is a magazine that comes with a warning label -- "Parental Advisory: Gangsta
Content."
The warning is partly a come-on -- nothing attracts kids like a parental-advisory warning
-- but it's also accurate. Don Diva is a magazine a bout gangsters that is published for
gangsters -- and for wannabe gangsters, imprisoned gangsters and folks who just want to
experience the excitement of gangster life without getting shot or going to prison, which
is, alas, the fate of most of the gangsters Don Diva
profiles.
"We're really not an entertainment magazine," says
Tiffany Chiles, Don Diva's editor and publisher.
"We're really a lifestyle magazine."
Founded in 1999, Don Diva is a slick quarterly that
bills itself as "The Original Street Bible." Each
issue has two covers, one in front, one in back. The
"street cover" features a scene of gangster life: a
staged shot of kids cooking up crack cocaine, for
example, or an authentic photo of a dead Chicago
dope dealer laid out in a coffin built to resemble his
Cadillac El Dorado. The "entertainment cover"
features a rapper and is used mainly by newsstands

too squeamish to display the street cover.
Inside, Don Diva has three main editorial features:
stories about gangsters, stories about gangsta
rappers and photos of scantily clad women, most of
them shot from behind to emphasize their thongclad posteriors.
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That formula -- crime, pop culture and pinups -- is hardly new, dating back at least to the
National Police Gazette, which debuted in 1845 and kept going for more than half a
century. But Don Diva adds a modern touch: handy advice on where to hide your stash,
how to beat money-laundering charges and where to get the latest gangsta accessories,
such as diamond-studded gold teeth, portable money-counting machines and automobile
tires that keep rolling even after they've been shot.
Don Diva also publishes advice for its female readers, which boils down to: Keep your
man happy by giving him lots of hot, steamy sex. It is, of course, the same advice Cosmo
gives its readers, although Don Diva's prose tends to be a bit, um, funkier.
In its fifth anniversary issue, published last year, Don Diva bragged that it is "a magazine
that got its origin inside a prison by a prisoner." That prisoner was Kevin Chiles, who
was serving a 10-year sentence for coke dealing when he suggested to his wife, Tiffany,
that she publish a magazine about what she calls "the black underworld."
Tiffany Chiles, who has a marketing degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University in New
Jersey, says she started the magazine with money earned as a rap music promoter and
named it Don Diva to show that it was for both sexes -- dons and divas.
Now, Tiffany, 34, runs the magazine out of offices in Harlem and suburban New Jersey,
while her husband, who was released from prison in 2003, occasionally writes for the
magazine, generally on an anti-snitching theme.
I first heard of Don Diva about five years ago, from a friend who is doing time at the
women's prison in Jessup, where the magazine was eagerly passed from cell to cell.
In those days, nearly 90 percent of subscribers were inmates in prisons across the
country, Chiles says, but now only 10 percent of the roughly 150,000 copies are read by
the captive audience. Until recently, Don Diva has been sold mainly in inner-city record
stores, beauty parlors and bodegas. But with the current issue -- the magazine's 23rd -Don Diva has a new distributor and therefore should be more widely available.
The main article in the 110-page issue tells the story of the "Supreme Team," a legendary
gang of New York crack dealers. The 10-page article, written by Tiffany Chiles and
somebody named "Soulman Seth," is based on newspaper stories, court documents and
interviews with two imprisoned gang members.
"I went from making 100 dollars a week at the grocery store to a thousand dollars a day,"
says Ronald "Tuck" Tucker, now serving 14 years for his role in the operation. "As a
seventeen-year-old, my thoughts were: Why go to school when I'm making more money
than the chairman of the Board of Education?"
According to the magazine, police say the gang was riding high in the '80s, taking in
more than $200,000 a day selling crack and killing anyone who threatened its business.
But it all came crashing down in the '90s, when more than 110 gang members were
arrested, convicted and sent to the slammer.
"Prince was sentenced to 7 life sentences," Tucker says. "C-Just to 3 lifes, Big C got 2
lifes, Pookie got life, Shannon got 30 years, Bing got 19 years, Ace 15 years, Teddy 13
years and I got sentenced to 14 years."
Later, the gang's saga was recounted in a song recorded by rapper 50 Cent, a former crack
dealer who grew up in the Queens neighborhood where the gang operated.
The piece is profusely illustrated with photos of various gang members during their
heyday and in prison. There are also pictures of the gang's home turf. A picture of a
bucolic, tree-lined pond carries the caption: "Baisley Park Pond, where it is rumored that
law enforcement once drained the pond and found 10 bodies." Another picture has this
caption: "Baisley Park basketball court -- the site of many basketball tournaments. One
year a referee was beat to death for allegedly making an unfavorable call."
In addition to the "Supreme Team" piece, this issue also contains interviews with several
rappers, as well as a piece on Luis "Money L" Santiago, a former New York rap producer
who has gone into the custom-fur business. His first product was fur-lined sneakers. His
latest project is customizing his clients' fur coats by adding "diamond encrusted zippers."
Classy!
Don Diva reviews CDs and DVDs with its own unique rating system: the worst get one
gavel, meaning "misdemeanor"; real gems get four gavels, meaning "premeditated
murder"; and true masterpieces get five gavels, meaning "kingpin." Each issue has about
30 pages of ads, most for rap albums and diamond-studded gold bling.
The mag is frequently accused of glamorizing the gangsta lifestyle, Chiles says, but she
pleads innocent to that charge.
"Most of the criminals we write about end up dead or in prison," she says. "To say that's
glorifying is to say my readers are stupid. We have to shed light on things that are
happening."
She's right, of course. Only the stupid could read the story of the Supreme Team and
decide to pursue a career as a gangster. But she's dealing with the human race, a
notorious hotbed of stupidity, so it's quite likely that some readers might conclude that
becoming a gangster is their best shot at obtaining a fur coat with a diamond-encrusted
zipper.
Atlanta considers banning baggy pants
Thu Aug 23, 5:59 PM ET
ATLANTA - Baggy pants that show boxer shorts or thongs would be illegal under a proposed
amendment to Atlanta's indecency laws. The amendment, sponsored by city councilman C.T.
Martin, states that sagging pants are an "epidemic" that is becoming a "major concern" around
the country.
"Little children see it and want to adopt it, thinking it's the in thing," Martin said Wednesday. "I
don't want young people thinking that half-dressing is the way to go. I want them to think about
their future."
The proposed ordinance would also bar women from showing the strap of a thong beneath their
pants. They would also be prohibited from wearing jogging bras in public or show a bra strap,
said Debbie Seagraves, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia.
The proposed ordinance states that "the indecent exposure of his or her undergarments" would
be unlawful in a public place. It would go in the same portion of the city code that outlaws sex in
public and the exposure or fondling of genitals.
The penalty would be a fine in an amount to be determined, Martin said.
But Seagraves said any legislation that creates a dress code would not survive a court challenge.
She said the law could not be enforced in a nondiscriminatory way because it targets something
that came out of the black youth culture.
"This is a racial profiling bill that promotes and establishes a framework for an additional type of
racial profiling," Seagraves said.
Martin, who is black, said he plans to hold public hearings and vet the proposal through churches,
civil rights groups and neighborhood organizations. The proposal will get its first public airing next
Tuesday in the City Council's Public Safety Committee.
"The purpose of the paper is to generate some conversation to see if we can find a solution,"
Martin said. "It will be like all the discussions we've had around the value of the hip-hop culture.
We know there are First Amendment issues ... and some will say I'm just trying to put young
black men in jail, but it's going to be fines."
Makeda Johnson, an Atlanta mother of a 14-year-old girl, said she is glad Martin introduced the
proposal. She does not want to see a law against clothing, but said she thinks teenagers are
sending a message with a way of dressing that is based in jailhouse behavior.
Atlanta would not be the first city to take on sagging pants.
Earlier this year, the town council in Delcambre, La., passed an ordinance that carries a fine of up
to $500 or six months in jail for exposing underwear in public. Several other municipalities and
parish governments in Louisiana have enacted similar laws in recent months.
Atlanta baggy-pants ban debate drags on
By GREG BLUESTEIN, Associated Press Writer Tue Aug 28, 8:49 PM ET
ATLANTA - Striped underpants peeked out of 19-year-old Jae Cripe's outfit as she took a stand
Tuesday at an Atlanta City Council meeting next to a sign that proclaimed: "Clothes are not a
crime."
Across the crowded room, 76-year-old James Allen was making his own statement, talking about
the start of a "belt brigade" that could one day patrol the streets to urge kids to pull up their baggy
pants.
It was a snapshot of the brewing debate in Atlanta over a measure that would outlaw baggy pants
that show boxer shorts or thongs. Offenders would risk a civil penalty — likely a fine — but no jail
time, said the proposal's sponsor, councilman C.T. Martin.
"We cannot continue to allow our community standards to go astray, and not stand up," he said.
Critics have claimed the measure is a new form of racial profiling that would allow police to target
young black males who wear their pants far below the beltline.
"These are the hope of the future of young black men. They look at you as role models," resident
Kim Bryant told the panel. "Yet you'd be willing to put them in jail because they didn't wear a belt."
But if Tuesday's hearing was any indication, the divide appears to center on age, not race. The
bill's sponsors are black council members, and most of the supporters who spoke were aging
residents who peppered their speeches with anecdotes of the civil rights movement.
"I don't think we're doing our ancestors due justice for some of the things we are doing today. It's
time for us to push back," said Lonnie King, an Atlanta resident. "We cannot afford to let young
people decide what's best for our community. Young people have a lot of good ideas, but we
cannot allow them to denigrate our society."
The critics, including Cripe, a white woman who stood silently in the back of the room with her
striped underwear on display, tended to be younger.
"It should be my personal choice what to wear," said Jimmy Person, 34. "Maybe young people
should be more tasteful. But let young people decide for themselves."
R.E. Williams, a veteran Atlanta police officer, said he views the saggy pants trend as a measure
of sorts because "the lower the pants are, the lower the self-esteem."
"It's a downright disgrace to walk into a classroom with your pants around your ankles," he said.
"We need to let them know they are somebody — that they can rise above the occasion."
Atlanta would not be the first city to ban saggy pants. Earlier this year, the town council in
Delcambre, La., passed an ordinance that carries a fine as high as $500 or six months in jail for
exposing underwear in public. Several other Louisiana governments have followed suit in recent
months.
A similar proposal in Stratford, Conn., was soundly rejected this week by officials after critics
claimed it would be unconstitutional and unfairly target minorities.
The Atlanta measure will likely face another hearing before it comes to a vote, and some
sponsors say it is already starting a debate that's long overdue in the city's schools, community
centers and churches.
"If nothing else, it's a great part of a conversation we need to have," said council member Joyce
Sheperd.
TATTOO PARLOR RUN BY COPS BUSTS GANGS
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Tattoo parlor run by cops leads to major bust of Georgia gangs
Authorities even set up a MySpace page as part of the ring
ATF says big-time gangs are gaining ground outside major cities
ATF agent: "We're seeing it all over the country"
Next Article in U.S. »
AUGUSTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Walking into the Colur Tyme Tattoo Parlor is a lot like walking into a head
shop. One wall is lined with gang monikers and symbols, the other with bongs for smoking marijuana and
other drugs -- one even shaped like a skull.
The Colur Tyme Tattoo Parlor was set up by authorities to get at the heart of gang members.
1 of 2
Only this head shop was a setup. It was a police front in a sting operation to bust gangs in this Georgia river
city that most people associate with the Masters Tournament -- not violent thugs with high-powered
weapons.
Authorities said some guns sold to the shop were used in crimes just hours earlier.
The tattoo parlor was the brainchild of Richmond County Sheriff Ron Strength, who wanted to snuff out
gangs carrying out violent crimes in his east Georgia community.
The idea was to create a place where the gang members would feel right at home, said sheriff's Lt. Scott
Peebles. And that they did.
"We put the idea in their heads that there's no way these guys are in law enforcement," he said.
On Wednesday, more than 100 sheriff's officers, state investigators and agents with the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives carried out a major bust after an 18-month joint investigation into the
gang activity.
Watch cops set up tattoo parlor »
Sixty-eight suspects were arrested on charges ranging from trafficking of illegal weapons to serious drug
offenses. Authorities seized more than 300 weapons, including high-powered assault rifles.
Rich Marianos, a special agent with the ATF, said such gang activity is spreading across the nation, with
small-town gangs increasing their ties with gangs in major cities.
Tattoo this: Gangs busted
CNN's Rusty Dornin investigates the bust by local, Georgia and federal authorities on "Anderson Cooper 360."
10 p.m. ET Friday
see full schedule »
For instance, New York gangs have begun moving as far south as the Carolinas, where they set up
operations to buy and sell guns and drugs, he said.
Chicago gang activity extends more than 60 miles into the Illinois city's suburbs for narcotics and weapons
trading. In fact, Marianos said the ATF has begun seeing some Chicago gangs establishing a "pipeline" for
illegal arms more than 500 miles away in Mississippi.
"It's not just an urban problem," Marianos said. "We're seeing it all over the country."
The ATF, he said, has seen one of the most dramatic increases in gang activity in the last three years and is
cracking down.
"We want to look at a way to go after these offenders and prevent it before it happens," he said. "[We're]
making the community safer by disarming the bad guys -- not taking guns away from the American citizen,
but going after the people who shouldn't have them in the first place."
That's why setting up a tattoo parlor in Augusta was key. Strength, the Richmond County sheriff, said he
remembers when the worst crimes in these parts were lawn mower thefts and vandals pushing over
birdbaths. But those days are long gone, with gangs such as the Georgia Deadly Boys and Fairington
Gangster Thugs causing mayhem on a regular basis.
"In the past 2 1/2 years, we've noticed some major changes," he said, "with the type of criminal offenses
they were involved in."
So he devised the undercover business. The Colur Tyme Tattoo Parlor on Tobacco Road was set up on the
outskirts of Augusta. It's a location not heavily patrolled by police, but staffed 100 percent by undercover
agents.
Don't Miss
Cops find themselves in arms race
Business was slow at first, but then things took off. Gang members soon began dropping in to sell guns,
drugs and even stolen cars, authorities said. Every transaction was recorded by surveillance cameras
around the store.
Soon the shop had so much business the Richmond County Sheriff's Office had to call in reinforcements
from the ATF. Four federal agents helped the sheriff's deputies man the counters; others worked behind the
scenes.
Vanessa McLemore, ATF special agent in charge, said the teams had to coordinate their behaviors so it
seemed like they fit in the store. "They spent a lot of time together learning each other's mannerisms,
learning each other's body language. It had to be a brotherhood," she said.
On the store counter was a jar of colored markers to invite clients to write their favorite gang affiliation on the
wall. Peebles said agents used the wall for intelligence. "At the very least we got names," he said.
The shop even put up its' own MySpace page. "You think it, we ink it" was the MySpace slogan. It featured
the back of a tattooed man, and below in large red letters agents told visitors to the site, "We buy what
others won't."
Authorities said the guns came rolling in, and then came this week's bust.
"Today marks the end of one era and the beginning of another," McLemore said. "The era that is ending is
one that has brought destruction and decay to the streets of Augusta." E-mail to a friend
Posted on Fri, Nov. 30, 2007
BY NATHANIEL JONES AND CYNTHIA NEFF
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITERS
S-T/MAX FAULKNER
DeAngelo Cortez Morton, who is being held in the Tarrant County Jail, says his parents are mad
because they might never see him again.

Jailhouse interview with DeAngelo Morton
DeAngelo Cortez Morton headed to Sam Houston High School's homecoming game in
September looking for a fight.
He never made it to the southeast Arlington school. But later that night, Morton and fellow
members of the Untamed Gorillas gang, aka UTG, clashed with rivals. The melee ended with one
Arlington youth dead and three others injured.
Police later arrested Morton, a former Lamar High School student, in the shooting death of
Quintarick Wilson, 18, a Sam Houston senior who played football and basketball.
Sitting in the Tarrant County Jail on Thursday, Morton, 19, said he shot Wilson and wounded
three others, but he said it was in self-defense. "I was trying to shoot all of them," Morton told the
Star-Telegram. "I was trying to save myself."
Morton, in his jail-issued green jumpsuit, spoke extensively about the Sept. 15 shooting, which he
says he regrets. "I wouldn't want my mama goin' through what [Wilson's family] are going
through," he said.
He also said that not taking his antipsychotic medicine, which had been prescribed for him since
elementary school, added to his aggressive behavior that night.
He said the medicine prevents him from "seeing and hearing things that aren't there."
Morton, who has not been indicted, could be sentenced to life in prison if he is convicted in the
shooting.
Homecoming night
Sam Houston High School students were gathered for their homecoming football game Sept. 14
when Morton and his fellow UTG members headed to the campus, home of the rival F--- Your
Clique gang. He did not say how many people were with him.
A traffic stop derailed their arrival.
A police officer stopped and searched their green Ford Explorer near Sherry Street and warned
them to stay away from the school, Morton said.
Morton and his friends abandoned their plans to attend the game. But then, Morton said, he and
his friends received a call from a female acquaintance who told them about a party on Prairie Hill
Lane.
At the party, Morton said, a rival FYC gang member began "set tripping" -- shouting gang slogans
-- at his friend's "baby mama." After coming to her defense, "we just started fighting," he said.
At some point, Morton was matched up with Wilson, who had quarreled with him at least twice
before, according to Morton. Morton said Wilson had beaten him with a baseball bat a year earlier
near Arlington High School.
Morton said he saw Wilson with a gun, so "I started shooting."
Morton said he bought the gun used to kill Wilson off the streets for his protection. He said he has
carried a gun since he was 12.
According to arrest warrant affidavits, UTG members announced their arrival at the party by
shouting "UTG." FYC members responded and challenged them to a fight, the affidavits say.
Witnesses said Morton pulled out a 40-caliber semiautomatic pistol and fired several shots,
according to affidavits. It's unclear whether any other gun was involved in the shooting.
Wilson's mother, Tretobia Sharkey, did not return calls Thursday seeking comment. Sharkey said
in October that her son was not involved in a gang.
The aftermath
Police have also arrested Damarcus Xavier Farrar, 19, of North Richland Hills; Martez Taylor, 19,
of Arlington; Anthony "Buck" Ware, 18, of Arlington; and Bentrail Wesley Wash, 18, of Arlington in
connection with the Sept. 15 shooting. Two unnamed juveniles were also arrested.
All are facing charges of engaging in organized criminal activity and are being held. If convicted,
they could be sentenced to life in prison.
Ware was the only other suspect who agreed to talk to the Star-Telegram. Ware said Thursday
that he did not see the Sept.15 shooting, though he attended the party with Morton. He said he
left UTG months before the shooting happened.
Father of 3 children
Morton, who moved to Arlington in 1998 from Oklahoma City, said his family moved to Texas
because life in Oklahoma had gotten rough. Tattoos on his forearms read "OKC" and "405," an
area code for central Oklahoma.
He said his parents are "mad because they may not ever see their son again."
Morton attended Lamar High School, though he did not graduate, according to Morton and school
district officials. He said he worked in the stock room of Jones New York at Grapevine Mills Mall.
An employee at the store said Thursday that Morton no longer works at the store and declined to
comment.
Morton said he has three children: A 1-year-old, a 9-month-old and a newborn.
Morton said UTG started as a rap group of Lamar High School students about five years ago.
Morton said at least 50 to 60 UTG members hang out at Six Flags Over Texas, area malls and
skating rinks.
"Morton said gunplay between the gangs had become more frequent.
He said UTG members, whose colors are green and black, have a strong reputation of winning
fights.
"We prove ourselves by fighting," he said.
"When we fight, we're going to win regardless of what it takes."
The case
Quintarick Wilson, 18, was fatally shot and three others were wounded Sept. 15 at a residence in
the 3000 block of Prairie View Lane in Arlington in an incident police said involved rival gangs.
Seven people, including two juveniles, have been arrested in connection with Wilson's death.
The victim
Friends and family of Wilson, a senior at Sam Houston High School, described him as an "allaround player" who was on the football, basketball and baseball teams. They also said he was
serious about his education and had planned to go to college. One of the suspects arrested in his
death told police that he recognized Wilson as a rival gang member. Tretobia Sharkey, Wilson's
mother, told the Star-Telegram in October that her son was not involved in a gang.
The suspects
Damarcus Xavier Farrar, 19, North Richland Hills was arrested Nov. 20. Farrar is being held in
the Arlington Jail. Court records show that he has previous arrests on accusations of theft,
evading arrest and unauthorized use of a vehicle.
DeAngelo Cortez Morton, 19, of Arlington was arrested Sept. 15 and faces one count of murder
and three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He told police that he recognized
Wilson as a rival gang member who had fired at him in a July 9 altercation between the gangs,
according to the affidavits. Morton is being held in the Tarrant County Jail.
Martez Taylor, 19, surrendered to authorities Oct. 3 and faces charges of engaging in organized
crime. Taylor is being held in the Tarrant County Jail.
Anthony "Buck" Ware, 18, of Arlington was arrested in late September on suspicion of engaging
in organized crime-murder, a first-degree felony, and three counts of aggravated assault with a
deadly weapon. Ware is being held in the Arlington Jail.
Bentrail Wesley Wash, 18, of Arlington was arrested in late September on suspicion of engaging
in organized crime-murder and three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He is
being held in the Arlington Jail.
Two unnamed juveniles were also arrested.
Other incidents
Oct. 28: Three teens were shot at a Halloween party in the 400 block of English Trail, near
Mansfield. Sheriff's officials said the incident is gang-related, based on what witnesses told
investigators.
July 9: Richard Wayne Dowell, 19, was shot to death in the 3400 block of South Watson Road.
No arrests have been made. The shooting was one incident in a feud between rival criminal street
gangs, according to arrest warrant affidavits related to Wilson's death.
Sources: Star-Telegram archives, Arlington police, jail records
njones@star-telegram.com
NATHANIEL JONES, 817-548-5414 CYNTHIA NEFF, 817-548-5421
Posted on Thu, Dec. 06, 2007
The last of the defendants arrested in a drugtrafficking roundup in May 2006 in southeast
Fort Worth was sentenced Wednesday.
BY BRYON OKADA
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER

One neighborhood. Drugs and guns galore. Forty-one gangsters, busted.

Crime Time blog
FORT WORTH -- He called himself Tee.
He was a dealer from the west side of Fort Worth who sold dope near Texas Christian University.
He could foot the bill for big purchases if need be. But his supplier had just been taken down by
the cops, so he needed a new source. That was April 2005, when he started hanging around a
tightly knit east Fort Worth neighborhood controlled by the Crips, talking to the crack dealers on
the street.
Tee never acted the part of a gang member -- he was just a businessman. Suppliers were
suspicious at first. But over the next year, Tee became a regular buyer in the neighborhood, and
as he was introduced to leaders higher in the gang's chain of command -- Michael "MD" Lewis,
Kelvin "Lil K" Spencer and Bertrand "Bee Bee" Bell -- he found that they were mostly
businessmen, too.
"They were very smart," he said. "They were businessmen. I could call Bertrand Bell at 6:30 in
the morning and he'd be doing business. The top people were not drug users. They drove
average-looking vehicles. The people drawing attention to them get busted. These guys were
smarter than that."
The operation
Lookouts were posted near the two entrances to the small neighborhood -- called the Fish Bowl -on the western edge of Cobb Park, bounded by Colvin Street, Belzise Terrace, Glen Garden
Drive and South Riverside Drive. If cops came near, any guns and drugs on the street would
quickly disappear.
But Tee could walk in and do business. And after a while, other crack dealers would vouch for
him, and true to his word, when larger amounts of drugs were available, he had the money to
make the buys.
Lewis supplied the cocaine -- about 20 kilograms a week -- that eventually made its way to the
street. He rarely if ever touched his product.
Corey "Blue" Holmes made the deliveries to the Fish Bowl, and once there, it was cooked into
crack by Bell and Spencer, according to court testimony.
There were days when as many as 30 dealers would stand on the sidewalk, or at the corner of
Talton Avenue and Belzise Terrace, selling to regulars. Local cops said the neighborhood was
"anti-police" and considered impenetrable to surprise raids.
Only regulars could buy. Street dealers stood along the blocks to make sure drugs were divided
evenly. Customers would drive down the street and signal to the dealers. Street dealers would
come to the car and take an order. Someone else would retrieve the drugs from the nearby
woods or from behind one of the houses on the block. Another person usually delivered the drugs
to the car.
Several drug houses were set up in the Fish Bowl and the nearby Poly area, where the users
could go after making their buys. Prostitutes, who were typically users as well, were often on
hand to service the dealers, trading tricks for dope. Although the gang leaders tended to avoid
using drugs, they joined in with the street dealers in partaking of the prostitutes.
But on May 17, 2006, the massive operation came to an end. In a roundup by federal and local
law enforcement officers, 18 people were arrested on drug-trafficking warrants. The early busts
netted 25 guns and $1 million in drugs. In the coming days, there were more arrests.
The prosecution
The FBI had been called in months before, extending the Fort Worth Police Department's
resources.
And Tee, it turned out, was an undercover Fort Worth police officer named Tegan Broadwater.
Evidence gathered by Broadwater and the FBI during his 13 months undercover would be central
to the federal government's prosecutions.
About half the warrants in the case were for people who did not live in the Fish Bowl.
Court testimony during the trials and sentencings -- beginning with Bell on Oct. 13, 2006 -indicated that information was passing between defendants through go-betweens and relatives.
Threats were exchanged, and it became known that anyone who testified against someone else
could expect harsh reprisals once in prison. Bell was stabbed in a Beaumont prison. He was
subsequently moved to another prison. (In prison lingo, informants are "given the jacket,"
meaning they can't remove the label of snitch.) Although Fish Bowl defendants were scattered to
various federal prisons, retribution was common because of the vast network of Crips.
On Wednesday, nearly 19 months after the first round of arrests, U.S. District Judge Terry Means
sentenced Holmes, 25, to time served, concluding the lengthy federal prosecution of Operation
Fish Bowl. Holmes, who was described as a go-between for criminals higher up in the drugtrafficking chain, had been in federal custody since January 2006. In addition, Holmes and his
family were threatened repeatedly because of his cooperation with prosecutors.
"I'm just concerned for the safety of my family," a relative of Holmes told Means on Wednesday.
The family has moved.
Although his federal sentence has been served, Holmes remains in custody pending the outcome
of a state case.
The 41 Fish Bowl sentences total 629 years, 7 months and one life sentence. Information
gathered for the federal prosecution during the past 19 months resulted in nine cold-case
homicides being investigated and some being prosecuted in state court.
In May, Broadwater, who was moved to the FBI's Violent Crimes Task Force, was recognized by
the Fort Worth Police Department as Officer of the Year.
THE FISH BOWL
The small neighborhood, about three miles southeast of downtown Fort Worth, had two wellguarded entrances and was considered impenetrable to surprise raids.
Fish Bowl leaders
Lewis was the main supplier of cocaine to the east side. Bell and Spencer ran the Fish Bowl
operations. Bell provided drugs to the street dealers to sell to their customers. Spencer and a
cohort rented a house on Belzise Terrace to distribute marijuana and crack cocaine.
Lookouts posted
Anyone turning onto Colvin Street would be spotted by a lookout with a walkie-talkie cell phone.
Anyone entering at the intersection of Belzise Terrace and Glen Garden Drive would be spotted
before reaching the blocks where the drugs were sold.
Dope market
Although street dealers sold to customers along nearby streets as well, this corner was the most
popular spot. Many Fish Bowl cases were based on undercover deals made here. "That was
basically the 7-Eleven of dope," Fort Worth police officer Darrell Cleveland said.
FISH BOWL SENTENCES
The defendants in Operation Fish Bowl were convicted mostly on drug-trafficking charges:
Detroit "Lil Nut" Hines: Life
Howard "TT" Taylor: 60 years
Michael "OG Mike" Holt: 40 years
John "Blacc" Broadus: 30 years
Isaac "Gooch" Fountain: 30 years
Bertrand "Bee Bee" Bell: 20 years
Lawrence "Winkey" Carey: 20 years
Anthony "Lil Ant" Conley: 20 years
Mark "Big Dog" Driver: 20 years
Darryl "No Nut" Hines: 20 years
Michael "MD" Lewis: 20 years
Louis "Youngsta" Moody: 20 years
Aundra "Cookie" Taylor: 20 years
Kenneth "Lil Crazy" Walker: 20 years
Derrick "DWood" Woodard: 20 years
Aaron Wooden: 20 years
Ali Mitchell: 19 years, 7 months
Tony "Lala" Wadley: 19 years, 7 months
DeAngelo "Duck" Bell: 15 years, 8 months
Tony "T-Cag" Collins: 15 years, 8 months
Matthew "Junior" Dillard: 15 years, 6 months
Orlando "Gator" Howard: 15 years
Kelvin "Lil K" Spencer: 15 years
Princel "Bubba" Williams: 13 years
Aaron "A.T." Temple: 12 years, 6 months
Fedrick Moore: 11 years, 8 months
Gary "Gangsta" Wright: 11 years
Cleonard "Monk" Davis: 10 years
Valree Hartin: 10 years
Larry "187" White: 10 years
Reginald "Reggie" Harris: 9 years
Roderick "Big Rod" Howard: 8 years, 4 months
Gary "Lil Gary" Marshall: 7 years, 10 months
James "Woo" Wooden: 6 years
David "David Wayne" Page: 5 years, 10 months
Bobby "Man" Watkins: 5 years, 6 months
Miki "Smokey" Espinoza: 4 years
Calvin "C" Smith: 3 years
DeMarcus "Lil Cuzz" Penix: 2 years
Kristal Simpson: 2 years
Corey "Blue" Holmes: 1 year, 11 months
Cocaine in America
1. Texas is the leading entry point for cocaine in the United States.
2. Cocaine production is believed to be increasing because new coca fields have been
discovered in Colombia and because record seizures have not resulted in cocaine shortages.
(Colombia is the source of nearly 70 percent of the world's pure cocaine. In 2005, an estimated
545 metric tons were produced.)
3. Cocaine shipments to the United States are primarily through Mexico and are handled by
Mexican drug-traffickers such as the Gulf Cartel and The Alliance. Several Mexican organizations
are in violent dispute over smuggling routes. Although most of the confrontations are in Mexico,
some have spilled into South Texas. Such groups have technology, weapons and
communications equal or superior to federal, state and local law enforcement.
4. U.S. law officers seized an estimated 234 metric tons of cocaine in transit in 2005.
5. Mexican, Colombian and African-American drug-trafficking organizations and criminal groups
are the prime distributors of cocaine in the southwest United States, which includes Texas.
Sources: Justice Department, National Drug Threat Assessment 2007, High Intensity Drug
Trafficking Area Drug Market Analysis (South Texas), May 2007
BRYON OKADA, 817-390-7752
okada@star-telegram.com
COMMENTARY: BLACK MEN MUST RECLAIM OUR CHILDREN
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Martin: Nearly 70 percent of black kids are born to unmarried parents
Martin: Black fathers need to stay on the scene, build relationships with kids
Martin: We also should be telling black women not to lie down with any fool
(CNN) -- As the mug shots of the alleged killers of NFL star Sean Taylor were shown on television, I kept
wondering when we were going to see their parents step forward. I saw a couple of mothers, but their dads
were missing in action.
Roland Martin credits two strong parents with raising him to do right by them.
Dads matter, and it's ridiculous for us to act as if all it takes is a loving mom.
Now, I don't know what it means not to have a father in your life. I'm not familiar with a mom being strung out
on a crack binge. And when my parents were called to the school when there was a discipline problem,
Mom and Dad didn't go off on the teacher or principal. In fact, I can still feel the pain of my elementary
school principal's paddle being applied to my butt when I acted a fool. The principal could only pop me three
times. Dad? He had no limit.
Bottom line: I can sit here today and celebrate them and enjoy a wonderful life because my parents were
hell-bent on raising their children to do right by them, especially my dad.
We can spend all day talking about the ills afflicting urban America -- and there are plenty that are
institutional -- but the decaying value of life in inner cities clearly can be traced to the exodus of fathers from
the lives of so many young men. Excuses often are tossed about as to why black men leave their children
(and their children's moms) to fend for themselves. But a lot of them are just sorry and refuse to accept the
responsibility that comes with raising a child.
A lot of my colleagues will suggest it's too simplistic to assign such a high value to a dad being in the life of a
child. But just take a visit to your local jail, juvenile hall or state prison. You likely will be confronted with a
sea of black men -- strong, able-bodied, creative and restless -- who have spent or will spend years and
years with a prison number identifying who they are.
According to the U.S. Justice Department, of all the black men in the U.S. between the ages of 25 and 29 in
2002, 10.4 percent were incarcerated. Hispanic and white men? Just 2.4 percent and 1.2 percent
respectively. If a poll were done on how many grew up without fathers, I can guarantee you the numbers
would be staggering.
Don't Miss
Martin: Colleges block black coaches
Martin: A few states shouldn't decide presidency
The rampant poverty that exists has led many young blacks to a life of crime, choosing to sell drugs and
involve themselves in gangs as opposed to focusing on education as a way out of the cellar of life.
But you see, when nearly 70 percent of black kids are born to unmarried parents, likely to a too-young mom,
that puts tremendous pressure on grandmothers (and some grandfathers), sisters and brothers to take up
the slack. But if the person who impregnated that woman were on the scene, not only helping to pay for the
raising of the child but also serving as a strong influence, I just don't believe we would see such a chronic
condition.
And the black men who have done their job are scared to death about what the tendency for black men to
leave relationships means for their daughters.
The day before leaving for vacation, I got word that a good friend, Chicago attorney Reynaldo Glover, had
died of pancreatic cancer.
He was 64.
In our last extensive conversation before he was diagnosed in July, Reynaldo pleaded with me to use my
national media stage to be a voice to sound the alarm about what's happening to black men in America,
because he wanted to know that his daughter would have a respectable man to marry one day. (I'm sure if
she chose to marry someone who's not black, Reynaldo wouldn't mind, but he realized that as a nation, we
mostly marry within our race.)
I promised Reynaldo that I would do all I can, because this has been an issue for me for many years. In fact,
my mom gets angry because I'm always talking about my dad on television, radio and in my books. That's
because when you see black men who have "made it," the accolades are plenty for their moms, and their
dads are hardly mentioned. I just think it's critical to show daddy some love, too.
This is not an issue that black America can continue to sweep under the rug. I've heard countless folks talk
about it, such as Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, who noted that his dad left his
family when he was a toddler and didn't see much of him growing up. Even in the Republican CNN-YouTube
debate, GOP candidate Mitt Romney said fathers are part of the answer to addressing crime in inner cities.
We shouldn't shame our young girls who get pregnant, but surely it shouldn't be seen as a blue-ribbon day.
Teenage black girls and black boys should be focused on picking colleges, not the names of babies. When a
young girl wants a baby christened, her pastor should be asking to meet with the father as well, even if the
two don't get along. We also should be telling black women not to lie down with any fool. A moment of
pleasure could lead you to a lifetime of raising that child. Alone.
A friend of mine suggested more black men need to mentor young black men. I agree. But that's a bandage.
If we get black men to handle their business in the first place, no one else would have to stand in the gap.
Unless black America owns up to this problem -- and fast -- we are going to see another generation of young
black men who are angry with their lot in life. And the result will be more discipline problems in school, which
will lead to folks dropping out, and that is nothing but a one-way ticket to jail.
Black men, it's time to man up. Enough with the sperm donors. We need real men to stand up and accept
their responsibility. The state of our boys is on us. And no one else.
Roland S. Martin is a nationally award-winning journalist and CNN contributor. Martin is studying to receive
his master's degree in Christian communications at Louisiana Baptist University, and he is the author of
"Listening to the Spirit Within: 50 Perspectives on Faith." You can read more of his columns at
www.rolandsmartin.com.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer. E-mail to a friend
18th Street
California's Most Violent Export
by Investigator Al Valdez
Orange County District Attorney's Office
California has experienced street gang
problems for more than 70 years.
Professionals who work with Hispanic
street gangs should take the time to
examine street gang history. Many
current gang activities and rivalries can
be traced back to the origins of specific
gangs. One gang which particularly
warrants study is the 18th Street gang.
Because of its growth and recruitment
patterns from the 1960s until present, the
18th Street gang is one of the largest,
most well-known Hispanic street gangs
in the nation.
18th Street has extended its reach well beyond the Los Angeles area, and expanded into
many other states, Mexico, and Canada during the 1990s. Law enforcement officers have
encountered 18th Street members in central and northern California, Alaska, Washington,
Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Nebraska, Iowa,
Illinois, Georgia, and on Native American lands. The membership of 18th Street in
California alone is estimated by law enforcement officers at more than 30,000.
Intelligence information indicates that there may be as many as 30 different
subsets/cliques of 18th Street in California. This huge membership is the result of a
massive 18th Street recruitment program in the early 1990s, which also resulted in the
expansion of 18th Street to many western and Midwestern states.
HISTORY
The 18th Street gang was formed in the 1960s. According to Sergeant Richard Valdemar,
of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, the 18th Street gang had its origins in
racial prejudice. During the 1960s, the Clanton Street gang, a well-established Hispanic
street gang, was in its second generation. Youth in the local neighborhood wanted to join
the gang, but the membership of Clanton Street was limited to those youth who were
American citizens from a pure Hispanic background. Youth who were undocumented
immigrants or of mixed ancestry were not allowed to join the gang. Although turned
away by Clanton Street, these juveniles still participated in criminal activities. Like many
young juvenile offenders, they were arrested and sent to juvenile detention facilities.
While in these facilities, their membership to Clanton Street was denied. As a result,
these youth from the Clanton Street neighborhood formed their own gang. A young man,
nicknamed "Glover," was in a detention facility, and started to recruit mixed-race youth
to form a gang. These youth were the original members of 18th Street. According to
Sergeant Valdemar, the young man who started the Clanton Street Throw-aways lived on
18th Street, just four blocks away from the Clanton Street gang. The new gang adopted
the name of his street. This street was located an area now known as the Rampart section
of Los Angeles.
The 18th Street gang was the first Hispanic gang to break the racial membership barrier.
This willingness to step across racial lines allowed rapid and unchecked growth in the
gang's membership, which was largely composed of immigrants and multi-racial youths.
18th Street also recruited heavily from the populations of illegal immigrants entering the
United States from Mexico and South/Central America. Although primarily composed of
Hispanics, some cliques of 18th Street have recruited African Americans, Asians,
Caucasians, and Native Americans. Some tagger crews who operated within 18th Street
territory were also actively recruited, but only if the crews had a reputation for violence.
For example, West Side 18th Street "jumped in" 50 members of a tagger crew known as
KWS, Kings With Style. KWS members were known by law enforcement to be involved
in robbery, assaults, drive-by shootings, and murder.
Uniquely, the 18th Street gang members, though primarily turf-oriented, also travel to
other areas and states for membership recruitment and illegal activities. This tendency to
travel explains 18th Street's wide-scale presence in many different states. However, while
18th Street members have dispersed the gang through relocation and targeted recruitment,
the overall research on gangs still supports the idea that most gangs are indigenous to
their areas of origination. Very few gangs send members out of state to recruit new
members and to establish new cliques or sets of their gang. The 18th Street gang was the
first Hispanic street gang to do this. Law enforcement intelligence supports the
assumption that some of these recruits have been sent out with a specific purpose. At one
time, intelligence indicated that "tagger crews" that were jumped in to 18th Street became
"tax" collectors, enforcers, and narcotics distributors.
CRIMINAL ACTIVITY
Like most gangs, 18th Street is involved in many types of criminal activities, including
auto theft, carjacking, drive-by shootings, drug sales, arms trafficking, extortion, rape,
murder for hire, and murder. National and international drug trafficking seems to be 18th
Street's main criminal activity. Intelligence indicates that 18th street has established ties
with the Mexican and Columbian drug cartels, which has impacted the Southwest border
states in particular. Because of the large amount of drugs which 18th Street distributes
and sells, the gang also has ties to the Mexican Mafia prison gang and many black street
gangs. The connection between 18th Street and drug activity appears strong. Members
18th Street may also conceal their membership status, which may make prosecuting 18th
Street drug cases more difficult. This gang also has been known to market "rock"
cocaine, marijuana, tar heroin, and methamphetamine. As the methamphetamine market
continues to expand across the United States, it can be expected that 18th Street's street
presence will similarly expand, leading to encounters with 18th Street in areas of the U.S.
which have not previously seen this gang.
Tax collection is another area of criminal activity where 18th Street is well established.
Typically, in an area that is claimed as territory by 18th Street, gang members will collect
a tax from any business: legitimate or criminal. The potential taxpayers include street
vendors, shop owners, prostitutes, and drug dealers, as well as the businesses which exist
in the neighborhood. Members of 18th Street then threaten to kill any individual who
refuses to pay the tax. In 1994 alone, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office
prosecuted 30 murders that were the result of hits made by 18th Street gang members for
failure to pay taxes.
As law enforcement puts pressure on the drug and violent criminal activities, some 18th
Street gang members have become involved in non-violent criminal enterprises such as
creating fraudulent Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS) identification cards,
immigration papers, credit cards, bus passes, and even food stamps. The gang was once
active in the cellular telephone cloning market, but this activity is on the decline due to
the introduction of digital cellular telephone service.
CHARACTERISTICS
Members of 18th Street frequently adorn their bodies with tattoos. The most common
tattoo is that of the number 18 (XVIII). The tattoos can be located anywhere on the body,
and some members will cover their entire body with 18th Street tattoos, including placing
an 18 on their foreheads or above their eyebrows. The number "666" can also be used to
represent 18th Street. The tattoos also might indicate the clique of 18th Street to which
the individual belongs.
18th Street gang members wear many types of clothing. The colors most often seen are
brown or black pants and a white T-shirt. Some 18th Street gang members also wear
clothing from professional sports teams. The presence of 18th Street in a new community
is usually discovered when graffiti appears. 18th Street uses graffiti to mark their turf, in
the same manner used by most traditional Hispanic street gangs.
TRENDS
Some cliques of 18th Street have access to their own arsenal of weapons. Therefore,
many law enforcement officers consider 18th Street gang members to be armed and
dangerous during every encounter. Some 18th Street gang members in Los Angeles have
access to automatic weapons, including Tech 9s, Mac 10s, Mac 11s, and AK-47s. It is
common for 18th Street gang members to be armed with .25 and .380 caliber handguns,
so caution should be used during field contacts. The 18th Street gang, as a whole, has a
reputation for being extremely violent and ruthless. The possession and use of firearms
only adds to this reputation.
Some cliques of 18th Street seem to be evolving to a higher level of sophistication and
organization. This is probably due to connections the gang has maintained with the
Mexican and Columbian drug cartels. Law enforcement projections and intelligence
indicate that 18th Street gang membership will continue to grow, especially outside of
California as new drug markets are established. The gang's propensity for violence is also
expected to increase.
18th Street is often referred to as the "Children's Army" due to its recruitment of
elementary and middle-school aged youth. The gang specializes in early indoctrination to
the rules of the gang with these young members, who are told that leaving the gang will
result in their death or the deaths of their loved ones. Thus, the gang's influence on its
members is profound. One mother, during interviews with criminal justice professionals
working with her young son, stated: "A boss from 18th Street calls my son and tells him
what to do." Her son, a juvenile, had tattooed the number 18 on his forehead. She further
stated: "Los Angeles gang members are not like [other] gang members. [The Los Angeles
gang members] are more ruthless, commit more murders, deal more drugs." Her son told
his probation officer: "I cannot avoid associations with other 18th Street gang members
because they call me all the time, and if I don't go with them, they will say I am a ranker.
There are rules you have to follow. There is only one way out, and that's in a body bag."
Al Valdez is currently employed as a District Attorney Investigator for Orange County, California. Valdez
has a total of 21 years of experience with a special emphasis on narcotic and gang investigations and
prosecutions. Currently, he is assigned to the North County T.A.R.G.E.T. (Tri-Agency Resource Gang
Enforcement Team) Gang Unit for Orange County.
Almighty Latin Kings
Almighty Latin King Nation
By Detective Wes Daily, Jr.
Suffolk County Police Department
HISTORY
The Latin Kings are the oldest and largest Hispanic gang in Chicago. In the mid 1970s,
this gang originated in two Hispanic communities within Chicago: South Chicago and the
Humboldt Park area. Later, additional factions of this gang developed in almost every
Hispanic community in Chicago. Originally, this gang developed as a traditional street
gang. Their main desire was to protect their neighborhood or turf. Occasionally, they
would do battle with rival street gangs from other neighborhoods. During these battles,
the Latin Kings developed a reputation as a very violent street gang. This reputation is
still with them today.
The Almighty Latin King Nation (ALKN) started in the New York City prison system at
Rikers Island. They have grown from a prison gang into a street gang in recent years.
Presently, the Latin Kings are one of the fastest growing street gangs in New York City;
they actively recruit young people from the age of 8 and up. Frequently, the recruitment
takes place within schools and is directed to both males and females. Factions of this
gang have spread throughout New York City correctional facilities and are now a strong
gang within all five boroughs.
The Latin King nation (LKN, ALKN, ALKQN) on the East Coast has affiliations with
Latin King members in Chicago, and ALKN members use the terms ALKN and LK
interchangeably.
The Kings have been found to have factions in cities in Connecticut, New Jersey, Illinois,
Wisconsin, Iowa, Indiana, and Florida. ALKN has a population base of mostly Hispanic
members. There has a been a movement by the Latin Kings nationally to recruit white
youths, and the formation of a predominantly white faction of the LK on the southwest
side of Chicago is a good example of this trend.
STREET CULTURE
Most of the Latin Kings are proud of their gang affiliation and will display this pride by
wearing a Latin King tattoo or other gang identifier. The main identifying paraphernalia
of the Latin Kings is the color of their clothing, black and gold. Additionally, they may
wear beads which are black and gold; the beads, worn around the neck, may be less
frequently observed than the actual wearing of black and gold clothing. The colors, black
and gold, have long been associated with this gang. The ALKN uses black and gold in
graffiti. They wear the colors in their clothing, and the colors are represented at the gang's
funerals. As law enforcement has become more adept at identification of ALKN
members, the ALKN has resorted to other forms of identification. Tattoos and a
medallion, known as "la Virgin," worn inside the clothing, have become alternate forms
of identification. Kings use hand signs and unique jargon to communicate, as well.
The logo or emblem of the Latin Kings, frequently observed in graffiti, can be readily
observed on school books and written on clothing. ALKN graffiti typically includes a 3or 5-point crown with two pitchforks (crossed, with the tines pointed down). Properly
painted, the emblem usually contains the letter "L" on the left side of the crown, and the
letter "K" on the right side of the crown. The graffiti may also include a combination of
words written around the emblem, most frequently "amor de rey," (love to the king) or
the letters ADR. Tattoos typically include a 3- or 5-pointed crown, five dots, five-pointed
star, cross, or the head of a king wearing a crown (referred to as "The Master"). Most
Mexican factions of the Kings will utilize a five-pointed crown, while most Puerto Rican
factions of the gang use a 3-pointed crown.
The street culture of this gang, like many other gangs which originated in Chicago,
blends criminal activity with religious mysticism. The ALKN commonly uses a fist over
the heart to represent: "I will die for you, for you are flesh of my flesh, blood of my
blood, son of my mother who is the universal nature and follower of Yahve, who is the
Almighty King of Kings." This gesture also represents love, strength and sacrifice. A
common prayer utilized by the ALKN states:
Almighty Father, King of Kings, hear us as we come before you, one body, mind, and
soul, true wisdom, knowledge and understanding. Give us strong brown wisdom, for we
realize you are the best and wisest of all seeing eyes.
The Kings refer to female members as "Queens." When a Latin King blends his life with
a particular woman, regardless of her distant association with the Kings Nation, she
becomes a Queen by law. When a Latin King and Queen blend their lives together, and
bring a child into the world, the child automatically becomes a prince or princess of the
ALKN.
The ALKN operate using a constitution. The Nation Constitution establishes the 10
Commandments for ALKN members, the Royalties of the ALKN, and the guidelines for
establishing a chapter of the gang. The leadership at the Nation's top level utilize titles,
with the High Holy Inca in the primary leadership role. The second in command is known
as the Supreme Caciqua, and the third in command is called the Royal Crown. The chain
of command for the chapter level is also very explicit. Every chapter refers to their
primary leader as the Crown, and the second in command is also called a Crown. Below
the Crowns are the warlord and the enforcer (though in some chapters these roles are
combined). Most chapter constitutions also provide for a treasurer, secretary and
ambassador. The Nation Constitution gives each chapter the right to establish Senior,
Junior, Little Midget and Pee Wee Latin Kings groups within the chapter, as well as a
Latin Queen group. As a general rule, the Latin Kings use the name "Kings" and prefix it
with the street name of their location to form their faction's name, as in Brentwood Latin
Kings.
Violent behavior is the hallmark of the Latin Kings; they are also involved in the sale of
drugs, weapons trafficking, and providing protection. As a result of the many ALKN
gang leaders who have been incarcerated, the leadership of this gang still has the ability
to orchestrate rules and policies from within the prison system. Because the Kings are
one of the largest and most violent Hispanic street gangs, they are constantly being
challenged by other street gangs. This rivalry manifests itself in street violence, with the
Kings playing roles as both victims and perpetrators. Payback and anniversary dates of
the deaths of gang members provide year-round opportunities for ALKN members to
engage in violent acts.
Copyright © 2000 Wes Daily. All Rights Reserved.
Detective Wes Daily works for the Suffolk County Police Department. He is a founding
member of the East Coast Gang Investigators Association, of which he is presently the
president; and also serves as the president of the National Alliance of Gang Investigator
Associations.
ICE-LED LOCAL ENFORCEMENT OPERATION ARRESTS 121 GANG
MEMBERS AND ASSOCIATES
THESE LATEST ARRESTS UNDER OPERATION COMMUNITY SHIELD
REPRESENT MEMBERS OF 27 LOCAL STREET GANGS
DALLAS — Federal agents with the U.S. Immigration and
Customs Enforcement (ICE) office here, in partnership with other
federal and local law enforcement agencies, arrested 121 violent
street gang members during a seven-day local enforcement action
that ended early Sunday morning.
These are the latest arrests under an ICE program called “Operation Community Shield,”
a comprehensive ongoing national initiative launched in February 2005 to disrupt and
dismantle violent street gangs in the United States. Operation Community Shield takes
advantage of ICE’s immigration and customs authorities in a combined, national
campaign against street gang members, many of whom are aliens and are eligible for
deportation.
Nationally, these efforts have resulted in the arrest of more than 4,500 members of 532
different gangs. Those arrested under Operation Community Shield are either prosecuted
criminally or removed from the country through immigration proceedings.
Those arrested during this latest Operation Community Shield action include members of
the following 27 local street gangs: 18th St., 28th St., Asian Boyz, Brown Pride,
Diamond Hill, Eastside Homeboys, Eastside Locos, FTH, Fort Worth 28 Pride, How
High Crew, Junior Homeboyz, Latin Kings, Love Field Players, Mexican Klan Locos,
Mexican Mafia, MS-13, Neighborhood Crips, Northside Friends, Northside Locos, Puro
Loco Mexicanos, Puro Tango Blast, Riverside 13, Sureno 13, True Bud Smokers, Valgos
18, Varrio Northside and Westside 12.
“Working in close partnership with federal and local law enforcement agencies, we
removed from our communities many fugitive criminals and violent street gang
members,” said John Chakwin Jr., special agent-in-charge of the ICE Office of
Investigations in Dallas. “Since most of these gang members illegally reside in the
United States, they are also being processed for deportation. Some have already been
returned to their countries of origin.”
U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper, Northern District of Texas, said, “Operation
Community Shield has a proven track record in finding and arresting illegal aliens who
are members of dangerous street gangs. Last week’s operation by federal and local law
enforcement once again proves the effectiveness of collaborative law enforcement. My
office will evaluate and prosecute to the fullest extent of the law those cases that are
referred to us.” Roper continued, “Our communities deserve to live free from the fear of
violent gangs, and the Department of Justice’s bold anti-gang strategy is working to
prevent gang membership, prosecute gang violence, and prepare offenders to return to
society and resist the allure of gang activity.”
Some of those arrested had active warrants for their arrest. Still others are being
presented to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for federal prosecution for re-entering the United
States after having already been deported, which is a felony punishable by up to 20 years
in prison.
Some of the crimes associated with the gang members arrested during this local operation
include: Murder, sexually assaulting a child, robbery, aggravated assault with a deadly
weapon, aggravated robbery, possessing a controlled substance, manufacturing a
controlled substance, unlawfully carrying a weapon, engaging in organized criminal
activity, burglary of a building, evading arrest, and resisting arrest.
ICE partnerships with law enforcement
Law enforcement partnerships are critical to the success of Operation Community Shield.
Collaboration in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex begins when ICE agents receive data
from law enforcement agencies about violent gang members in the area. ICE then
conducts further investigation to determine if any of these suspects are subject to arrest
for federal customs or immigration violations. After identifying targets subject to ICE
authorities, ICE collaborates with local police and associated federal agencies to jointly
conduct a local operation that leads to arresting street gang members and their associates.
Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex law enforcement agencies that participated in this latest
ICE Operation Community Shield action include: the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern
District of Texas; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); the
U.S. Marshals Service (USMS); the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); the FBI;
the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BoP); Fort Worth Police Department; Dallas Police
Department; Irving Police Department; Farmers Branch Police Department; Arlington
Police Department; and Wichita Falls Police Department.
About Operation Community Shield
Operation Community Shield is a national law enforcement initiative that partners ICE
with other federal, state and local law enforcement, combining resources, authorities and
expertise in an effort to target members of violent street gangs. Operation Community
Shield was launched in February 2005 after a threat assessment by all ICE field offices
identified “Mara Salvatrucha” (MS-13) as one of the largest and most violent street gangs
in the country. The assessment found that most gang members were foreign-born, in the
United States illegally, had prior criminal convictions, and/or were involved in crimes
that made them subject to ICE’s broad immigration and customs authorities.
Under this initiative, ICE works to:

Identify violent gangs and develop intelligence on their members, associates and
organizations.



Deter, disrupt and dismantle gang operations by tracing and seizing their cash,
weapons and other assets
Criminally prosecute or remove gang members from the United States.
Partner with other law enforcement agencies at the local, state and federal level –
both in the United States and abroad – to develop a “force multiplier” effect in
investigations and other law enforcement actions against gangs.
Conduct outreach efforts to boost public awareness about the fight against violent gangs.
-- ICE -U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
(ICE) was established in March 2003 as the
largest investigative arm of the Department
of Homeland Security. ICE is comprised of
five integrated divisions that form a 21st
century law enforcement agency with broad
responsibilities for a number of key
homeland security priorities.
Posted on Thu, Jan. 03, 2008
MAN WHO FILMED ARLINGTON TEENS FIGHTING GETS 12 YEARS IN JAIL
By NATHANIEL JONES
njones@star-telegram.com
Michael Jackson, 20, of Arlington received a 12-year prison sentence Thursday for a robbery. He
filmed the Aggtownz Fights videos of teenagers fighting one another.

Watch a clip from the fight video
ARLINGTON — Michael Jackson, an Arlington man arrested in 2006 in the production of videos
that depicted teens beating one another, was sentenced to 12 years in prison Thursday.
Jackson, 20, pleaded guilty to an unrelated robbery charge on Sept. 14. State District Judge
George Gallagher sentenced him to 12 years for the robbery after watching a clip of the fight
videos, called Aggtownz Fights.
Jackson faced up to 20 years in prison, and prosecutor Jennifer Tourje asked for the full term.
The fight videos were sold online. Another man arrested in connection with the videos was
sentenced to two years' probation after he pleaded guilty to a state jail felony charge of engaging
in organized crime. Two others pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and were sentenced to three
years in prison.
Jackson must serve three years before he is eligible for parole, Tourje said.
Gangs Article
November
21, 2007
EmailPrintTalk BackRegister BookmarkWhat's This
MO. TOWN BREAKS STREET GANG, BECOMES MODEL FOR RESTORING
ORDER
Task force uses new legal tool to nab gang members:
By Robert Patrick
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
JENNINGS, Mo. — In the summer and fall of 2005, Jennings had a big problem: Street gangs were
terrorizing the city.
"The gangs almost ballooned overnight," said Dave Joyce, a detective with the increasingly outflanked
Jennings police. "There was just shooting after shooting after shooting."
Of the 12 murders from 2004 to early 2007, each involved an illegal gun. Seven were gang or drug-related,
as were all 31 nonfatal shootings, Joyce said. Residents were becoming afraid to step outside.
Much of the violence came from the turf of a gang that called itself the "10-20 Murderville Crips."
When its members saw something they liked, they took it, police said. When they wanted to do something,
they did it. They bought or stole pistols, assault rifles and bulletproof vests.
The gang was even dealing with a broker offering a military land mine and perhaps hand grenades, upping
the ante as local officers and federal agents already knew of a plan to ambush police.
Inside information and even graffiti listing targeted officers' names drove home the point and added
urgency to fight back.
A joint city-federal effort would restore peace to the streets of Jennings, a north St. Louis County city of
about 15,500 people. And the effort stands as a model, participants say, for how a small community with
limited resources can regain control from thugs with violence in their hearts and firepower in their hands.
On the offensive
Using the informer, plus the usual
run of gun seizures, officials raked
As with many small departments, Jennings police often worked with federal in assault rifles, sniper rifles,
law enforcement case by case. Street cops would find a gun on a convicted combat shotguns, hunting rifles and
pistols.
felon, call in the feds and get an easy conviction on one of the workhorse
charges of the federal system: felon in possession of a firearm.
In early 2006, police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives set up a deal to buy guns
from a parolee. He fled, and officers chased him into a nearby basement where a gang was holding a goingaway party for a member being sentenced the next day for shooting someone in the head with a shotgun.
Officials detained everybody, interviewed them and made several arrests, Joyce said.
Joyce said ATF Special Agents Kurt Franzi and Ryan Zornes felt "their heads spin" when they realized that
almost everyone present was "involved in one fashion or the other with every violent crime you can
imagine."
"This is a free-fire zone. We could make cases here all day long," agents told Joyce before the natural
follow-up: "How can we deal with this?"
With the Jennings problem acute and growing. Joyce and ATF agents had to get creative.
Finding a new tool
Unlike traditional street gangs, the 10-20 Murderville Crips was
loosely organized, said Carlos Canino, the agent in charge of the St.
Louis ATF office. With no set hierarchy, the gang wouldn't be
disrupted much by the arrest of a leader.
"Just about every gun
we bought was a crime
gun," said detective
Dave Joyce.
Using informers and jailhouse and street interviews, investigators
developed a top 10 list of the most dangerous members. But some
had no felony convictions. That meant the usual tool - felon in possession of a firearm - would not work.
So agents pored over federal statutes, Canino said, on a belief that, "There's something in here that these
guys are violating."
What they noticed was that the maximum penalty for selling a firearm to a convicted felon was the same as
that for being a felon in possession, 10 years in prison. So they enlisted a confidential informer with a felony
record to start buying guns from gang members.
Using the informer, plus the usual run of gun seizures, officials raked in assault rifles, sniper rifles, combat
shotguns, hunting rifles and pistols. And they realized something. "Just about every gun we bought was a
crime gun," Joyce said.
Three were linked to murders in St. Louis, one matched an armed robbery and one was used in the 2006
shooting of a St. Louis police officer. Police also recovered assault rifles used in four drive-by shootings in
St. Louis and St. Louis County.
As early as 2003, police had found a hit list on the wall of an abandoned building, naming four Jennings
officers. Police have since found other such lists.
In interviews before and during the collaboration with ATF, gang members told Jennings officers about
specific plans to assassinate police. The plans included sniper rifles, assault weapons and a home-made tire
spike strip.
Investigators worried that grenades or a Claymore anti-personnel mine might complete the gang's arsenal.
Joyce said some gang members had told officials, "We have plotted out ways to set up ambushes and
murders of police officers. And we have discussed specific officers that we would like to do this to."
The investigators also learned that gang members were as interested in the cops as the cops were in the
gangsters - gathering information about who did what in the department, and calling the station to find out
who was on duty, Joyce said.
The gang even had the name, vehicle description and workplace of one officer's girlfriend.
Ambush on the police
There were five firearm assaults on police officers from January 2006 to July 2007, Joyce said. (Nobody was
hurt in any of them.) There had been none from 2001-05.
Joyce said that Darnell Thornton, a weapons dealer for the gang, had told him, "The next time I see you, I'll
be laying in wait with a sniper rifle."
The level of concern heightened when investigators determined that Thornton had a Claymore mine for
sale. (Inert and wired with a secret tracking device, it had been put on the street by FBI Joint Terrorism
Task Force agents working another case.)
Joyce and ATF agents worried that the mine might be the final piece of a plan to lure an officer somewhere,
set it off and then use assault or sniper rifles to ambush police arriving to help.
Even if the mine didn't explode, investigators feared, the gang would still be armed and ready.
High explosives represented a "huge jump" in the magnitude of potential gang violence, Joyce said.
"If they had the ability to buy explosives, absolutely they would buy them," he said. "These are guys who
are perfectly willing to firebomb vehicles."
It never came to that. No officers were attacked, and gang members began falling into the legal traps set
for them. In all, Joyce said, the Jennings-ATF partnership resulted in more than 30 federal prosecutions
since early 2005.
There has been a 60 percent drop, citywide, in shots fired, since the cases wrapped up in March. Until
recently, there had not been a single murder this year. And the southeast section of town, which includes
the turf of the Murderville Crips, is now the slowest patrol area.
"It's changed the face of that neighborhood," Joyce said. Families and children aren't afraid to be in the
front yards. "This is the first time in ages," he said.
Said Canino: "To us, that's like gold."
He credited Joyce's encyclopedic knowledge of gang members. Joyce lauded the federal help and the
support of Police Chief Robert Orr and Mayor Benjamin Sutphin.
After seeing an ATF presentation about the Jennings effort, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jeff Fulton
said, the North County Municipal Police Chiefs Association is looking at trying some of the strategies.
Soon, Joyce said, departments may be able to approach the ATF and say, -"'I got this guy and he's tearing
up my town.' They will sit down and say, 'What can we do with this?'"
The Black Gangster Disciple Nation was born out of two organizations. In the
beginning, there were two separate organizations: The Disciple Nation, whose
President was David Barksdale, and the Gangster Nation, whose President was
Larry Hoover. There were many branches of both organizations.