In total, more than 80 Latin Kings members and associates have faced state or federal charges since 2006. WebAs for leaders, the Latin Kings have not been able to sustain a peaceful environment within their gangs. "I am in solitary confinement for my own safety.". Please enter valid email address to continue. In 2009, Spann pleaded guilty to the armed robbery. During his tenure, Amaya discussed 25 shootings committed by his underlings while expressing pride at the consistency of violence. Let me get by, Simmons told them. Guajardo was the leader, or Inca, of the "Lenzi" Latin Kings, a chapter with 24 members named for an avenue in Hodgkins. And now Spann awaits another reckoning in court over the killing of Rudy Kato Rangel Jr., among other charges in the federal conspiracy case targeting the Four Corner Hustlers. Spann knew Simmons and told him hed pay him up to $30,000 for the job, according to Nunnery. Chicago, IL 60604
/ CBS Chicago. Jay NICE 06. Prosecutors said Shaun Harrison, 63, lived a double life as a leader of the drug gang while working at a public high school. If granted release, he has his family, counseling services and a job waiting for him. In the spring of 2003, he drove to Lawrences Fish & Shrimp at Cermak and Canal to meet John, a Latin King whod told him hed sell him a stolen, diamond-laden Franck Muller watch worth $125,000 for $25,000. U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois, Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee (LECC), Latin Kings Second-In-Command Sentenced To 40 Years In Prison For RICO Conspiracy And Related Gang Crimes. Garcia, also known as DK or Disciple Killer, together with Augustin Zambrano, the leader or Corona of the Latin Kings, and two additional defendants were found guilty in April 2011 of running a criminal enterprise to enrich themselves and others through drug-trafficking and preserving and protecting their power, territory and revenue through acts of murder, attempted murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, extortion, and other acts of violence. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Rangel married someone from the neighborhood: Valerie Gaytan, daughter of a Chicago cop. Former gang leader incarcerated in a US federal prison, United States v. Felipe, 148 F.3d 101 (2nd Cir. So he started looking for Rangel himself around Fullerton and Clybourn, near a recording studio Rangel had. In 2008, Amaya was the leader, or Regional Inca, of the Almighty Latin King Nations 26th Street Region, encompassing Little Village, the gangs most important stronghold. The gang subunits were found at each intersection along 26th Street from Fairfield Avenue west to Millard Avenue, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. Nunnery figured the jewelry was worth at least $240,000. Amaya was indicted separately in 2012 following the 2008 and 2009 indictments of more than 30 top leaders of the Latin Kings. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. | Sun-Times files. They told Simmons they wanted to compare his DNA with hair recovered from a New Jersey Nets cap found on the sidewalk outside the barbershop. Simmons then stated that he would talk to Det. Authorities said the shooting resulted from an attempted jewel robbery. A Rockford man was indicted today by a federal grand jury on charges of arson for allegedly setting fire to two buildings in Rockford, Ill. A federal grand jury in Chicago, Illinois, returned an indictment, which was unsealed yesterday, charging three Illinois men with operating an odometer and title fraud scheme that involved hundreds of Chicago-Area Man Charged With Conducting Illegal Sports Gambling Business, Eastern Division
Three other high-ranking leaders of the Latin Kings street gang were also convicted at trial of charges involving narcotics trafficking and related violence that plagued numerous neighborhoods across the city. Joseph Cooley, an attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, said Vargas' testimony in the trial of Martin Anaya led in part to Anaya's conviction. Detectives found the necklace and pendant on the stairs to the barbershop. LISTEN: Newsradio 780's Lisa Fielding Reports. We got you, the prosecutor wrote after an interview with Simmons. He had a tattoo on his chest for her: Destined Forever My Queen Valerie. Soon after Rangels killing, though, Gaytan took up with Margarito Flores. They rode around in the car and Bro Man was just talking about hitting this lick or committing the robbery and Martise kept adding that Were going to pay you. Gang underlings were so sure that Colon would be released on Friday that they had already arranged for him to be squired from the Downstate Menard Correctional Center to Chicago in a limousine, according to law enforcement officials. Rockford: (815) 987-4444. Simmons also was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. Donell states that as Bro Man handed the gun to him, Bro Man told Donell, Dont miss. CHICAGO (AP) Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson will meet in a runoff to be the next mayor of Chicago after voters denied incumbent Lori Lightfoot a second term, issuing a rebuke to a leader who made history as head of the nations third-largest city. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. In October 2008, Simmons was convicted of murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and conspiracy to commit murder. | Chicago Police Department, In that conversation, Nunnery talks about paying a subject named Squeaky thirteen thousand dollars for doing something, but got cheated, detectives wrote. Zambrano is the highest-ranking Latin King leader to be convicted since Gustavo "Gino" Colon was given a life sentence in 2000. THE WATCHDOGS: How Latin Kings leader Rudy Kato Rangel Jr., memorialized by DMX, at heart of what could be Chicago's biggest gang trial, was killed. But the indictment underscores how the narcotics trade remains the financial life blood of all of Chicago's major gangs. Bro Man told Donell about a lick that a Puerto Rican had done for 150 kilos of cocaine, a detective wrote after interviewing Simmons. All told, hundreds of shootings resulting from Latin Kings conduct occurred in Little Village during the period of Amayas prominence, according to the government. [15] Luiz Flvio Gomes, 62, Brazilian jurist, professor and politician, Deputy (since 2019), leukaemia. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. He will have to spend at least 85 percent of his 40-year sentence in custody, according to federal prosecutors. A total of eleven schools from across Chicago competed in the annual contest. charges related to drug trafficking and murder after federal prosecutors alleged he oversaw the activities of some 10,000 Latin Kings members in Illinois, Judges nixes shareholder claims against McDonalds directors in sexual harassment case, US officials say no sign adversaries behind Havana syndrome, Teny Gross and Selwyn Rogers: Chicagos community intervention groups offer hope for reducing gun violence, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Late that May, Ware, Nunnery and Spann picked up Simmons at his West Side home, according to a prosecutors report. "My life will never be the same in or out of jail," Vargas said. And let us not forget that the crime that he stands convicted of is a drug offense, nothing more or nothing less.. Lock "The point was that he would never be free.". Mr. Rudy Rangel Jr. liked to keep his hair short. A detectives report on conversations regarding Rudy Rangel Jr.s killing that were overheard by a police informant. Authorities are looking for the other five defendants. Finally, the judge said that he himself, rather than the Federal Bureau of Prisons, would control the case. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Lozano urged Vargas to seek treatment for alcohol abuse and pursue his education while he is in prison. The day before his scheduled release in 1997, Colon and a dozen others were charged by the feds with running a multi-million dollar narcotics operation from an apartment in Logan Square. And three of those runoffs would involve incumbents appointed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot over the last year. An official website of the United States government. Federal and local law enforcement authorities are continuing to investigate the gang's South Side operations, sources said. Western Division
He told authorities Spann picked him up, and they called Simmons to let him know they were coming to get him. WebCHICAGO Twenty-six alleged members and associates of the Latin Kings street gang are facing federal narcotics charges, most of them for their alleged roles in one of two drug-trafficking organizations that supplied and distributed multi-kilogram quantities of heroin, cocaine and marijuana in Chicago and the south suburbs. Nunnery said he carried Spann to the porch of a nearby home, saw a car heading north on Whipple, recognized the driver and flagged him down. Nunnery said Spann called that night, saying he hadnt heard from Simmons and was wondering what happened inside the barbershop. That investigation dubbed Operation 5K for Fifth Avenue and Karlov, where Spann lived led to dozens of murder convictions. But interviews and thousands of pages of records from the U.S. attorneys office, the Chicago Police Department, the Cook County states attorneys office and the Cook County medical examiners office reviewed by the Chicago Sun-Times suggest another possible motive: that the murder was contracted after Rangel stole 150 kilos of cocaine. Colon was driven to Chicago in a van under tight security; he is being held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center downtown. The Latin Kings in Connecticut started in the state's prison system in the late 1980s. In 2008, the FBI led an investigation that resulted in state and federal charges against 40 Latin Kings members and associates, including Zambrano and numerous co-defendants. For the first time in three years, Latin's math department hosted the Middle School Math Contest in person on Saturday, January 28. WebCHICAGOA Chicago man alleged to be a Corona of the Latin Kings, making him the highest-ranking leader outside of prison and responsible for overseeing the illegal activities of all factions of the powerful Chicago street gang, is among 18 defendants charged in a sweeping new federal indictment against the gangs alleged hierarchy. Ware and Nunnery were brought in on Nov. 14, and Simmons was arrested eight days later, initially in a separate incident. r/NYStateOfMind: A subreddit to discuss New York & New Jersey drill/hip-hop and the In the weeks before Rangels killing, he told authorities, he told Spann that I had a lick up for somebody that had a lot of jewelry.. An informant friendly with Spann wore a wire for investigators targeting Spann and his crew. It is a member of the People Nation alliance. The convictions resulted from a sustained, coordinated effort by federal law enforcement agencies, working together with the Chicago Police Department and other state and local partners, to dismantle the hierarchy of the Latin Kings and other highly-organized, often violent Chicago street gangs. The defendant, VICENTE GARCIA, Jr., 35, the Supreme Regional Inca of the Almighty Latin King Nation, who oversaw the day-to-day illegal activities of all factions of the gang with some 10,000 members in Illinois alone, has been in federal custody since late 2008 and must serve at least 85 percent of his sentence. As reported by The Washington Post, a member of the Latin Kings was sentenced for murdering a young transgender woman. As WBBM Newsradio 780's Lisa Fielding reports, after a six-week trial, a federal jury on Wednesday convicted Augustin Zambrano, 51, the highest-ranking leader of the Almighty Latin King Nation, of racketeering conspiracy (RICO), conspiracy to commit extortion, and assault with a dangerous weapon. Outside the barbershop, they saw Rangels blue SUV, drove a block west and turned, parking just north of the alley, according to what Nunnery and Simmons told authorities. Prosecutors presented some disturbing evidence during the trial, including a video showing about a dozen Latin King members beating and kicking a fellow gang member for several minutes as punishment. As agents drew their weapons, Herrera, who was sitting in his Chevrolet Tahoe, rammed into several law enforcement vehicles before beginning a chase through the city. The indictment last September targeting the Four Corner Hustlers includes six murders. According to the 25-count indictment, Colon--known as "Lord Gino"--used prison telephones and meetings with visitors at Menard to direct the gang's massive drug operations, including the purchase of cocaine and the wholesale distribution of drugs from an apartment building in the 2400 block of North Kedzie Avenue. He ascended the gang ranks while in prison, eventually becoming leader of Latin Kings and calling the shots from behind bars. "Reading this case was like reading a novel, a horror novel of all the bad things that occurred and the bad things human beings can do to each other.". The highest-ranking leader of the Latin Kings street gang is behind bars. Herrera was able to lose the officers, but later was captured as he approached his home in Westchester. WebThe Latin Counts is a Latino street gang based in Chicago, Illinois with a significant branch in Detroit, Michigan. He pleaded guilty to racketeering, drug trafficking and murdering two people. Colon was arrested two months after the shooting. The survey of about 1,300 players, released Wednesday, was created to help players make free-agent decisions and to improve league standards. Nunnery told him people were telling him that a guy was dead.. An FBI investigation of the gang led to charges against 40 Latin King members and associates in 2008. WebThe revolutionary Civil Rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr, once described discrimination as a hellbound that gnaws at Negroes in every waking moment of their lives to remind them that the lie of their inferiority is accepted as truth in the society dominating them. Max Domi and Andreas Athanasiou are the two remaining Hawks most likely to move before Fridays deadline. Donell states that Bro Man handed the gun to Donell. The following year, he was found guilty of murder and sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison. 219 S. Dearborn St., 5th Floor
All Rights Reserved. These sentences hold these defendants accountable for the barbaric enterprise known as the Latin Kings and for their roles in murder, attempted murder, shootings, beatings, drug trafficking, and other crimes, said Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. Based on those records, this is the story of the killing of Rudy Kato Rangel Jr. Born on Thanksgiving Day 1972, Rangel grew up in LeClaire Courts on the Southwest Side but ended up traveling in lofty circles in two worlds: crime and rap music. The original gang members were all related to one another. He also was hit in his left shoulder, the left side of his chest, his left abdomen and left hip, according to the Cook County medical examiners office, which noted Rangel still had on his pricey watch and bracelet. The bodyguard told detectives he shot at Simmons but missed, then dumped his gun in a bucket of soapy water at a car wash next to the barbershop before going back to Rangel. It was just before 10 p.m. on June 27, 1971 when Burr, who was 16 years old, and four others left his home in the 1300 block of North Leavitt Street. [16] Sir James Learmonth Gowans, 95, British immunologist. His brother, Jose Vargas, who was not in a gang, was gunned down by the Latin Dragons in 2006, so Vargas directed his vengeance toward that gang, including ordering the 2007 murders of Latin Dragons leaders Joe Walsh and Gonzalo Diaz as they left a Griffith restaurant. Pissetzky noted that Colons brother Cristobal, himself a former member of the Latin Kings, has for more than 25 years served as the pastor of Gods Army Ministries, a church on the Northwest Side. The indictment alleges that the Latin Kings required their members to pay dues, which were used to buy weapons, raise money for bond for jailed gang members and help pay for attorneys. He figured Nunnery was going to rob him but not just for the jewelry. A Latin King leader explains the history and aims of his organization in an talk for the Chicago Gang History Project. [2] However, the appellate court recognized that federal statutes generally allow only the attorney general, through the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to determine the conditions of confinement imposed on federal prisoners,[3] but that other statutes,[4] allow district courts to set special conditions of confinement on defendants convicted of racketeering. Rudy Rangels bodyguard said he tossed his gun into a bucket at a nearby carwash after he tried to shoot Donell Simmons. He and one of his friends soon approached the group, according to court records. Ware said Nunnery told him hed pay him $1,500 to $2,000. The sentence was announced by Gary S. Shapiro, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, together with Cory B. Nelson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Larry Ford, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. | Sam Charles / Sun-Times. The gang also has a powerful presence in New York City, Miami and many other large U.S. cities. So Rangel, a leader of the Latin Kings, one of Chicagos biggest street gangs, had been going several times a month to Nationwide Cutz, a barbershop operating out of a trailer near Roosevelt and Sacramento on the West Side. Colon was born in Chicago in 1972 and became involved in the Latin Kings at a young age. "I pray that (the families of the victims) can find it in their hearts to forgive me though I know it will be a long time," Vargas said. Nunnery didnt want to just wait to hear from Ware that Rangel had shown up at the barbershop. All rights reserved, All Eyes On a Strong' System That Could Hit Chicago Area Friday, But Much Uncertainty Remains, Who Did Your Ward Vote For? While locked up, Colon ascended to the rank of Corona the top Latin Kings decision-maker. Garcia, who was called the "Supreme Regional Inca" of the Almighty Latin King Nation, along with Zambrano and others, were convicted in April 2011 of using murder and other acts of violence to protect their gang's drug trafficking enterprise. Now, 15 years later, 11 members of the Four Corner Hustlers, including Labar Bro Man Spann, leader of the gang, await prosecution next year in one of the biggest gang trials ever in Chicago. over the Skip to document Ask an Expert Sign inRegister Sign inRegister Home Ask an ExpertNew My Library Discovery Institutions Seneca College The University of Western Ontario The friend pointed to Burr and told Colon to shoot that Black mother.. Furthermore, the judge added extraordinary conditions, surprising even prosecutors. In the past, large-scale, high-profile federal indictments of street gangs on drug trafficking have focused on black street gangs like the Rukns, the Gangster Disciples and the Vice Lords; law enforcement officials often have described Latino gangs as more interested in rivalries and violence than narcotics. And local law enforcement authorities are continuing to investigate the gang also has a powerful in... 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