main leaders of a South Side gang with members as young as 12 years old were arraigned Wednesday in Vanderburgh County Superior Court on criminal gang-related charges.

Four Evansville teens who city police say are the main leaders of a South Side gang with members as young as 12 years old were arraigned Wednesday in Vanderburgh County Superior Court on criminal gang-related charges.

 

Randell A. Francis, 19, Dalarrius T. Jackson, 18, John F. Robertson, 16, and Devontae K. Clardy, 16, were each charged with criminal gang activity and two counts of criminal gang recruitment, all class D felonies that automatically allow juveniles to be charged as adults.

Jackson was additionally charged with battery resulting in bodily injury, which is typically a class D felony, but it became a class A felony because prosecutors said he committed the act as a member of a criminal gang.

Devontae Clardy

Randell Francis

John Robertson

Dalarrius Jackson

All four entered preliminary pleas of not guilty, were appointed public defenders and had their bonds set with extra conditions that they not have contact with any gangs if they post bond.

Jackson's bond was set at $1,500 cash. Francis and Robertson have $1,000 cash bonds. Clardy was the only one to have his bond successfully reduced to $500, and but he has an additional condition that he must live with his grandmother and attend school upon release, according to court records.

Police say the four are the main leaders of "LA Zombies," a group with more than 20 members that police say have access to firearms and previously engaged in shootings with rival gang "Murda Squad."

Evansville police have been investigating gangs in the Linwood and Adams avenues area for six months, according to police affidavits. They recently developed two confidential informants within the "LA Zombies."

Police said the two, who are juveniles, obtained credible and reliable information about the inner workings of the gang.

According to the affidavit, the two sources told police that a few of the members have guns and that they've been involved in shootings. They also described the gang's rituals.

Confidential Source No. 1, or CS1, told police about "beat ins," in which prospective gang members get battered by current gang members or are placed into a fight with another person for initiation. Battering or fights also take place for those members who wanted to leave.

CS2 told police that beat ins occurred at Sweetser Avenue housing projects. CS2 said the four leaders were involved.

CS2 also mentioned that there was one individual above them in the gang's hierarchy, according to the affidavit.

The affidavit said Francis was on probation for class D felony theft, resulting from a plea agreement on a burglary charge.

The four had court dates set: Francis on Nov. 9 at 1 p.m.; Jackson on Nov. 15 at 9:30 a.m.; Robertson on Nov. 9 at 9:30 a.m.; Clardy on Nov. 15 at 9:30 a.m.

Killer of Giuseppe Gregory in Stretford was sucked into gangs after surviving shooting when aged 14

 

schoolboy aged 15 obsessed by guns and gangs murdered another teenager as part of a feud before fleeing overseas in a bid to escape justice. Moses ‘Mojo’ Mathias is believed to be Greater Manchester's youngest ever gangster convicted of murder. He was one of three gunmen with ties to the Gooch gang who killed Giuseppe Gregory, pictured right. Giuseppe, 16, was in a Volkswagen Golf which was shot at outside a party at the Robin Hood pub in Stretford in May 2009. It is not believed he was the intended target of the attack. Giuseppe Gregory's mother: My son was killed by a boy with a loaded gun Mathias went on the run to the Netherlands but was arrested and hauled before the courts where yesterday he admitted murder and firearms offences. The M.E.N. can reveal that Mathias was sucked into the violent world of Manchester gangs after surviving a shooting himself just after his 14th birthday. He was shot in the leg in Hulme Park by a gunman – understood to be connected to the Doddington gang – back in July 2007. It is not known if Mathias was the intended target of that shooting – or if he was shot simply for socialising in Gooch gang territory. But the attack, which happened during a tit-for-tat cycle of violence, changed the course of his life. During his trial, Njabulo Ndlovu, one of Mathias’ accomplices, described his transformation. He said: "I’ve known Moses since 2006. In those days he was not a gang member, but after he had been shot he became an angry young man and talked about gangs all the time. " Mathias, formerly of Randlesham Street, Prestwich, even got a tattoo pledging his allegiance to the Gooch. Script on his arm reads ‘Loc’ – a term used by Los Angeles Crips which means ‘crazy’, short for the Spanish slang term ‘loco’. Rusholme-raised Mathias, now 18, also told a police officer who visited his school that he was friends with Gooch gang members – and filled his Facebook pages with pictures of his encounters with them. On the night of Giuseppe’s murder, Mathias got the murder weapon – a 9mm Tokarev which he had hidden at a friend’s house in Crumpsall. Ndlovu and another man, Hiruy Zerihun were also involved in the attack. Zerihun used the gun brought by Mathias to fire the bullets which killed Giuseppe. Mathias also opened fire using another weapon, a .32 handgun. It is believed the shooting was in revenge for the earlier murder of 18-year-old Louis Brathwaite. Zerihun and Ndlovu were jailed for life after being found guilty of Giuseppe’s murder last year. Mathias was finally arrested in June this year when border guards checked passports on a high-speed train from the Netherlands to Germany.

WHOEVER shot the son of Mark Sandery broke "the paramount rule" of outlaw bikies, sources close to the gangs have warned.

 Two men broke into this Semaphore house, smashed windows and shot the son of Finks club member Mark Sandery. Source: Sunday Mail (SA) 

 A Finks member, right, who was at this Semaphore house where the son, 11, of notorious Fink Mark Sandery was shot on Friday night. Picture: Digitally enhanced imageSource: AdelaideNow 

 

The Advertiser  has been told the shooting of the boy, 11, goes against the core values of bikies.

"When it comes to dealing with rivals, there are no hard and fast rules except for two," a source said yesterday.

"You try not to do it in public, and the paramount rule is that you never, ever hurt the wife or the kids.

"To a lot of the guys, their children mean everything ... that's why you just don't do it."

Sandery was a member of the Finks Outlaw Motorcycle Club, but there are conflicting reports on whether he remains a member.

His son was injured when two male intruders burst into a home on Military Rd, Semaphore, on Friday night.

Drug-dealing killer: Chicago cop stopped DEA investigation of me

 

high-level drug trafficker admits he was involved in three killings after a Chicago Police officer scuttled a federal investigation into his illegal activities in the mid-1990s, according to a recent court filing. Saul Rodriguez, who pleaded guilty last month to federal drug conspiracy charges, was an informant for Officer Glenn Lewellen for years. But Rodriguez told authorities he and Lewellen were also longtime partners in crime. They allegedly worked together to rip off other drug dealers, splitting millions of dollars in loot. Lewellen recruited Rodriguez as a police informant in early 1996. Rodriguez’s undercover name was “Bill Pager.” From 1996 to 2001, the Chicago Police Department paid him $807,000 for information that led to seizures of drugs and cash, prosecutors said. All the while Rodriguez was making cases for the police, however, he was committing crimes. And Lewellen repeatedly stepped in to keep Rodriguez out of jail, prosecutors said. Rodriguez’s statements to authorities are included in a 188-page document containing evidence prosecutors intend to present against Lewellen and other defendants who face trial in the same case. Rodriguez has agreed to testify against them. According to the document, Lewellen in mid-1996 persuaded the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to stop investigating Rodriguez after 154 pounds of marijuana were seized from a secret compartment in his Buick. Lewellen told the DEA its investigation would harm ongoing Chicago Police Department cases, prosecutors said. Lewellen, who joined the police force in 1986, retired in 2002 to become a homebuilder. But he still managed to obstruct a separate DEA investigation of Rodriguez, prosecutors said. In 2006, Lewellen warned Rodriguez not to speak to a drug courier whose phone was wiretapped, Rodriguez said. At the time, the DEA was investigating Rodriguez’s ties to a cocaine wholesaler, prosecutors said. Lewellen told Rodriguez he got the information from an “agent” who previously worked in Colombia, but didn’t say what agency was involved in the investigation, according to Rodriguez. As Lewellen was allegedly protecting Rodriguez from the DEA, Rodriguez was involved in the murders of three men, prosecutors said. Rodriguez has confessed to orchestrating the slayings in 2000, 2001 and 2002. Rodriguez has also told authorities he arranged for a friend to “escape” from a prison in Mexico in 2003. He said he met with the prison warden while on vacation in Mexico and promised to pay him a $250,000 bribe in exchange for his friend’s freedom. In addition to his career as a drug dealer, Rodriguez became involved in managing boxers and developing real-estate in Chicago and Nevada, records show. The document detailing Rodriguez’s statements to federal prosecutors, filed last month, provides new details about Rodriguez’s relationship with Lewellen. For example, Rodriguez said he bought Lewellen a Ford Crown Victoria equipped with a siren. Lewellen allegedly drove the car while posing as a legitimate cop during drug rip-offs, Rodriguez said. Rodriguez has told authorities that another Chicago Police officer participated in at least one rip-off, but he believes the officer is now deceased. The prosecution’s evidentiary document also provides more information about the three murders in which Rodriguez admits to having a role. Rodriguez said he persuaded Lewellen to frame Juan Luevano with a drug case in 1999. Luevano, who was dating Rodriguez’s former girlfriend, was released from jail after posting bond in the case. Rodriguez said he then met with a high-ranking Satan Disciples gang member who was in prison. The gang leader was angry Luevano was dating his wife, Rodriguez told authorities. The gang leader asked Rodriguez to find someone to “get” Luevano. So Rodriguez said he hired a high-school pal, Manuel Uriarte, to kill Luevano. Uriarte and Andres Flores allegedly shot Luevano to death in 2000 near his home in Cicero, prosecutors said. They’re charged with murder in the same federal drug conspiracy case. Rodriguez also admitted he arranged for the 2001 murder of Michael Garcia. Rodriguez said he acted at the request of a friend who suspected Garcia had killed his brother, prosecutors said. And Rodriguez said he was involved in the 2002 murder of Miguel De La Torre. Rodriguez said he arranged the kidnapping of De La Torre to scare him into providing information about the location of cocaine and money. Rodriguez said he hired Miguel Uriate and his brother Jorge Uriate to squeeze the information from De La Torre, a drug dealer. If De La Torre refused to talk, they agreed the Uriates would kill him, Rodriguez said. Rodriguez admitted he provided Uriate brothers with an electrical cord they used to strangle De La Torre in a garage. Jorge Uriate also faces murder charges in the same case. Lewellen, who is free on $1 million bail awaiting trial, is not charged with any of the killings.

Feds indict 23 Texas Syndicate gang members

 

Federal authorities Tuesday announced the indictment of 23 reputed Texas Syndicate gang members and associates on charges including four murders, drug trafficking and extortion. Those charged are primarily in the Uvalde and Hondo areas, but the prison-born criminal group has members throughout the state. Their alleged crimes were committed over the past nine years, according to the indictment, which details the structure and goals the gang, which is led by officers with ranks. The indictment also delves into the gang's strict rules and penalties, including being killed, for going against the organization or disobeying orders. "The (Texas Syndicate) will not hesitate to kill anyone who interferes with the business of the gang or who commits a violation of Texas Syndicate rules. Among those charges under RICO, the acronym for Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization: Cristobal "Little Chris" Velasquez, 33, of Uvalde; Sotero Rodriguez Martinez "June", 41, of Uvalde; Chuco Mario "Mariachi" Martinez, 35, of Uvalde; Larry "Little Larry" Munoz, Jr.,36, of Uvalde; Brian "Tata" Esparza, 31, of Uvalde; Charles "Horse" Esparza, 32, of Uvalde; Ervey "Mad Max" Sanchez, 31, of Uvalde; Mark Anthony Vela, 35, of Hondo; Charles Olan Quintanilla, 32, of Hondo; George "Curious" Sanchez,36, of Uvalde; and, Inez "Bebito" Mata, 41, of Uvalde. Others charged in the case are not accused of violating the RICO law.

Dancehall star Vybz Kartel has been charged with the murder of Jamaican promoter Barrington Burton

. Photograph: Scott Gries/Getty Images

Jamaican dancehall star Vybz Kartel has been charged with murder. A police statement issued in Kingston on Monday said that the 35-year-old artist was charged with murder, conspiracy to murder and illegal possession of a firearm. Investigators accuse the rapper, whose real name is Adijah Palmer, of conspiring with others to kill a 27-year-old promoter who was murdered earlier this year.

"The allegation is that on Monday, July 11, 2011, Palmer, along with other men, conspired to murder Barrington Burton o/c 'Bossie', a 27-year-old businessman/promoter of a Gregory Park address in St Catherine. Burton was murdered while he was standing with friends along Walkers Avenue in Gregory Park," the police release said. A preliminary hearing is scheduled to take place on Tuesday.

Kartel's defence attorney was reported to have said that his client was prepared to fight the charges. Kartel was initially arrested on Friday for marijuana possession.

Kartel has previously been arrested on charges including assault and illegal gun possession. Those charges were later dropped. A long-running feud with fellow artist Mavado is alleged to have fuelled mob attacks in inner-city neighbourhoods of Kingston. In December 2009, the two met government ministers in an attempt to calm the situation.

Kartel has worked on collaborations and remixes with the likes of Jay-Z, Rihanna and MIA. His international hits include Ramping Shop, Dollar Sign and Clarks. The success of the latter song last year sent sales of the British shoes soaring in Jamaica. A businessman in his own right, Kartel also has his own brands of rum and condoms as well as his owncontroversial range of skin-lightening cosmetics.

Recently, the singer also became the star of locally produced reality TV show Teacha's Pet. Officials from the telecommunications company that sponsors the show were said to be discussing the new charges levelled against Kartel last night.

Cook County jury has convicted a 22-year-old reputed gang member of killing a Chicago police officer two years ago.

 

Shawn Gaston, 22, was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of Officer Alejandro “Alex” Valadez on June 1, 2009.

Jurors reached their verdict late Wednesday evening, just a few hours after beginning their deliberations, following a weeklong trial.

Chicago Police Officer Alejandro Valadez (Credit: CPD)

Valadez was 27 years old when he was shot to death in 2009. He had been on the force for only three years and was working undercover duty on the South Side on June 1, 2009, investigating reports of gunfire when Gaston allegedly gunned him down on the 6000 block of South Hermitage Avenue

Rival accused of killing Hells Angel boss in Nev

 

motorcycle gang member shot a chapter president of the rival Hells Angels four times in the back before fleeing a Nevada casino where a shootout occurred last weekend, police said in court records unsealed Thursday. Suspect Ernesto Manuel Gonzalez, 53, of San Jose, Calif., was named in a police affidavit as a member of the Vagos gang who killed 51-year-old Jeffery "Jethro" Pettigrew on Friday at John Ascuaga's Nugget in Sparks. Pettigrew was president of the San Jose chapter of the Hells Angels. Security video shows Gonzalez approaching Pettigrew with a gun near a dance floor before casino patrons appeared to react to gunfire, Sparks police Detective John Patton said in the affidavit. Pettigrew fell to the floor before Gonzalez put the gun in his waistband and fled, the affidavit said. A search later turned up seven .40 caliber casings about 15 feet from the spot where Pettigrew was shot from behind, Patton said. Police earlier said Pettigrew had died from gunshot and stab wounds. The whereabouts of Gonzalez was unknown. Washoe County District Attorney Richard Gammick believes the Hells Angels are looking for him, too. Gammick declined to provide any more information about the suspect but said he may not survive to stand trial in Reno if rival gang members find him before law officers. "Think about it," Gammick told The Associated Press. "You shoot the Hells Angels president four times in the back ... What do you think is going to happen if the Hells Angels get their hands on him?" Two Vagos members were wounded in the shootout and a third was shot in the stomach the next day by a gunman in a passing car a few blocks from the Nugget and the town square where the 18th annual Street Vibrations motorcycle festival was held on Friday and Saturday. The mayor of Sparks canceled the event Saturday night and declared a state of emergency amid fears of more gang violence. Police arrested Cesar Villagrana, 36, of Gilroy, Calif., who they said is a Hells Angels member who was with Pettigrew when he was shot. Villagrana did not enter a plea at his arraignment Thursday in Sparks Justice Court on three felony charges of assault with a deadly weapon, carrying a concealed weapon illegally and discharging a firearm within a structure. His lawyer, Richard Schonfeld, declined comment on the case but called his client a good family man with no prior felonies who was caring for his ill mother and stepfather. Judge Susan Deriso set a hearing for Oct. 5 to allow Schonfeld to argue for a reduction of his client's $500,000 cash-only bail. A preliminary hearing was set for Oct. 12.

Police raid Commancheros bikies - 10 arrested

 

Detectives from Crime Gangs Task Force this morning led a series of raids on premises belonging to, or closely linked with, the Commancheros outlaw motorcycle gang. Ten were arrested for a number of drug and firearms offences. The operation involved 160 police who searched a total of 34 properties. During the searches police seized a total of six handguns, four rifles, a quantity of ammunition and prohibited weapons including; a flick knife, bayonets, tasers, batons. Police were particularly concerned to locate four of the handguns fully loaded – one was fitted with a silencer and a laser sight. Police allegedly located a handgun at the home of a Commanchero member who received a gunshot wound to the groin on 17 September 2011. A number of drugs were discovered including; a kilogram of cannabis, 22 cannabis plants, approximately 300 grams of amphetamine, a small quantity of pills (believed to be ecstasy), a large quantity of steroids and cocaine along with glassware, chemicals and other items of prescribed equipment used in the production of illicit drugs. Computers, 27 mobile phones, fireworks and $135,300 in cash were also seized. In addition to issuing a number of General Expiation Notices, Cannabis Expiation Notices, and Drug Diversions, Police arrested and charged; ·       27-year-old man of Prospect for a first instance warrant ·       26-year-old-woman of Hindmarsh Island for Traffic a Controlled Drug ·       26-year-old man of Parafield Gardens for Possess Class H firearm, Unlawful Possession of Prescription Drug, Possess Dangerous Article, Unlawful Possession of Cash (Commanchero member) ·       31-year-old man of Klemzig for Aggravated Affray, Possess Steroids and Prohibited Weapon (Commanchero member) ·       45-year-old man of Enfield for Possess Class H Firearm and Possess Prescription Drugs (Commanchero member) ·       26-year-old man of Clarence Gardens for Cultivate Commercial Quantity of Cannabis, Traffic Controlled Drug, Possess Prescribed Equipment, Theft of Electricity and Possess Prohibited Weapon. ·       46-year-old man of Henley Beach South for Unlawful Possession of Cash. ·       51-year-old man of Torrensville for Possess Class H Firearms and Possess Firearms, Possess Silencer, Unlawful Possession of Cash, Possess Prescribed Equipment, Possess Prohibited Weapons. ·       49-year-old man of Adelaide for Possess Prohibited Weapons and Possess Prescription Drugs. ·       36-year-old man of Fulham for Unlawful Possession of Cash and Traffic Commercial Quantity of Controlled Drug. Reported: ·       28-year-old man for Possess Prescription Drugs, Possess Prescribed Equipment and Carry Offensive Weapon (Commanchero member) ·       40-year-old man of Burton for Cultivate Cannabis

Witnesses recall Calgary restaurant gang shooting

 

Calgary court was back in session Thursday to address charges against two men in relation to a triple homicide at Bolsa Restaurant on New Year’s Day in 2009. Nathan Zuccherato and Michael Roberto have pleaded not guilty to three charges of first-degree murder for the killing of Sanjeev Mann, Aaron Bendle and innocent bystander Keni Su'a. Two others have been charged and will appear in court at a later date. Eye witness breaks down Later in the day, court watched a taped interview from a man who witnessed the death of Su’a. Scott Walker has health issues, so Justice Earl Wilson allowed the audio interview done with Calgary police just hours after the murders to be presented to court. Walker can be heard breaking down as he describes three people gunning down a man, later identified as Su’a. From his car that just pulled out of the Rona parking lot across the street, Walker said he saw Su’a run out of the restaurant followed by men who “started dumping shots into him. One guy never stopped firing.” The court also learned Walker was subjected to photo line-ups with Zuccherato’s and Roberto’s photo but marked no beside both, indicating he did not recognize the men. This information caused Zuccherato’s father, who has been on hand the entire trial, to smile and nod his head. Victim’s mother mourns loss Earlier in the afternoon, Bendle’s mother testified about the last time she saw her son alive the day before the murder. Bendle was kidnapped and used as bait to lure Mann, the real target and known gang member. In a handwritten letter to the media, Bendle's parents say they are proud of the young man their son was. The month-long trial for three murders that took place at the Bolsa Restaurant in southeast Calgary is currently hearing testimony. CBC The note also says they miss the love he shared so freely, as well as his quiet thoughtfulness and broad smile. ‘Fifth man’ testimony wraps For the last three days, the court has also heard testimony from the police informant M.M., whose identity is protected by a court order. Also known as the “fifth man,” M.M. told the court that he and his former friends — the defendants — are responsible for the execution of the three victims. In cross-examination, defence lawyers were trying to press the point that even though M.M. didn't pull the trigger he is equally responsible for the deaths by not informing police about the plot. During court Wednesday, M.M. said shortly after becoming an informant he had told police in November 2008 about the plans to kidnap Bendle, use him as bait and kill Mann in rival gang revenge plot. Kevin Brookwell from the Calgary Police Service told reporters Wednesday they had followed through on the tip by warning specific individuals, approaching families to ask for their cooperation and putting out a plea to the public for assistance. M.M. said he would also help police by wearing a wire to play an active role in helping police “bring down my group of friends in exchange for help turning my life around.” But as that fateful day in January 2009 approached, M.M. testified he was too scared to contact police. He did admit playing a role in kidnapping Bendle and then burning the clothes and evidence after the shooting that he implicates the defendants — Zuccherato and Roberto — in. M.M. not only provided the name and phone number of Bendle — the man used as bait to lure his associate Mann to the restaurant, who were then both killed — but also provided the home where he was taken while kidnapped. M.M. said he acted as a guard while his friends allegedly carried out the execution. While he was arrested for his connection to the incident, no charges were pressed and he has been given immunity from prosecution for his testimony.