Three Alleged Indiana Gang Members Charged with Murder in Aid of Racketeering

In two separate cases, two members of the Two Six nation and one member of the Latin Kings were indicted for murder in aid of racketeering and other offenses, announced Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney David A. Capp of the Northern District of Indiana.

“Prosecutions, like the one announced here, demonstrate the effectiveness of the task force approach to fighting gang violence,” said Assistant Attorney General Caldwell.  “Along with our partners, the Criminal Division will aggressively work to release the grip that gangs hold on many neighborhoods across this country.”

“If you are a member of a violent street gang and you committed a murder or other violent act last week or last decade, we are coming at you,” said U.S. Attorney Capp.  He also reiterated his office’s continuing commitment to removing all members of these violent street gangs from the streets on northwest Indiana.

Marcus Lovell Jenkins, 26, of East Chicago, Indiana, and Charles Garcia-Berrios, 22, of Hammond, Indiana, were charged by superseding indictment with murder in aid of racketeering and use of a firearm in connection with a crime of violence for their alleged roles in the killing of Kemond Coleman.  Jenkins also is charged with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.

According to the allegations in the indictment, Jenkins and Garcia-Berrios are members of the Two Six Nation street gang.  The indictment alleges that, on July 26, 2014, Jenkins and Garcia-Berrios shot and killed Coleman for the purpose of maintaining and enhancing their positions within the gang.  Garcia-Berrios and Two Six member Julio Ivan Cartagena previously were charged with the attempted murders of two individuals in this case.  All three defendants are in federal custody.

In a separate case, Anton James, 19, of Hammond, was charged by indictment with murder in aid of racketeering and murder resulting from the use of a firearm during a crime of violence for his alleged role in the murder of Martin Hurtado Sr.  According to the allegations in the indictment, James is a member of the Latin Kings street gang.  The indictment alleges that, on Oct. 28, 2014, James shot and killed Hurtado Sr. believing that he was Martin Hurtado Jr., whom James believed was a rival gang member.  James made his initial appearance in federal court this afternoon before Magistrate Judge Andrew Rodovich of the Northern District of Indiana.

An charges and allegations in the indictments are merely allegations.  The defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

These cases are the result of the investigative efforts of the FBI, the ATF, the East Chicago Police Department, the Hammond Police Department, the Lake County, Indiana, Sheriff’s Department and Lake County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area officers and agents.  The Lake County Prosecutor’s Office also has provided assistance.  The Jenkins case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Andrew Creighton of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Nozick of the Northern District of Indiana.  The James case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nozick.

Nine Charged in Southeast Side Drug Probe

Eight individuals, all suspected members or associates of the Almighty Latin Kings Nation (ALKN) street gang, operating primarily on Chicago’s southeast side and northwest Indiana, were arrested today by agents and officers assigned to the FBI’s Joint Task Force on Gangs, culminating a nearly two-year investigation which targeted illicit drug sales. One additional defendant remains at-large and is now the subject of a nationwide manhunt.

The arrests were announced today by Robert D. Grant, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Terry G. Hillard, interim Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department (CPD).

Four of those arrested were charged in a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago, which was unsealed earlier today and which charged the current Chicago residents with conspiracy and distribution of a controlled substance, both of which are felony offenses. Five others were charged with violating state drug or firearms laws in charges filed in Cook County Circuit Court.

The federal complaint identifies PAUL JASSO, also known as “Guero,” age 42, of 9708 South Ewing in Chicago, as a ranking member of the ALKN who headed up an independent drug distribution operation that distributed user quantities of illegal narcotics, primarily powder cocaine, in various Chicago neighborhoods, including the Bush, Hegewisch, and the East Side, along with Calumet City, Illinois and Hammond and Whiting, Indiana.

PAULINO BOSANKO, age 23, of 13243 South Brandon in Chicago; and SANDRA BARRON, age 38, and DAVID RUIZ, age 52, both of 9832 South Avenue L in Chicago, were also charged along with JASSO, and are identified as confederates in his drug operation.

Those arrested on state charges, all of who are alleged to have worked for JASSO, are identified as JOSEPH BARRON, age 27, of 8357 South Baltimore, Chicago; JOSEF NERI, age 28, of 8357 South Baltimore, Chicago; CHARLES SCHILL, age 20, 10517 South Green Bay Avenue, Chicago; and LORETTA FLORES, age 44, of 787 Buffalo, Calumet City, Illinois.

A fifth state defendant, identified as EDWIN TEVENAL, Jr., age 30, of

10849 South Avenue

H, Chicago, avoided capture and remains at-large.

This investigation, which was code named Operation King Gone, was investigated by the Chicago FBI’s Joint Task Force on Gangs, which is comprised of FBI special agents and officers from the Chicago Police Department, Gang Investigations Unit, and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). The Cook County State’s Attorney’s office also assisted with the investigation.

Investigators utilized court authorized electronic surveillance of several telephones, used by the defendants in connection with their drug operation, along with controlled purchases of illegal narcotics, both of which helped lead to the filing of the charges announced today. During the course of the investigation, eight weapons were recovered.

All of those arrested on federal charges are scheduled to appear before Magistrate Judge Morton Denlow in Chicago, at 3:00 p.m. today, at which time they will be formally charged. If convicted of the charges filed against them, all four face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ incarceration to a maximum of life in prison.

Those arrested on state charges are scheduled to appear in bond court at dates and times to be determined. If convicted, they face possible sentences of up to 30 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt and that all defendants in a criminal case are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Copies of the federal criminal complaint filed in this case is available from the Chicago FBI’s press office at (312) 829-1199. Copies of state charging documents are available for the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Public Safety Technology in the News

Tracking Drunk Drivers
CBS-21 WHP (Harrisburg, PA), (12/7/2007), Myranda Stephens

Pennsylvania State Police report that they often see an increase in DUI incidents during the holiday season. Thanks to a software application called Prophecy Program, the police can track these DUI incidents by location and the software will provide a map predicting the times and locations of future incidents. State Police use this output to identify trouble spots quickly and deploy officers to these areas. The software can also be used to track other crimes.
www.whptv.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=5fe52ccc-85e5-4916-a713-19ebba6c1037

Iris Scans Let Law Enforcement Keep Eye on Criminals
USA Today (12/4/2007), Wendy Koch

Sheriff's offices across the country are using iris recognition technology to identify missing persons and sex offenders. Most agencies are using the technology to collect iris scans of senior citizens and children. These scans are stored in databases that can be searched as needed. Some agencies are capturing the iris scans of convicted sex offenders and inmates in order to identify offenders in the event of future crimes and to ensure the correct inmate is released. Iris recognition technology compares a greater level of detail than fingerprint recognition technology and departments are finding that they can find matches much faster using a centralized database of iris scans.
www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-12-04-iris_N.htm

Bowie Police Go High Tech
gazette.net (11/22/07), Megan King

In the past month, the Bowie (Maryland) Police Department has been able to scan more than 20,000 license plates using a new license plate recognition technology system. Since its installation on October 30, the system has alerted officers more than 300 times to violations such as stolen vehicle and suspended tags. The plates that the system scans are cross-checked against a database of statewide motor vehicle violations, as well as national criminal data. If a violation is found, the system notifies the patrol officer. The license plate scanning system allows officers to scan 5,000 plates during a 10-hour shift. The department purchased the system using donations from various businesses within Bowie, which amount to about 40 percent of the total cost of the system.
www.gazette.net/stories/112207/largnew172423_32363.shtml

U.S. Eyes 'Pain Beam' for Home Security, Law Enforcement
Wired.com (12/10/2007), David Hambling

The Active Denial System (ADS) is a less-lethal technology that uses microwaves to cause a burning sensation on the outer surface of the skin without injuring the target. ADS has not been deployed by the U.S. military yet, but the system's manufacturer is looking into implementing the technology for law enforcement use. The current system is too large and too expensive to be practical for most police departments, so the National Institute of Justice is working with Raytheon to develop a handheld version with a hundred-foot range. Raytheon is also working with Sandia National Laboratories to develop a version of ADS for securing nuclear stockpiles.
www.wired.com/politics/security/news/2007/12/pain_beam

DOJ Tests Suspicious-Activity Reporting System
FCW.com (12/10/2007), Jason Miller

Through its Law Enforcement Online (LEO) system, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is testing a new system designed to improve the sharing of suspicious-activity reporting among Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies. The new system, called E-Guardian, is based on the National Information Exchange Model (NIEM) standard. The U.S. Department of Justice is funding State fusion centers, which are required to use NIEM for sharing information. The current plan is to include E-Guardian as one of the systems to be used by these fusion centers.
www.fcw.com/online/news/151032-1.html

New Database Links Guns, Criminal Histories
LA Daily News (12/10/2007), Jason Kandel

The California Department of Justice and the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) are using the new Armed Prohibited Persons System program to identify gun owners with criminal histories. The statewide database currently contains approximately 9,000 records on people who are prohibited from owning firearms along with records on gun owners. Law enforcement agencies can access the system to easily identify individuals who own guns illegally. An LAPD task force has used the system this fall to identify and search 71 locations. These searches led to the seizure of 28 guns and the arrest of 8 individuals.
www.dailynews.com/news/ci_7679381

Police Say GPS Helps Crack Case in Drive-By Slaying
Los Angeles Times (12/12/2007), Andrew Blankstein and Richard Winton

The Los Angeles Police Department received an important lead in a murder case by accessing data from a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) system that was tracking the location of 20 gang members. As part of a new State program, 20 gang members were fitted with GPS monitoring bracelets as part of their parole agreements. The GPS system records the date, time, and location of each parolee. As soon as the drive-by shooting occurred, Sgt. Ruby Malachi directed officers at the LAPD's crime analysis center to search the system for the date, time, and location of the shooting. The system's data reported that one of the gang members being tracked was in the vicinity when the shooting occurred. Based on this information and evidence from witnesses, the police eventually arrested seven suspects, including the gang member being tracked. LAPD has traditionally used the GPS system to track sex offenders, but is now seeking to expand the gang member tracking program.
www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-gps12dec12,1,5363458.story?coll=la-headlines-california&ctrack=1&cset=true

Electronic Tickets Cite Drivers With Cyber Speed
Noblesville Daily Times (12/3/2007), Rebecca L. Sandlin

The Indian State Police have put into operation the Electronic Citation and Warning System (E-CWS) as a tool for issuing warnings and citations to motorists. It is anticipated that the system will be safer for troopers in terms of time spent outside the cruiser, and reduce time and paperwork involved with issuing citations. Using their laptops, officers will scan motorist information from the barcodes located on motor vehicle registration cards and driver's licenses and generate a ticket for the motorist, the officer, and the courts.
www.county29.net/cms2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8402&Itemid=230

New Court Video System Saves Navajo County Time and Money
AZJournal.com (11/28/2007), Tammy Gray-Searles

Navajo County, in Arizona, recently implemented a video conferencing system with money from a Fill the Gap grant from the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission. The system will be used by the justice courts, the jail, and in two superior court courtrooms. It is hoped the system will save money in transportation costs, and provide increased security by reducing inmate movement. Because of the systems real-time capabilities, judges and court staff will be able to attend conferences, meetings, and trainings remotely, which will allow court cases to proceed with limited disruptions and ensure defendants a speedy process. In the future, the video conferencing system can allow attorneys to perform remote client visits, or allow inmates to visit with families over long distances.
www.azjournal.com/news/126/ARTICLE/1541/2007-11-28.html

Millions Coming to NH for Emergency Radio
UnionLeader.com (12/2/2007), Shawne K. Wickham

The state of New Hampshire will receive just under $6 million in public safety funding, which is part of nearly a billion dollars that have been set aside by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) — a division of the U.S. Department of Commerce. This money is part of the anticipated $10 to $15 billion the Federal Government expects to receive when it auctions off spectrum space that is presently used by analog TV broadcasts. The vacated spectrum space will then be used to create a national public safety communications network, and the money offered by the NTIA will be used to assist public safety agencies obtain equipment to use the new network.
www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Millions+coming+to+NH+for+emergency+radio&articleId=74a09b06-ccea-440b-9e9b-19a17777ba2b

The JUSTNETNews Mailing List is maintained by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center, supported by Cooperative Agreement 2005-MU-CX-K077 awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice (NIJ). Regular postings to JUSTNETNews include abstracted news articles on law enforcement and corrections technology topics, upcoming NLECTC and NIJ events, NLECTC services and activities, new publications, and other technology-related announcements. Please note that providing information on law enforcement and corrections technology or the mention of specific manufacturers or products does not constitute the endorsement of the U.S. Department of Justice or its component parts.

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