Standard-Times BOSTON A former member of the New Bedford Chapter of the Massachusetts Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation ("Latin Kings") was sentenced Tuesday on racketeering. Now, 48 years later, officials have identified the 'Lady of the Dunes. He pleaded guilty on April 19, 2022 to one count of conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, and one count of conspiracy to manufacture, distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base. The Latin Kings are a violent criminal enterprise comprised of thousands of members across the United States. Several arrested members of the so-called Latin Kings street gang have been released on bail in New Bedford and local law enforcement officials are not pleased. Reyes-Smith is believed to have left Massachusetts following a May 2018 shooting that was caught on camera and for which he is currently in warrant status. If you dont have that, its very difficult to get the leaders.. View this $1800000 4 bed, 3.0 bath, 4875 sqft single family home located at 27 Marcus Garvey Blvd built in 1931 on Zillow. In February 2019, Paris fired multiple gunshots at rival gang members who were observed leaving a Latin Kings trap house. Having taken out most of the leadership, its extremely difficult for the gang to regroup in this region and time soon, he said. Santiago is a current member of the New Bedford Chapter of the Latin Kings. Avitable was originally arrested as part of Operation Throne Down in December 2019, in which 62 suspected Latin Kings and Queens and their associates were arrested, as 31 search warrants were executed at 24 locations including locations in New Bedford at 358 North Front Street and 239 Sawyer Street. Cecchetelli is alleged to be the conduit between each of the Eastern Region states and the Latin Kings national leadership in Chicago. Dozens of firearms, including machine guns and sawed-off shotguns, were seized, as well as six cars, six motorcycles, three jet skis, an ATV, various drugs, and about $38,000 in cash. On Aug. 24, 2019, Lugo was captured on video delivering cocaine base to another Latin Kings member in a trap house, the news release said. BOSTON (AP) More than 60 members of the Latin Kings have been arrested on federal racketeering, drug and firearms charges, including the leaders of the street gang's East Coast operations,. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. Owner of New Bedford Guide. According to court documents, the Eastern Region of the Latin Kings encompasses local chapters in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, and various other states along the eastern seaboard from Maryland to Florida. These apartment buildings, referred to as "trap houses" by the Latin Kings, were used by the gang in furtherance of the racketeering conspiracy. BOSTON A former member of the New Bedford Chapter of the Massachusetts Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (Latin Kings) pleaded guilty on March 3 to racketeering charges. DONT WORRY THE JUDGES WILL LET THEM OFF LIKE EVERY OTHER BUST LIKE THIS. Official websites use .gov Required fields are marked *, 7 Lelling said Operation Throne Down prevented at least eight murders. It is alleged that during the investigation, recorded undercover purchases revealed that over the last 18 months, the individuals arrested today sold narcotics in the New Bedford to cooperating witnesses and undercover officers. Rodriguez served as Inca, or leader, of the New Bedford Chapter of the Latin Kings. During that incident, multiple Latin Kings members chased the two victims to a vehicle, surrounded the vehicle, and slashed their tires. Valentin-Soto is a member and the former Cacique of the New Bedford Chapter of the Latin Kings. New Bedford School Committee Members on Student Protest Against Oliver, New Bedford Mayor, City Councilor Denounce Councilor-Elect Olivers Memes, New Bedfords Hotel Waverly Most Recently Provided Sober Housing, New Bedford LGBTQ Students, Allies Plan Protest Over Olivers Election, Company Behind Former New Bedford Methadone Clinic Proposal Charged With Fraud, New Bedford 2016 Clinton Visit May Have Violated Election Laws, New Bedford Relocating Senior Programs and Adult Day Care, Massachusetts Pandemic SNAP Benefits End March 2, Heres What Happened to New Bedfords Jimmie Evans Flyer Diner. Former Latin Kings Crown Council Chairman Angel Rodriguez (King Ace) pled guilty and his sentencing is scheduled for April, according to the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts. At the end of the beating, an item believed to be a wallet or a cell phone was taken from the victims pants pocket. Official websites use .gov Attorneys Philip A. Mallard and Lauren Graber of Mendells Criminal Division prosecuted the case. The sentence was handed down by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel despite the government recommending a sentence of 10 months in prison. Federal court documents detail how law enforcement spent four years infiltrating the gang, recording high-level conversations through informants and scouring social media for posts implicating any of its members in crimes. display: none !important; There are 11 active Latin Kings Chapters operating in Massachusetts: D5K (Boston), Morton Street Bricks (Boston), New Bedford, Springfield, Lynn/Salem, Chelsea, Lowell, Lawrence, Worcester, Fitchburg and within the Department of Corrections. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. The charge stemmed from a February incident in which a victim told police that a total of six people assaulted him and stole approximately $600 from his wallet. BOSTON A Boston man has been sentenced for robbing a TD Bank branch in Cambridge. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Springfield:413-785-0235 In total, 62 alleged gang members were charged nine of which were already in custody and eight of which are now fugitives. He also has an open case related to a May 2018 shooting incident. Contact Us- Overview- Territory/Jurisdiction, News and Outreach- Press Room | Stories- In Your Community, About Us- Our People & Capabilities- What We Investigate- Our Partnerships- Boston History, This content has been reproduced from its. The victim reported that Johnson punched and kicked him, and that another Latin Kings member, Hector Torres, punched him and pushed him out of the apartment after they had stolen the cash from his wallet. More than 60 members of the Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation commonly known as the Latin Kings are facing federal charges after the FBI and other agencies carried out a large-scale bust Thursday morning, officials said. Velazquez is a current member of the New Bedford Chapter of the Latin Kings. There are 11 active Latin Kings Chapters operating in Massachusetts: D5K (Boston), Morton Street Bricks (Boston), New Bedford, Springfield, Lynn/Salem, Chelsea, Lowell, Lawrence, Worcester, Fitchburg and within the Department of Corrections. NEW BEDFORD The owner of multiple apartment buildings used by the New Bedford Latin Kings gang for dealing drugs has pleaded guilty to racketeering and drug conspiracy charges. As part of the plea agreement, Avitable has agreed to forfeit the three apartment buildings that he owned in the City of New Bedford. New Bedford Latin Kings: Who they are and what they've done Jerry Boggs jboggs@s-t.com A total of 22 individuals are named from New Bedford as members of the Almighty Latin King and Queen. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. Over the last several years, New Bedford has made considerable progress on improving public safety citywide, and the arrests today in our city will help us close the lid on violent crime in the near North End.. 1 Courthouse Way, Suite 9200 Three houses in New Bedford were seized that Bonavolonta said the Latin Kings were using as trap houses to store and sell illegal narcotics, stash firearms, and shoot music videos posting about their love of violence.. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. In another incident in July 2019, Santiago-Torres fired multiple times at rival gang members as they fled a fight with the Latin Kings in a New Bedford street. District of Massachusetts Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. In 2018, Johnson pleaded guilty to larceny from a person and assault and battery by means of dangerous weapon and was sentenced to 1 year in the House of Correction. The Latin Kings are known to sell cocaine, fentanyl and heroin. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. Lock Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and New Bedford Police Chief Joseph C. Cordeiro made the announcement today. Just two months later, in September 2019, he and other gang members shot and struck a victim with a gun later found in Santiago-Torres' apartment. Of the 62 charged defendants in the raid, two remain in warrant status. The Latin Kings adhere to a national manifesto, employ an internal judiciary and use a sophisticated system of communication to maintain the hierarchy of the organization. He developed a leadership approach to the gang which has become a model for other Latin Kings regions of the country. '. BOSTON A New Hampshire man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for the allegedly committing a string of five bank robberies across Northern Massachusetts. Cecchetelli allegedly reigned over 14 states, from Massachusetts to Florida, pulling the strings from his Springfield home. Mendez admitted that these victims were targeted because one of the victims previously objected to Latin Kings members conducting drug transactions in the victims driveway. As alleged in court documents, the gang uses drug distribution to generate revenue, and engages in violence against witnesses and rival gangs to further its influence and to protect its turf. Two high-ranking brothers of the Latin Kings oversaw brutal beatings and attempted murders in New Bedford as a bloody gang war escalated with the death of a teenager in October, a. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Official websites use .gov Avitable was also heard on multiple recordings in discussions with gang leaders, including discussing a joint real estate deal with Rodriguez and how he would help launder drug money for the Latin Kings. The victim was apparently targeted for selling drugs from a source that was not gang-approved. Ruizs membership in the Latin Kings has been confirmed by numerous recordings where she is present during discussion of Latin Kings business and affairs, presence at meetings and gatherings with other Latin Kings members, and on social media where she has made postings of Latin Kings signs, symbols and phraseology and posted pictures depicting her with other Latin Kings members. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Statement of Mayor Jon Mitchell on federal raids in Massachusetts cities including New Bedford: I am grateful for the work of the U.S. Attorneys Office, along with the FBI and state and local law enforcement agencies, in undertaking such a comprehensive effort to neutralize the activities of the Latin Kings across New England. The state defendants will be prosecuted by District Attorney Sutters Office. Mendez is the 50thdefendant to be sentenced in the case. A lock ( Time after time, we uncovered their planning of brazen acts of violence against those who ran afoul of the gangs manifesto and constitution, he said. A total of 22 individuals are named from New Bedford as members of the Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation in the indictment filed by FBI Special Agent Dominic Coppo. Luis Mendez, a/k/a King Primo, 41, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to 100 months in prison, with credit for time served in related state cases, and three years of supervised release. To get at gang leadership, you almost always need a highly placed cooperating source, he said. Valuable assistance was also provided by the FBI North Shore Gang Task Force and the Bristol County and Suffolk County District Attorneys Offices. U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts, Former Member of New Bedford Latin Kings Sentenced to Over Eight Years in Prison for Racketeering Conspiracy, Boston Man Sentenced for Cambridge Bank Robbery, New Hampshire Man Indicted for Allegedly Robbing Five Massachusetts Banks, Boston Man Indicted for Robbing Brookline Bank, Former Member of New Bedford Latin Kings Sentenced To Over Eight Years In Prison For Racketeering Conspiracy. BOSTON It's seven years in prison for a former enforcer for the New Bedford chapter of the Latin Kings gang who pleaded guilty last year to racketeering conspiracy. The Latin Kings adhere to a national manifesto, employ an internal judiciary and use a sophisticated system of communication to maintain the hierarchy of the organization. In November 2020, Lugo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine base. These are the top stories of the past week on, New Bedford School Committee Members on Student Protest Against Oliver, New Bedford Mayor, City Councilor Denounce Councilor-Elect Olivers Memes, New Bedfords Hotel Waverly Most Recently Provided Sober Housing, New Bedford LGBTQ Students, Allies Plan Protest Over Olivers Election, Company Behind Former New Bedford Methadone Clinic Proposal Charged With Fraud, New Bedford 2016 Clinton Visit May Have Violated Election Laws, New Bedford Relocating Senior Programs and Adult Day Care, Massachusetts Pandemic SNAP Benefits End March 2. BOSTON A Boston man has been indicted in connection with the September 2022 robbery of a bank in Brookline. 2023 www.southcoasttoday.com. Criminal activity in the Eastern Region is led by Michael Cecchetelli, a/k/a King Merlin, 40, of Springfield, who holds the title of Supreme East Coast Regional Overseer. The U.S. Attorney's Office said 28-year-old Jose Vasquez, known as "King Fearless," will also spend three years on probation following his release from prison after his sentencing Tuesday.