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A man authorities said is a member of a multi-state drug ring called the Black Mafia Family is to be sentenced Thursday, a day after nine other members were sentenced in Atlanta. One by one, for nearly nine hours Wednesday, members of the Atlanta branch of the Black Mafia Family stood before U.S. District Judge Orinda Evans to hear their sentence. All got prison time ranging from four years to more than 16 years for drug conspiracy. They also got probation once they're released. Franklin Nash is to be sentenced Thursday. Authorities said the Black Mafia Family began with two brothers, Demetrius Flenory and Terry Flenory, selling crack cocaine in Detroit high schools in the mid-1980s. Within a few years, their Black Mafia Family had moved into 11 states.

Daniel James Rodd's jail term increased from nine to 10 years. Under Queensland legislation, a 10-year sentence automatically carries with it a serious violent offender declaration. This means Rodd - who was 34 in June when he was sentenced for a string of offences including trafficking and producing methylamphetamine - will serve at least eight years behind bars before he is eligible for parole. During the original sentence hearing, the Supreme Court in Brisbane was told Rodd was the head of a large-scale drug ring in south-east Queensland between 2002 and 2004. The court was told Rodd ran his business through the use of "gangster-style violence''. "Rodd used violence and threats of violence to control and manipulate his minions,'' reads a written judgment handed down today in the Court of Appeal. "During the trafficking he used violence to make others confess to crimes they had not committed to absolve him of responsibility... "He always carrie

At a detention review on Thursday, the IRB said that Tran will stay at the Calgary Remand Centre because he broke his release conditions and is considered a flight risk. The bonds posted for someone's release is forfeited to the Canadian government if release conditions are not met, according to the Canada Border Services Agency. The Calgary police and the CBSA supported keeping Tran in custody. Calgary gang investigators said previous attempts on Tran's life and his gang involvement created security risks for both him and the public if he was freed. A permanent resident who moved to Canada in 1993, Tran racked up a criminal record in Calgary that includes two convictions for drug trafficking and one for assault with a weapon, so immigration officials issued a removal order for him on April 20, 2004. Earlier this month, Tran's appeals of the removal order led to a federal court ruling that granted him a new deportation appeal hearing. That review began late Thursday afterno

California-based Mongols approached the Pagans Outlaw Motorcycle Club, which had dominated the East Coast and recently helped drive the Hells Angels the Mongols' archrivals out of Philadelphia.The would-be partnership between two tough biker clubs was revealed in an 86-count racketeering indictment, released last week, which charged 79 Mongols and associates in several states with murder, hate crimes and drug trafficking.The charges came after federal agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives infiltrated the Mongols for the second time in 10 years.According to the indictment, Mongols president Ruben "Doc" Cavazos talked - in code - to confidant Lawrence "Lars" Wilson about creating an alliance with the Pagans during an Aug. 1, 2007 telephone call.Cavazos, author of a recently published Mongols memoir, "Honor Few, Fear None," and Wilson wanted the Pagans to help them fight the "Sons of Silence" gang in Indiana, accord

Tulare County Sheriff's Department, meanwhile, continued its show of force in the Orosi-Cutler area. Sheriff Bill Wittman vowed an even stronger law enforcement presence Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.Wittman also appealed for help from those who may have witnessed the shootings, one Saturday night and two Sunday night.Sheriff's deputies arrested a 17-year-old youth Tuesday night after serving a search warrant at a residence in the 13000 block of Quinto Court, Cutler. There was no information about whether anything investigators found at the residence led to the arrest. The name of the suspect was not released because of his age. He was booked at the Tulare County Juvenile Facility. The youth is a suspect in the death of Daniel Mesa, 16, and the shooting of a 13-year-old boy. Mesa was shot Sunday night at Highway 63 and Avenue 413 in Orosi. It was the first of two shootings Sunday night.Wittman said eight detectives are working on the shootings around the clock.He said the

Thirteen members of the 9-Tek Grenades, part of the Bloods street gang, were arrested on organized crime charges.The gang made its money off armed robberies and home invasions for four years. Their crimes were spread all over Central Florida, more than 40 of them. One of them happened a few months ago when a gang member got into a fight with another customer and police found his pockets stuffed with drugs. The suspects made no secret about their affiliation. The 9-Tek Grenades were part of the East Coast Bloods. They had amassed an arsenal of handguns and assault rifles used in home invasions and armed robberies.But with the arrest of 12 men and one woman, investigators said they've ended the gang's four-year run."The Bloods are a violent criminal gang in this community and had the potential to terrorize any community in northeast Florida," said Dominick Pape, Florida Department of Law Enforcement.The gang literally grew up in the county, with several members starting

Roberta Williams,The former wife of gangland murderer Carl Williams, emerged smiling from court after the nine counts of failing to lodge a tax return were quashed.When asked by reporters if she had lodged her tax returns she replied "no, have you?". Crown Prosecutor Linda Skoblar made an application at the Broadmeadows Magistrates Court this morning to have the nine counts of failing to lodge a tax return between June 1998 and June 2006 stamped out, meaning Ms Williams, 39, was free to go. Outside court Ms Williams said she was happy with the decision but refused to detail how or why the charges were dropped. Ms Williams appeared in court wearing a white t-shirt with the silhouette of a woman holding a gun on the front. This week, it was reported she had launched a fashion label trading on the notoriety of former husband Carl and featuring his five-digit Victorian prisoner number.The new business has printed 1200 gangland-themed T-shirts under the label name Robya C.R.E.A.M

Law enforcement officers in Trinidad and Tobago believe that they have made a dent in a big drug ring involving Trinidad and Australia via Canada with the arrest of a 35-year-old car washer following the seizure of $4 million worth of high grade cocaine. The Trinidad Guardian newspaper reported that, acting on a tip-off, members of the narcotics unit, the Guard and Emergency Branch (GEB) and the K-9 unit intercepted a car in Tunapuna on Friday with a suitcase containing nine kilos of high grade cocaine. The cocaine, which is valued at $4 million, was being taken to Piarco by the car washer to be put on a flight bound for Canada. According to reports, the suspect was going to the airport to meet with his "contacts" at the airline counters where, after an exchange of cash and other promises, the suitcase would have been tagged and put on the flight with the address of someone living in Canada. According to the Guardian the suitcase would have been given priority treatment and p

Ms Lapthorne's father, Dale, said the sacking of Ivan Kresic would never bring back his daughter, but the Croatian police might now start a serious investigation into her disappearance and death.Croatian police chief who bungled the investigation into the disappearance of Melbourne backpacker Britt Lapthorne has been sacked."I had absolutely no confidence in the head of police in Dubrovnik," Mr Lapthorne said. "He was in denial that there was any crime there at all."Britt Lapthorne, 21, disappeared in the coastal town on September 18. Her badly decomposed body was found in the sea on October 8.Mr Lapthorne was angry when he was not told by Dubrovnik police that a body matching his daughter's description was found in the sea. Local police insisted it could not be hers, even though an autopsy proved it was. Acting Croatian police commissioner Vladimir Faber said the sacking was part of a nationwide shake-up of the country's police.He said Mr Kresic had los

Police are conducting a cold-case review of the murders, in which five young men were mutilated and killed during the seventies and eighties.It is understood the review has uncovered new evidence implicating a number of key suspects, but that police are still lacking crucial information that could lead to more arrests. The major crimes investigation section recently re-interviewed the only man convicted of involvement in the crimes.In 1984 Bevan Spencer von Einem, a former accountant, was found guilty of murdering 15-year-old Richard Kelvin, the son of a television personality.But another four killings remain unsolved. Persistent rumours have linked them to an alleged paedophile ring, known as the "Family" and supposedly linked to the Adelaide establishment.The ring's existence has never been proved, but von Einem hinted during an interview in 1989 that he could give names but was afraid to.Police are preparing to offer a AUS$5m (£2m) reward in the hope of cracking a 20-y

Paul Hogan has scored a big victory in his fight with the taxman - the Australian Crime Commission is ready to stump up millions of dollars to pay his legal bills.In a humiliating backdown, the commission has returned tens of thousands of the actor's financial documents. They were seized from his accountants three years ago as part of an investigation into claims he hid millions of dollars in a complex web of overseas trusts. Hogan claimed legal privilege over the documents. Many were mistakenly deleted because of a technical glitch, lawyers for the commission admitted before Justice Arthur Emmett in the Federal Court yesterday. Hogan's lawyers argued that anyone who viewed any of 35 seized documents should be excluded from taking part in further investigations. Barrister Tim Game, SC, for the ACC, said Hogan's application to exclude those who viewed the documents from the investigation would cripple the authority's efforts. The ACC said outside court yesterday's mo

Kyle Weese was arrested in February 2005 for a Sherbourne St. shooting that left one man wounded.When he was arrested at a rooming house three weeks later, Weese faced eight charges, including assault with a handgun and aggravated assault, for that shooting.Court documents show Weese pled guilty to one charge of discharging a firearm with intent to wound, maim or disfigure. In exchange, the Crown dropped the other seven charges in January 2006.He was sentenced to four years less time served. But because he had already served time in jail, he was to serve 25 months and one week. Weese was also given a lifetime firearms ban.

Brad Cooper is facing the possibility of the death penalty in North Carolina after being arrested and charged with the first-degree murder of his wife, former Edmontonian Nancy Cooper.Brad Cooper was indicted on the murder charge and arrested today, said Chief Pat Bazemore, police chief in Cary, N.C., where the Coopers lived. "The defendant named above unlawfully, willfully and feloniously and of malice afterthought did kill and murder Nancy Cooper," the indictment reads.The charge carries a possibility of life in prison without parole, or the death penalty, Bazemore said.The state of North Carolina only executes prisoners by lethal injection. No one has been executed in the state since 2006, when four prisoners were put to death.Nancy Cooper's father, Garry Rentz, spoke during a press conference from his Edmonton home this evening.Rentz expressed his thanks to all the people who "helped us, led us and supported us during the most complex 108 days of our history.&qu

Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) havearrested and charged Kerry Dallas of Jamaica who is in Canada illegally andresiding in Toronto, for committing drug offences and providing falseinformation to police.On October 23, 2008 the OPP Drug Enforcement Section (DES), along withmembers of the Nottawasaga OPP Detachment stopped a vehicle in Alliston,Ontario. DALLAS, who was the driver of the vehicle failed to properly identifyhimself and as a result, was arrested for obstructing police. Subsequent to his arrest, DALLAS was found to be in possession of numerous pieces of false identification. During the search of his vehicle, OPP officers also found approximately 14 grams of what is believed to be "crack" cocaine hidden in DALLAS' vehicle.The Investigation revealed that DALLAS was in Canada illegally, havingbeen initially deported back to Jamaica on April 5, 2007. Police do not know when DALLAS illegally returned to Canada. On October 24, 2008, OPP officers, with the assistance of

Alton Dewayne "Popeye" Sanders, has been charged with shooting a man on Hoover Road in August. He was jailed in lieu of $532,500 bail.Sanders, 24, of Wabash Street, faces charges of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, discharging a firearm into an occupied dwelling and discharging a firearm within the city limits.The charges stem from a drive-by shooting at an apartment complex at 1126 South Hoover Road at 11:50 p.m. on Aug. 4. A 22-year-old male who was standing in front of an apartment building was shot in the leg and buttocks by occupants of two vehicles.

The suspects in a spectacular fire at a Hells Angels compound northeast of Montreal had no ties to organized crime, provincial police say. The Sûreté du Québec said yesterday the men allegedly torched the bunker this month for "personal motives." The fire at the Sorel-Tracy clubhouse sparked fears of a renewal of violence among criminal biker gangs. However, a Montreal newspaper has reported that a love triangle was behind the blaze, which gutted the first Hells Angels clubhouse in Canada. Three men are in custody and face charges.

The police are keeping a close eye on 1,800 street gangs, at least 100 of which are involved in serious crimes, report several Dutch newspapers on Tuesday. The figures come from an investigation carried out by RTL news.According to the council of chief police officers, the police cannot deal with all the gangs and need hundreds of extra police to cope with the trouble they cause.Many police forces are concerned at the age of gang members and several report that children younger than 12 are joining, and sometimes even leading, the groups.They are also unhappy that parents are not willing to cooperate with them on alternative punishment and seem happy to pay fines and take their offspring home.Eric Akerboom of the chief police officers council told Radio 1 news on Tuesday morning that arresting the gang members is not enough. 'You also have to do something with the family,' he said.The Rotterdam region has the most street gangs with 193, including 11 which are involved in crime.

Bandidos bikie gang holds discussions with the family of murdered member Ross Brand about his funeral, messages of condolence and fury continue to flood the gang's website.Supporters from across Australia and as far afield as the US, Finland and Germany have posted their anguish after the gun slaying of enforcer Brand outside the gang's Geelong clubhouse. They include an inmate at Barwon Prison and a member of the United States Marine Corp based in Texas, who wrote "Stay cool brothers". Some painted Brand as a hardcore bikie, but others revealed a different side. Convicted criminal Brand, 51, shot in the head by a hitman last Wednesday night, was a father of two young boys and, apparently, a lover of antiques and gardening. "I will miss fossil hunting, the antiques roadshow and your interpretations of Confucius," one mate wrote. Another said: "I will look after George the cactus for you. I know how much you loved him." On a less gentle note, anothe

gangland-style shooting inside a Calgary restaurant early Sunday killed a man and woman who were both in their early twenties, police said. Two other young men were injured during the shootout, which occurred in a strip mall in the city's northeast end. One of the injured is in critical, but stable, condition. "It's believed one or more male persons entered the restaurant, walked directly to the table and committed the crime," said Calgary police Insp. Frank Reuser. He added that police have no suspects, but there were "numerous witnesses." Calgary Police Staff Sgt. Kevin Forsen said the killings carry some of the hallmarks of a gang hit. "Right now it appears to be very consistent with a targeted shooting that involves gangs," he told The Canadian Press. "It was very sudden and there were no precursors that we know of." Forsen added that the investigation is still in its early stages as police work to establish a motive and find out how

Opening statements are scheduled Monday morning in the trial of two Hells Angels officers accused of conspiring to commit murder.The trial of Remond Akleh and Mark Stephenson is set to take place in Superior Court in Whitby, following a lengthy jury selection process that concluded Thursday. Mr. Stephenson and Mr. Akleh were charged in September of 2006 of plotting with another man to murder a rival. They are also charged with counselling to commit murder.The prosecution case will be presented by Durham Region Crown Attorney John Scott and assistant Crown attorney Mitchell Flagg. Mr. Stephenson is represented by Brian Grys and Mr. Akleh is represented by Glen Orr. The trial will be presided over by Justice Bruce Glass.

Las Vegas Metro Police arrested seven Mongol motorcycle gang members on a variety of charges out of an estimated 10 to 11 gang members believed to be in Southern Nevada. Its members and their charges include: -- Harold Reynolds, known as "Face," 40, of Las Vegas, charged in federal warrants with racketeering influenced and corrupt organizations (RICO) conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine. -- David Padilla, also known as "Lazy Dave," 36, of Las Vegas, charged in federal warrants with RICO conspiracy, racketeering influenced and corrupt organizations, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. -- Ismael Padilla, also known as "Milo," 33, of Las Vegas, charged in federal warrants with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine. -- William Ramirez, also known as "Moreno," 38, of Las Vegas, charged in federal warrants with RICO conspiracy, co

"Everybody deserves a second chance," he said. "My son lost his." Detectives believe people are reluctant to provide information about the February 14 death of Leon Huddleston, 26, because they fear retribution by the Mongol Motorcycle Club, whose members are suspected in the slaying. "Any time you have gangs involved, whether it's motorcycle gangs or rival street gangs, it's extremely difficult to get people to come forward because of the fear of retaliation," Los Angeles County sheriff's Detective Steve Lankford, the lead investigator on the case, told the Los Angeles Times in a story posted Saturday on the paper's Web site. Huddleston was shooting pool in a crowded Lancaster bar when he was cracked over the head with a pool cue and kicked repeatedly in the ribs by two men who appeared to be members of a motorcycle gang, authorities said. Huddleston's alleged killers are Norberto Jose Montes, who goes by the nickname "Villain,&qu

Snoho­mish County medical examiner identified the girl found floating Tuesday in Lake Ballinger as Britney R. Galindez, 17, of Seattle.She had known links to gangs, Mountlake Terrace police said Thursday. Detectives are investigating the death as a homicide."The lifestyle she led was a lifestyle of gang activity with the attendant drugs and the criminal activity that goes along with the lifestyle," Mountlake Terrace police Sgt. Doug Hansen said. Galindez had connections with Vatos Locos 13, a street gang that has been active in the north Seattle area, Hansen said.Her MySpace page included text that was an apparent reference to the gang.When police divers pulled her from the water Tuesday, Galindez was wearing a gold-colored belt buckle with "13" on it. The number 13 is commonly affiliated with various Hispanic gangs.The teenager also told Seattle police earlier this year she was harassed by Sarah Black, a notorious MS-13 gang member, Hansen said. Black is now behind

Spain’s remains a target for Al-Qaeda four years after the Madrid bombings that killed 191 people, the intelligence service said in a report quoted by a Spanish newspaper Monday.“The counter-terrorist activities by the state security forces since the March 11, 2004 attacks shows that Spain remains a target of the Al-Qaeda network and its allies as well as a source of human resources,” the intelligence service said in a report, a copy of which was seen by the El Pais daily.“Al-Qaeda has not lost sight of the global jihad and, in exchanges with the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), it has told them to quickly attack local targets and reminds them that their real goal is to cross into Al Andalus,” it said. Al Andalus is the Arabic name for the parts of the Iberian peninsula that were under Muslim, or Moorish, control for almost 800 years until the late 15th century.The GSPC last year changed its name to Al-Qaeda’s Branch in the Islamic Maghreb.In September 2007, Al-Qaeda num

Methamphetamine addict tortured and strangled his girlfriend three years ago was sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole. A judge upheld a jury's sentencing recommendation for Jack Henry Lewis, Jr. "This was not only a senseless killing, it was a brutal and horrible act," Superior Court Judge John Einhorn told Lewis. "If there is any positive that can come of this, it's that for the rest of your life in prison, you can be the spokesperson for what happens when you take meth," the judge said. Prosecutors said Lewis, 39, was a methamphetamine addict who used his hands, feet and a flashlight to beat Jan Hasegawa, 48, then strangled her because she refused to perform a sex act. Her nude body, covered with more than 150 bruises, was found in their Serra Mesa apartment on Sept. 8, 2005. Lewis called 911 after her death but left the apartment before police arrived. He later turned himself in. Authorities said that Lewis and Hasegawa, who had a 12

Joseph Morgan, age 21, was found guilty by a Lowell Superior Court Jury today on counts of first degree murder, armed assault with intent to rob, armed assault in a dwelling, carrying a firearm without a license, and possessing ammunition without a FID card.Superior Court Judge Kenneth Fishman set a sentencing date of Wednesday, October 29, at 2 p.m., in Lowell Superior Court. A conviction of first degree murder carries an automatic sentence of life without parole.“We are thankful to the jury for their careful consideration of the facts before them and for holding this defendant responsible for the senseless murder of Alberto Cintron,” District Attorney Leone said. “We continue to offer our thoughts and sympathies to Alberto’s family and friends for their loss. This was a complex investigation, and today’s conviction was the result of the excellent work done by Lowell Police, Massachusetts State Police, and our trial team led by Assistant District Attorney Steve Loughlin.”According to

Joseph Morgan, age 21, was found guilty by a Lowell Superior Court Jury today on counts of first degree murder, armed assault with intent to rob, armed assault in a dwelling, carrying a firearm without a license, and possessing ammunition without a FID card.Superior Court Judge Kenneth Fishman set a sentencing date of Wednesday, October 29, at 2 p.m., in Lowell Superior Court. A conviction of first degree murder carries an automatic sentence of life without parole.“We are thankful to the jury for their careful consideration of the facts before them and for holding this defendant responsible for the senseless murder of Alberto Cintron,” District Attorney Leone said. “We continue to offer our thoughts and sympathies to Alberto’s family and friends for their loss. This was a complex investigation, and today’s conviction was the result of the excellent work done by Lowell Police, Massachusetts State Police, and our trial team led by Assistant District Attorney Steve Loughlin.”According to

Awor Ocer Lucy, a 42-year-old Ugandan, was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve for smuggling more than 2 kg of heroin into China.The woman was seized by customs officials at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport after drugs were found in her luggage on April 11.Bernard Sogbossi from the Republic of Benin and Sunday Ogbonna Okah from Nigeria each received life sentences for attempting to smuggle 200 g and 900 g of heroin respectively through the same airport in April.Filipino Balachawi Vilma Tuguinay was sentenced to 15 years in jail for smuggling 128 g of heroin into Guangzhou.The 31-year-old entered China through Shenzhen airport. She was arrested at a Guangzhou hospital after reporting with a stomachache on Feb 28 two weeks after swallowing the plastic-wrapped heroin when she left for China. All four foreigners were convicted at the Guangzhou intermediate people’s court yesterday.“The verdicts sound alarm bells for foreign smugglers,” Li Zhongyuan, a press official at the co

"Slow Pain," "Psycho" and "Kapone" operated in a violent, Mission District street gang that shook down drug dealers, punished suspected informants and resorted to murder to eliminate rival gang members, according to a federal indictment unsealed Thursday. The indictment filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco accuses 29 people allegedly tied to the notorious Mara Salvatrucha or MS-13 gang of engaging in murder, attempted murder, drug trafficking, witness tampering, car theft and extortion.Those indicted include alleged senior leaders in San Francisco's faction of the MS-13 gang, which originated in Los Angeles, has ties to El Salvador and is renowned for its savage tactics, federal prosecutors said.Most recently, authorities say, members of the faction, known as 20th Street clique, have been tied to at least five slayings in the city, including the June 22 killings in the Excelsior district of Tony Bologna, 48, and his sons Michael, 20, and Matth

Tran Trong Nghi Nguyen, who goes by the name Jackie Tran, was released Tuesday from the Remand Centre, prompting police to voice concerns of potential violence given his criminal past. Yesterday, Paula Faber, an Immigration and Refugee Board spokeswoman, said an application was made by Canada Border Services Agency for an admissibility hearing. It was set for today but is being rescheduled. The hearing, which applies to permanent residents or foreign nationals, basically means border officials will argue for Tran to be deemed inadmissible to Canada. Faber said it can be argued on grounds an individual is involved in crime, a security threat or contravened Immigration and Refugee laws. The case at the hearing for Tran will be based "on new allegations," presented by the CSBA, she said. Tran, 26, is a known gang member with an assault and drug-trafficking conviction who was ordered deported to Vietnam in 2004. Sources said Tran walked away uninjured after an attempt on his life

Alleged leader of the Blood Mafia Family street gang and who was to be deported yesterday to his native Haiti has received a last-minute reprieve from a Federal Court judge.Federal Court Chief Justice Allan Lutfy ruled late Monday that Valdano Toussaint should be allowed to stay in Canada, given the precarious humanitarian situation in the Caribbean country."We also argued that he committed crimes when he was a youth, and that his age should be taken into consideration," Toussaint's lawyer, Marie-Hélène Giroux, said in an interview.How can you know the consequences of your actions when you're 12?"Toussaint will be 22 next week. He arrived in Canada in 1997 and spent much of his youth in foster care. While he has no convictions as an adult, he pleaded guilty to weapons crimes as a youth.Lutfy ordered the stay of removal until Toussaint's lawyer can appeal the deportation order before the Federal Court.If deported, Toussaint would be imprisoned in Haiti, which

fatal shooting of Gavin McCarthy may not be directly related to a local feud, gardai now believe. However, they suspect McCarthy may have been killed after he allegedly struck a young woman with links to the rival faction in a local feud. Ballistics officers have carried out tests on a handgun which they believe was used in the shooting in Sheriff Street in Dublin's north inner city. The weapon was recovered in a search of the area by gardai. Experts are now trying to establish if the gun has been used in other shootings and this may help them determine whether members of the feuding gangs were involved in the incident. But detectives are also aware that McCarthy (21) was involved in drug dealing and are looking at the possibility that he could have upset other dealers by attempting to extend his "territory". Forensic tests have also been carried out on several bicycles recovered from the streets around the murder scene after witnesses reported that the killer made his es

Orlin A. Campos-Cerna, 18, was arrested last year on suspicion of fatally shooting Jose S. Avila. Avila was killed while sitting in his car with Anthony Tirado, a few blocks off Fourth Plain Boulevard. Tirado was not injured. The state and the defense have different theories as to what led to the shooting, but agree that the heart of the conflict was gang affiliation.To help jurors understand a gang member’s mentality, Deputy Prosecutor Tony Golik put Henderson, who works exclusively on Hispanic gang crimes, on the witness stand.Henderson said Sureño members increased significantly in Los Angeles in the mid-1940s, creating a crime wave that funneled Hispanics into a prison system run by white gang members who preyed on Hispanics.The “Mexican Mafia” was created in response to protect its members, Henderson said. In the late 1960s, there was an influx of Hispanics from Northern California going to prison, and they were harassed by the Mexican Mafia, who looked down on the field workers,

Pattaya gang member wanted by the police was shot dead while he was riding his motorbike with his girlfriend in Pattaya. Police assume his death was a revenge attack or linked to drug dealing. Banglamung police investigator Pol.Lt.Col. Pon Prasertsri was notified that Toa Naklua,otherwise known as Tao Pachajeen, had been brutally shot at the entrance of Sukhumvit Soi 22 ( Soi Susan Gao towards the old Chinese cemetery), Nongprue, Banglamung, Chonburi. Pol.Lt.Col. Pon Prasertsri and his police team together with the Sawang Boriboon rescue rushed to investigate. At the scene they found a white Honda Wave 125 I motorbike, Red License no. 19-601, Pattaya which had fallen on top of the deceased body of Mr. Krisada Ponpaipal (22), otherwise known as "Tao Pachajeen", a notorious Naklua gang member, who was living at 260/54 Moo. 2, Naklua, Chonburi. The deceased was wearing a dark blue t-shirt and jeans. Examination the body revealed that Mr. Krisada had one shot under his nose, one

Family members laid flowers for Mr Brand at the clubhouse on Thursday and one website condolence from "Jamie" of the Gold Coast described him as "a true stand-up guy, a much-loved friend and brother".Bandido Ross Brand died in hospital on Thursday after being gunned down while leaving the bikie gang's Geelong clubhouse on Wednesday night with three other men. A second man was undergoing surgery on Thursday to remove shotgun pellets in his buttocks, thigh and arms while the other two escaped injury and later gave their accounts of the ambush to police.A volley of shots was fired from a white twin-cab ute parked outside the clubhouse as the men left it just after 6pm (AEDT), near the corner of Bayldon Court and Leather Street in an industrial area of the Geelong suburb of Breakwater.Bandidos throughout Australia and around the world have sent condolences to the Geelong chapter of the global gang.Among the messages on the gang's website are several stating &quo

Federal and local authorities in Reno and Las Vegas said Tuesday that 29 arrests had been made in Nevada as part of a multistate investigation of a motorcycle gang. Five people arrested in Las Vegas on Tuesday were being held on federal charges of racketeering, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine, Las Vegas police said.Police Lt. Dave Logue, head of the department's intelligence section, said arrests and searches had effectively shut down the Las Vegas and Henderson chapters of the Mongols motorcycle club.Authorities said Jason "Big Jay" Hull, 33; David "Lazy Dave" Padilla, 38; Ismael "Milo" Padilla, 33; William "Moreno" Ramirez, 38; and Harold "Face" Reynolds, 40, all of Las Vegas, were in custody pending a Wednesday hearing before a federal magistrate. Another Las Vegas man, 43-year-old John "Sinister" Babcock, was being held on state charges of unlawful transfer of a firearm.Reno authorities said 23 peo

Former NSW Crime Commission assistant director of investigations Mark Standen appeared via a video link in the Central Local Court before Magistrate Allan Moore. The 51-year-old was arrested in June along with alleged co-conspirator Bakhos Jalalaty, 45, after a two-year federal investigation spanning three continents. Standen was clean-shaven and wore a blue-green prison issue pullover as he appeared on the video link. "I appreciate that, thank you," he told Magistrate Moore when a new court date was set. Standen was remanded in custody until his next court appearance on November 19 when further legal argument will take place or a date will be set for a committal hearing. Jalalaty had appeared moments earlier, also via a videolink, but opted for his face not to appear on the screen. He was also refused bail and is also due to appear before the court again on November 19. Both men have been charged with conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of a precursor substance used t

Amaad Thompson a/k/a "Fat-Boy" and Derek Dixon, both of Somerset, were arrested on Oct. 16.According to Somerset County Prosecutor Wayne J. Forrest, on Oct. 16 the Somerset County Gangs and Guns Task Force and the Franklin Township Crime Suppression Unit saw Thompson sell crack cocaine to Dixon outside the A&G Deli on Millstone Road in Franklin Township.Detectives approached Dixon and Thompson and discovered two baggies of crack cocaine which Dixon attempted to discard. Simultaneously, another group of detectives searched Thompson's residence and found a Smith and Wesson .357 magnum revolver and a Llama .45 automatic handgun, ammunition and controlled dangerous substance packaging materials.He also had two full-grown pit bull dogs in the bedroom. One of the dogs, unfortunately, was shot and killed for lunging at one of the detectives.Thompson was also identified as a member of the Bounty Hunter Lot Boys, a subset of the Bloods criminal street gang as he has a tattoo o

Dozens of motorcycle gang members were arrested today by federal agents in six states, including Washington, on warrants ranging from drug sales to murder after a three-year undercover investigation in which four agents successfully infiltrated the group.At least 38 members of the Southern California-based Mongol motorcycle gang were arrested under a federal racketeering indictment that included charges of murder, attempted murder, assault, as well as gun and drug violations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives spokesman Mike Hoffman said.During some arrests, sharpshooters stood guard on surrounding rooftops and motorcycles were lined up and confiscated."It's going to be a large hit to their organization, we are arresting many of their top members," Hoffman said.Among those arrested were the gang's former national president Ruben Cavazos.Federal and local agents had 110 federal arrest warrants and 160 search warrants that were being served across South

The suspected leader of the Casalesi murder squad, Giuseppe Di Setola, heads the police's most wanted list. Despite his reputation for being the mob's top hitman, Di Setola is still trying to convince police he is in fact blind, the DNA said. They said he had sent a letter to a local newspaper claiming to be an innocent bystander, accompanied by a photo showing him with a bandage over one eye and leaning on a walking stick. ''He's trying it on again,'' the DNA said. The brutal empire of the Casalesi was exposed in a book by writer and journalist Roberto Saviano, who said last week he would have to leave Italy to escape their threats.Camorra clan Italy has sent the army against is feeling ''hunted'' as turncoats desert it, Italian anti-Mafia police said on Monday. Hundreds of police and troops are stopping the Clan dei Casalesi from going about its business, the Anti-Mafia Directorate (DNA) in Naples said. ''They feel hunted and are ha

Brittany Giese and Garrett McComb were lucky to escape death when their SUV was riddled with bullets during a gang-related gun battle in downtown Prince George this summer, but their luck ran out this month.That's when the 19-year-old woman and 23-year-old man were found shot to death in a home in the southwest corner of Prince George, near the main campus of the University of Northern British Columbia. For the first time yesterday, RCMP explicitly linked the gun battle and the double slaying.They appear to be part of a wave of gang violence that has rocked the city of about 77,000 people. Incidents since last Christmas have included everything from a brawl at a major shopping mall to a fatal shooting outside a popular restaurant to the beatings and torture of those who have not paid their drug debts. "It means they missed [Ms. Giese and Mr. McComb] the first time; they got them the second time," RCMP Constable Gary Godwin said.He said he could not comment on who "t

Ashley Kemete, 20, was gunned down in White Hart Street, Kennington, south London. Paramedics and the air ambulance were called but the victim was pronounced dead at the scene.Locals told how there were gangs in the area though police said they were keeping an open mind as to motive at this stage and declined to comment on whether it was gang related.One woman, who refused to give her name, said there were many gangs around there.She said: "There are five gangs in the immediate area. They fight on Friday nights, it's all about drugs and territory. We can expect to see some terrible repercussions from this."Abdul Momen, who works at Taste of India takeaway, said the murder was "shocking"."Normally it's just car accidents in Kennington Lane but this is very serious. There's so many gangs in this area so maybe it's linked to them."A post-mortem examination will be held at Greenwich Mortuary. Detective Inspector Tony Broughton of the Metropolit

Three teenage boys were shot in the space of a few minutes Saturday night in the latest flare-up of gun violence in the Glades, authorities said.The youngest victim of Saturday night's shootings was 13.The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office released none of the victims' names this morning.According to a statement circulated by the sheriff's office, the shootings happened this way:Deputies were called to Southwest 6th Street and Southwest Avenue F in Belle Glade about 8:45 p.m. and found the first victim, a 17-year-old sprawled on the ground and bleeding from gunshot wounds to his chest and arm.Sweeping the area, deputies found two more victims, a 15-year-old boy and the 13-year-old, who was taken to Glades General Hospital. The other two boys were taken to Delray Medical Center, where the older boy underwent emergency surgery.Information on their condition wasn't available Sunday morning. Back at the crime scene, deputies found two guns and shell casings. The Palm B

Hells Angels biker gang Bunker was gutted down in a fire yesterday in Quebec. It is said that a truck slammed into the bunker which was used as a meeting place for the biker gang. The truck blasted and caused the flames which eventually resulted in the complete burn down of the place. The police are investigating the case.

Arrested mafia boss Antonio Pelle in southern Italy. He has been implicated in the vendetta that led to the August 2007 slayings of six members of his clan in Duisburg, Germany.Pelle, 46, was found in a bunker in the country in southern Calabria. Police said he fell to his knees when they arrived saying, "I surrender." Suspected of heading the Pelle-Romeo family, one of two feuding clans in the village of San Luca, Pelle had been on the run since the Duisburg killings. The main suspect in the killings, Giovanni Strangio, 29, of the Nirta-Strangio clan, remains at large. Fifty-eight suspected mafiosi will go on trial this month and in November following a probe into the feud between the Pelle-Vottari and Nirta-Strangio clans, which has claimed nearly 20 lives since 1991.The feud became international news when six members of the Pelle-Romeo clan, aged 16 to 39, were killed execution-style outside a pizza restaurant in Duisburg in the early hours of August 15, 2007. Their bodies

Assets will be confiscated from six mob leaders, including Nicolo Rizzuto, as the case against them enters the sentencing stage.Last month, when Rizzuto and the five other reputed leaders of the Montreal Mafia pleaded guilty to charges stemming from Project Colisee, prosecutor Yvan Poulin told Quebec Court Judge Jean-Pierre Bonin that confiscations had played a role in the plea bargaining process.Project Colisee was a Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit investigation into the Rizzuto organization and its involvement in drug smuggling, drug trafficking and illegal gambling.Among the assets seized when arrests were carried out in November 2006 were 10 residences in Montreal and Laval, $3.5 million in cash and the assets from several bank accounts.When Francesco (Chit) Del Balso, 38 was arrested as part of the Colisee sweep, the Crown placed a seizure order on his home in Laval’s Vimont district. The court order blocked Del Balso and his wife from selling their house or using it to o

Warlocks Motorcycle Gang were the main recipients of lots of meth cooked up in two labs in Berks and Montgomery Counties. The labs produced over 500 pounds of meth, worth millions of dollars.They had the firepower, they had the drugs and they generated plenty of cash. State investigators say when it came to producing home grown methamphetamine in our region, this was a big time operation."Spadafora allegedly produced more than $9 million worth of methamphetamine," said Attorney General Thomas Corbett.Agents say 42-year-old Michael Spadafora and three others ran the show, cooking meth in the kitchen and basement of Spadafora's half-million dollar Reading home, a shed and a shipping container. After each meth cook, they say Spadafora put liquid meth in pipes and buried it underground until he needed more. Some of his best customers were right here in our area."We believe Mr. Spadaforas's meth was distributed across southeastern Pennsylvania and was even being suppl