Simmons immediately stated that he would willingly submit a DNA test, detectives wrote. Have a question about Government Services? Donell Squeaky Simmons. "This verdict inflicts a serious blow to the to leaders of the Latin Kings," U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said in a news release. Colon, 43, and 12 of the other defendants were charged with drug conspiracy. He is currently held at a federal prison in Kentucky. Vargas' attorney, Todd Pugh, said his client lived a double life, as a father of five children, union bricklayer and Little League coach, while he was involved with the drugs and violence of the gang. Rockford, IL 61101, Chicago: (312) 353-5300 Evidence presented at the trial included audio and video recordings of three beatings of gang members for violating gang "rules" and testimony documenting 20 shootings in the Little Village area. Simmons ran with the bodyguard in pursuit and the sheriffs officers now less than a block away. The investigation that led to the convictions began in late 2006, agents from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, which initially brought charges against 38 Latin Kings members and associates, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. In May 2003, Nunnery got in touch with a guy named Marcus Ware, who hung around the barbershop at Roosevelt and Sacramento and had two drug convictions and one on a weapons charge. Western Division Colon absolutely deserves this opportunity to finally be out and be with his family and be free after all these years in custody, Pissetzky said. [14] Edward L. Feightner, 100, American Navy officer and flying ace. Donell states that Bro Man told Donell that he wanted Donell to pop him. Two high-level leaders of the Latin Kings gang were among 21 people arrested in a months-long investigation that resulted in the seizure of large amounts of fentanyl and other drugs in southern Hillsborough County, officials said Monday. 327 S. Church Street, Room 3300 For much of the last several years, the barrel-chested Colon was housed at the Menard Correctional Center's honor dorm, where he had the key to his own room and could wander the prison grounds even when other inmates were locked in their cell. A detectives report on conversations regarding Rudy Rangel Jr.s killing that were overheard by a police informant. He was sentencing Latin Kings leader Alexander Vargas, who had ordered two murders and been involved in drug trafficking, while taking into account his Amayas sentencing marks the last significant event in cases since 2008 that resulted in federal convictions of, and lengthy sentences for, Augustin Zambrano, the Latin Kings leader or Corona; Vicente Garcia, the gangs Supreme Regional Inca; Fernando King, who preceded Garcia as second-incommand; and more than two dozen other top-ranking leaders. Jose Guzman, a former Nation Enforcer in the 26th Street, or Little Village, faction, was sentenced to 35 years in prison, and Alphonso Chavez, the Inca, or leader of the gangs 31st and Drake faction, was sentenced to 30 years in prison. "It demonstrates that the combined and coordinated efforts of federal, state and local law enforcement can assemble cases looking at disparate crimes such as selling false identification documents in Little Village and tie them all the way back to the gang leaders responsible for a broad array of criminal conduct. CHICAGO (AP) Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson will meet in a runoff to be the next mayor of Chicago after voters denied incumbent Lori Lightfoot a second term, The U.S. Attorneys Office argues that Colon is serving a sentence that is within the advisory guidelines range and fully justified given his role as leader of the Latin Kings. Prosecutors have also focused heavily on Colons murder conviction in state court, a tactic that Pissetzky called a red herring., Its just unconscionable, I think, to keep somebody in prison for a drug offense for that long of a time, Pissetzky said. He forbade him to write or be visited by anyone except his lawyer and close relatives, of whom Felipe has none. Two high-level leaders of the Latin Kings gang were among 21 people arrested in a monthslong investigation that resulted in the seizure of large amounts of fentanyl and other drugs in southern Hillsborough County, officials said Monday. Detectives investigating Rangels death learned of an informant being used by the police departments Organized Crime Division whod recorded conversations with Nunnery in which he implicated himself in the shooting. Colon's wife, Marisol Colon, 31, was named in the indictment along with two other people for allegedly serving as the gang's top street administrators. The following year, Colon was sentenced to at least 30 years in state prison for the murder. Colon was born in Chicago in 1972 and became involved in the Latin Kings at a young age. There are many other Latino gangs in Chicago. Caesar Diaz, 24, of Calumet City, was charged with one count of attempting to distribute cocaine. (Source: Sun-Times Media Wire Chicago Sun-Times 2013. WebGino Gustavo Colon, also known as "King Gino," was the leader of the Latin Kings, a street gang that originated in Chicago in the 1940s. Colon then walked over to a girl who was in Burrs group. | Chicago Police Department. The RICO conspiracy count included evidence that Zambrano and several co-defendants conspired to demand and receive payment from the organization by illegally selling fraudulent immigration documents in Little Village by threatening and using violence against members of that organization unless the defendant received regular cash payments, the release said. Attorneys Andrew Porter, Nancy DePodesta and Tinos Diamantatos. Vargas was part of a more than 20 gang members who were indicted for their parts in multiple murders and drug trafficking. Garcia and Zambrano were the highest-ranking Latin Kings to be convicted and sentenced since Gustavo Gino Colon, who also holds the title of Corona, was sentenced to life in prison in 2000. His attorney argues that the child that committed that murder a half century ago is incomparable to the person who sits in jail today.. He will have to spend at least 85 percent of his 40-year sentence in custody, according to federal prosecutors. This United States biographical article related to crime is a stub. WebThe indictment charges three alleged high-ranking Latin Kings who enforced discipline and adherence to the gangs rules and were known as Regional Enforcers. The three Southeast Regional Enforcers charged in the indictment are: Raul Cavillo, 33; Joel Nunez, 39; and Carlos Padilla Jr., 35, all of Chicago. Labar Bro Man Spann. Tribune reporter Flynn McRoberts contributed to this article. Lozano urged Vargas to seek treatment for alcohol abuse and pursue his education while he is in prison. [2] However, the appellate court recognized that federal statutes generally allow only the attorney general, through the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to determine the conditions of confinement imposed on federal prisoners,[3] but that other statutes,[4] allow district courts to set special conditions of confinement on defendants convicted of racketeering. WebCHICAGO Twenty-six alleged members and associates of the Latin Kings street gang are facing federal narcotics charges, most of them for their alleged roles in one of two drug-trafficking organizations that supplied and distributed multi-kilogram quantities of heroin, cocaine and marijuana in Chicago and the south suburbs. On June 4, 2003, Nunnery was at work at a cellphone store when he got the call from Ware hed been waiting for: Rangel was at the barbershop. An FBI investigation of the gang led to charges against 40 Latin King members and associates in 2008. For the first time in three years, Latin's math department hosted the Middle School Math Contest in person on Saturday, January 28. Garcia, who was called the "Supreme Regional Inca" of the Almighty Latin King Nation, along with Zambrano and others, were convicted in April 2011 of using murder and other acts of violence to protect their gang's drug trafficking enterprise. I joined the Latin Kings when I was 12 years old, and it taught me nothing but evil.". Fifty years ago this week June 27, 1971 Gustavo Colon, a teen Latin King, shot and killed Glenn Burr, a teen Vice Lord, at the intersection of Potomac Avenue and Leavitt Street. The gang also has a powerful presence in New York City, Miami and many other large U.S. cities. Although law enforcement officials say the indictment is likely to cause disarray in the gang's North Side operations, it will have little impact on the gang's operations on the South Side, which is allegedly run by another gang leader, who is a longtime rival of Colon's. Fifty years ago this week June 27, 1971 Gustavo Colon, a teen Latin King, shot and killed Glenn Burr, a teen Vice Lord, at the intersection of Potomac Avenue The survey of about 1,300 players, released Wednesday, was created to help players make free-agent decisions and to improve league standards. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Law enforcement authorities say the Latin Kings are the state's third-largest gang with an estimated 18,000 members in Chicago alone. But the indictment underscores how the narcotics trade remains the financial life blood of all of Chicago's major gangs. The states attorneys office dropped the murder, attempted murder, aggravated battery and conspiracy to commit murder charges. They were at once the lay face of the church, the spiritual heart of civic government, and the social kin who claimed the allegiance of peers and the obedience of subordinates. The indictment last September targeting the Four Corner Hustlers includes six murders. Simmons was walking to a liquor store at Madison and Keeler when he saw Nunnery driving a red Ford Taurus with Spann in back and another man in the front. He fired repeatedly into the body of [the victim], and then casually held the gun to the head of [the young woman], who was spared only because the killers earlier zeal had emptied the weapon.. The convictions resulted from a sustained, coordinated effort by federal law enforcement agencies, working together with the Chicago Police Department and other state and local partners, to dismantle the hierarchy of the Latin Kings and other highly-organized, often violent Chicago street gangs. Colon was driven to Chicago in a van under tight security; he is being held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center downtown. 1998), Federal Prison Reform- Super Jail and Solitary Confinement Policy, Testing the Limits of Punishment; Unusually Severe Life Sentence vs. Society's Need for Safety, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Luis_Felipe_(gang_leader)&oldid=1120914583, People convicted of murder by the United States federal government, American prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment, Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by the United States federal government, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Life imprisonment plus 45 years without parole, This page was last edited on 9 November 2022, at 14:12. From its origin and base in the west side Little Village community, the Latin Kings spread throughout Chicago and Illinois and established branches in other states, where local leaders acted with some autonomy but adhered to the rules and hierarchy of the Chicago gang, according to the evidence in the five-week federal trial. Even while held at the Cook County Jail, Spann who has used a wheelchair since being shot more than 15 years ago has found himself in trouble. Based on those records, this is the story of the killing of Rudy Kato Rangel Jr. Born on Thanksgiving Day 1972, Rangel grew up in LeClaire Courts on the Southwest Side but ended up traveling in lofty circles in two worlds: crime and rap music. Now, 15 years later, 11 members of the Four Corner Hustlers, including Labar Bro Man Spann, leader of the gang, await prosecution next year in one of the biggest gang trials ever in Chicago. The Chicago Police Department, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Chicago, and the Cook County Sheriffs Police also had significant roles in the investigation, which was conducted through the federal High Intensity Drug-Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force and under the umbrella of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). Rudy Rangel Jr. liked to keep his hair short. Colons attorney, Gal Pissetzky, filed a motion last year asking for Colons release because he was at a greater risk of contracting COVID-19. In 2008, 40 more Latin Kings members were charged. Is it time to let Lord Gino Colon come home? Prison sources say that Colon was awakened at 4:15 a.m. Thursday by prison officials, who handcuffed him and then escorted him out of the prison, where he was handed over to federal agents. Ware and Nunnery were brought in on Nov. 14, and Simmons was arrested eight days later, initially in a separate incident. The following year, he was found guilty of murder and sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison. The Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administrations Bro Man told Donell about a lick that a Puerto Rican had done for 150 kilos of cocaine, a detective wrote after interviewing Simmons. 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. "My goal is to do my time and get out of the penitentiary.". Ware made a deal, pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit armed robbery, testifying against Simmons and getting an 11-year sentence. Gary Marx, Chicago Tribune Reporter, states that Gino has a rival, a Latin King leader outside the prison. Also convicted were 33-year-old Vicente Garcia, who was in charge of all Latin Kings in Illinois; Jose Guzman, 34, known as a former "National Enforcer' in the Little Village faction; and Alphonso Chavez, 26, the leader of the gang's 31st and Drake faction. As witnesses told the court, the Colon shot Burr as he tried to run away. Alphonso Chavez, 26, the alleged leader of the gang's 31st Street crew was sentenced to 30 years in prison; Jose Guzman, 34, a "National Enforcer" in Little Village was sentenced to 35 years in prison, according to prosecutors. Simmons then stated that he would talk to Det. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Late that May, Ware, Nunnery and Spann picked up Simmons at his West Side home, according to a prosecutors report. 327 S. Church Street, Room 3300 "We both lost loved ones in this stupid gang war. Undercover detectives started making street-level purchases and moved on to larger trafficking amounts of drugs. They sold powder cocaine twice a month to fund the "Nation Box," a kitty used by the regional gang hierarchy to buy guns and ammunition, and to pay funeral and attorney fees for gang members, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. [5], Felipe is currently incarcerated at ADX Florence.[6]. Well be right here waiting for you. . CHICAGO The second highest-ranking leader nationwide of the Latin Kings street gang was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison after being convicted WebPublishers summary: Confraternities were the most common form of organized religious life in medieval and early modern Europe. Man Of Steel 02. Rangel decided to join him. This sentence holds Garcia accountable for the barbaric enterprise known as the Latin Kings and his role in murder, attempted murder, shootings, beatings, drug trafficking, and other crimes, said Gary S. Shapiro, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. Chicago, IL 60604 Hes also taken other courses that focus on keeping away from the sort of criminal activities that got him locked up in the first place. He was there only a few minutes when Simmons who didnt know about Rangels 23-year-old bodyguard or his five-shot revolver came out of the alley. WebThe largest Latino gang in Chicago, and perhaps in the United States, is the Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. CHICAGO A high-ranking leader of the Latin Kings street gang was sentenced today to 35 years in federal prison after being convicted of racketeering conspiracy and related charges involving narcotics trafficking and violence that plagued the Little Village neighborhood on the citys west side. As he ran, Simmons Nets cap fell off. The 66-year-old Colon, Pissetzky said, has high blood pressure, hypertension and prediabetes. The leaders were said to be 32-year-old Fidencio Robles, one of the top five Latin Kings in Florida, and 30-year-old Omar Bravo, the head narcotics supplier in Florida. Also seized were about 100 roosters that Chronister said were used in illegal cockfighting. Spann, whose attorney Tod Urban didnt return messages seeking comment, already is facing as many as 70 years in prison, having pleaded guilty three months before the indictment to being a felon in possession of a weapon, obstruction of justice involving witness tampering and cocaine possession with intent to distribute. Jay NICE 06. The books power never waned, and over the years the University of Chicago composer has written several works with a focus on the Holocaust during her Pulitzer Prize-winning career. In 2008, the FBI led an investigation that resulted in state and federal charges against 40 Latin Kings members and associates, including a dozen of the Zambrano co-defendants. Alphonso Chavez, 26, the alleged leader of the gang's WebFind a Doctor Ingalls Memorial offers unique opportunities to help patients and their families on our Harvey campus. April 6, 2011 / 6:02 PM He got 53 years in prison. 219 S. Dearborn St., 5th Floor A locked padlock Vargas said he tried to get out of the gang twice, but he was threatened with harm both times. Rudy Kato Rangel Jr. was a leader of the Latin Kings when he was shot and killed in June 2003. Nunnery said he carried Spann to the porch of a nearby home, saw a car heading north on Whipple, recognized the driver and flagged him down. "In my mind, you deserve the rest of your life in prison or the death penalty," Lozano said. Vicente Garcia Jr., 35, was convicted in 2011 of racketeering conspiracy and other charges related to drug trafficking and murder after federal prosecutors alleged he oversaw the activities of some 10,000 Latin Kings members in Illinois, the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a news release. If granted release, he has his family, counseling services and a job waiting for him. The operation started about three months ago when detectives became aware of a drug distribution network operating in the Wimauma area, Chronister said. Vargas said he realizes his cooperation with the government puts a target on his back. Two other co-defendants convicted at the same trial also received substantial prison terms. Your Old Droog 05. Trial evidence included audio and video recordings of three beatings inflicted upon gang members for violating the rules and testimony documenting three murders and 20 shootings in the Little Village area. As agents drew their weapons, Herrera, who was sitting in his Chevrolet Tahoe, rammed into several law enforcement vehicles before beginning a chase through the city. 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