His brother, Jose Vargas, who was not in a gang, was gunned down by the Latin Dragons in 2006, so Vargas directed his vengeance toward that gang, including ordering the 2007 murders of Latin Dragons leaders Joe Walsh and Gonzalo Diaz as they left a Griffith restaurant. 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 Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report. Garcia was among a total of 31 co-defendants who were indicted in September 2008 or charged in a superseding indictment in October 2009. Vargas was an "Inca," or regional leader, overseeing the south suburbs of Chicago and Northwest Indiana. 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. Officer Patrick ODonnell was ordered released on his own recognizance following a bond hearing Wednesday at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse that was attended by dozens of his fellow officers. ), First published on November 8, 2013 / 6:28 AM. "This verdict inflicts a serious blow to the to leaders of the Latin Kings," U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said in a news release. And three of those runoffs would involve incumbents appointed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot over the last year. An FBI investigation of the gang led to charges against 40 Latin King members and associates in 2008. Amaya was indicted separately in 2012 following the 2008 and 2009 indictments of more than 30 top leaders of the Latin Kings. First published on April 6, 2011 / 6:02 PM. The C.I. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Is it time to let Lord Gino Colon come home? WebAs for leaders, the Latin Kings have not been able to sustain a peaceful environment within their gangs. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. A Rockford man was indicted today by a federal grand jury on charges of arson for allegedly setting fire to two buildings in Rockford, Ill. A federal grand jury in Chicago, Illinois, returned an indictment, which was unsealed yesterday, charging three Illinois men with operating an odometer and title fraud scheme that involved hundreds of Chicago-Area Man Charged With Conducting Illegal Sports Gambling Business, Eastern Division 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. But that ride, along with Colon's bid for freedom, was indefinitely postponed Thursday when he and 13 other members and affiliates of the Latin King street gang were charged with running a drug operation that is alleged to have distributed $6 million worth of crack and powder cocaine, marijuana and heroin throughout Chicago since 1995. Pissetzky noted that Colons brother Cristobal, himself a former member of the Latin Kings, has for more than 25 years served as the pastor of Gods Army Ministries, a church on the Northwest Side. "If convicted, he'll spend the rest of his life in federal custody," said Scott R. Lassar, interim U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, referring to Colon. Amaya must serve at least 85 percent of the sentence. The 2023 Latin Math Contest: Together well be in 2023 was a success! What to Know About the Cook County Commissioner After Advancing to the Runoff Election. Augustin Zambrano, 51, was convicted of racketeering conspiracy and Turbulent Nights 03. It also illustrates something else: The primacy and power of street gangs in the state prison system in recent years. Rangel married someone from the neighborhood: Valerie Gaytan, daughter of a Chicago cop. THE WATCHDOGS: How Latin Kings leader Rudy Kato Rangel Jr., memorialized by DMX, at heart of what could be Chicago's biggest gang trial, was killed. WebMarket-leading rankings and editorial commentary - see the top law firms & lawyers for Real estate investment trusts (REITs) in United States 327 S. Church Street, Room 3300 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. Detectives found the necklace and pendant on the stairs to the barbershop. He also was hit in his left shoulder, the left side of his chest, his left abdomen and left hip, according to the Cook County medical examiners office, which noted Rangel still had on his pricey watch and bracelet. November 8, 2013 / 6:28 AM Vargas was part of a more than 20 gang members who were indicted for their parts in multiple murders and drug trafficking. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Also seized were about 100 roosters that Chronister said were used in illegal cockfighting. I joined the Latin Kings when I was 12 years old, and it taught me nothing but evil.". Rangel bought it. One transaction charged in the indictment alleges that Colon, Martinez, Herrera, and Diaz tried to sell approximately 3 kilograms of cocaine on Aug. 14, 1997. A 2012 Florida Department of Corrections report showed the gang by that point had the most members in the state prison system. Ware, Spann and a third man were driving around, Simmons said, then Spann called Nunnery, and they headed to Roosevelt and California. 219 S. Dearborn St., 5th Floor This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. He had a tattoo on his chest for her: Destined Forever My Queen Valerie. Soon after Rangels killing, though, Gaytan took up with Margarito Flores. For further information about the Garcia trial, see the governments previous press release at: Latin Kings Nationwide Leader, Augustin Zambrano, and Three Other High-ranking Gang Members Convicted of RICO Conspiracy and Related Crimes in Federal Trial. April 6, 2011 / 6:02 PM He faces sentencing in November. The states attorneys office dropped the murder, attempted murder, aggravated battery and conspiracy to commit murder charges. All rights reserved, All Eyes On a Strong' System That Could Hit Chicago Area Friday, But Much Uncertainty Remains, Who Did Your Ward Vote For? But interviews and thousands of pages of records from the U.S. attorneys office, the Chicago Police Department, the Cook County states attorneys office and the Cook County medical examiners office reviewed by the Chicago Sun-Times suggest another possible motive: that the murder was contracted after Rangel stole 150 kilos of cocaine. Finally, the judge said that he himself, rather than the Federal Bureau of Prisons, would control the case. | Illinois Department of Corrections. Western Division Hes been reprimanded for threatening correctional officers, attacking one with his wheelchair and fashioning a shiv out of pens and medical tape for which he received minimal punishment. 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. Guajardo was the leader, or Inca, of the "Lenzi" Latin Kings, a chapter with 24 members named for an avenue in Hodgkins. A locked padlock In total, nearly 100 Latin Kings members and associates have faced state or federal charges since 2006. charges related to drug trafficking and murder after federal prosecutors alleged he oversaw the activities of some 10,000 Latin Kings members in Illinois, Judges nixes shareholder claims against McDonalds directors in sexual harassment case, US officials say no sign adversaries behind Havana syndrome, Teny Gross and Selwyn Rogers: Chicagos community intervention groups offer hope for reducing gun violence, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. 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. The parking lot of Lawrences Fish & Shrimp, where Rudy Rangel Jr. bought a Franck Muller watch for $25,000. In 2008, the FBI led an investigation that resulted in state and federal charges against 40 Latin Kings members and associates, including Zambrano and numerous co-defendants. These sentences hold these defendants accountable for the barbaric enterprise known as the Latin Kings and for their roles in murder, attempted murder, shootings, beatings, drug trafficking, and other crimes, said Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. "The point was that he would never be free.". The gang has over two-hundred members in the state. He was being held without bail Monday. Spann already was in the Cook County Jail on an unrelated armed robbery charge when detectives wanted to talk with him and the others about Rangel. In a deal with prosecutors, hed pleaded guilty to aggravated discharge of a firearm, was sentenced to four years in prison in May 2002 and paroled from the Vandalia Correctional Center on Feb. 26, 2003. For the first time in three years, Latin's math department hosted the Middle School Math Contest in person on Saturday, January 28. A total of eleven schools from across Chicago competed in the annual contest. Zambrano was the highest-ranking Latin King to be convicted and sentenced since Gustavo Gino Colon, who also holds the title of Corona, was sentenced to life in prison in 2000. WebLatin Kings. 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. Also indicted were Charlie Alejandro, 31, who is believed to be living in Puerto Rico; Heriberto Sanchez, 45, address unknown; and Jose Souffront, 28, who is believed to be living in Springfield, Mass. Alphonso Chavez, 26, the alleged leader of the gang's During the two-month trial, prosecutors played dozens of recorded phone calls that illustrated Colons control of the Latin Kings. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Born in It would be more than five months before arrests were made. https://infotracer.com/criminal-records/gang-profiles/latin-kings WebThe nation's highest-ranking leader of the Latin Kings was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison Thursday. Two other co-defendants convicted at the same trial also received substantial prison terms. He was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison 21 years ago. 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. 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. A Latin King leader explains the history and aims of his organization in an talk for the Chicago Gang History Project. That investigation dubbed Operation 5K for Fifth Avenue and Karlov, where Spann lived led to dozens of murder convictions. CHICAGO (WBBM/CBS) Prosecutors are hailing the conviction of the alleged top leader of the Chicago-based Latin Kings as a blow to one of the nation's most powerful street gangs. The Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administrations Tampa office worked together on the investigation, dubbed Operation Checkmate, that led to the search of five homes in the Wimauma area last week, Sheriff Chad Chronister said at a news conference. I want to thank our local, state and federal law enforcement partners for their brave and outstanding work resulting in a major impact on this gang enterprise, Mr. Fardon added. The Chicago Police Department, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Chicago, the Cook County Sheriffs Police, and the Joliet Metropolitan Area Narcotics Squad 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). The following year, Colon was sentenced to at least 30 years in state prison for the murder. / CBS Chicago. Jay NICE 06. 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. WebFind a Doctor Ingalls Memorial offers unique opportunities to help patients and their families on our Harvey campus. The survey of about 1,300 players, released Wednesday, was created to help players make free-agent decisions and to improve league standards. 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. According to the indictment, Colon was the gang's "policymaker": He directed the gang's operations primarily on the North Side. And now Spann awaits another reckoning in court over the killing of Rudy Kato Rangel Jr., among other charges in the federal conspiracy case targeting the Four Corner Hustlers. 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