DETROIT (WXYZ) The leader of the Latin Counts gang in Detroit was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison on Tuesday in connection to a drive-by shooting in southeast Detroit in 2017. *The Flenory Bros. left SW Detroit in the mid-1990s, however, kept several lieutenants in the area to look after their affairs. By working together, local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies strive to maximize their ability to identify and arrest individuals and groups initiating violence in Detroit. Defendant Aref Nagi (D-01) is charged in multiple counts of a Fifty-Count Second Superseding Indictment. "The Latin Counts, whatever they call themselves, that's their own doing," Viramontez, 20, said Monday night in an interview at the Wayne County Jail. Follow her on Twitter @Tbaldas. Our Civil Rights hotline is available for anyone who may have suffered a violation of their civil rights. Alberto Devin Roldan-Jackson, a/k/a Berto, 19, of Detroit, charged with conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, three counts of attempted murder in aid of racketeering, three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, possession of a firearm and ammunition by an unlawful user of a controlled substance, and using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence; Justin Robert Feiler, a/k/a White Boi, 21, of Detroit, charged with conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, three counts of attempted murder in aid of racketeering, three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, and using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence; Gabriel Arocho, a/k/a Kid and Big Kid, 35, of Detroit, charged with conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, three counts of attempted murder in aid of racketeering, three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, and using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence; Darnell Watson, a/k/a Shadow, 23, of Lincoln Park, charged with conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, three counts of attempted murder in aid of racketeering, three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, and using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Their alliance, known as the Bishop Count Nation, would falter in the 1990s. Civil rights complaints may also be made online at this linkusamie.civilrights@usdoj.gov. DETROIT (WWJ/AP) -- Two gang members in Detroit will spend decades in federal prison. Alberto "Berto" Jackson, a Latin Counts gang member, was sentenced Thursday in federal court in a drive-by shooting in southwest Detroit two years ago that left one dead and two wounded. In October 2017, police investigated a triple shooting where a suspected gang member was killed in a shootout. "The Detroit One initiative strives to create a higher quality of life for all residents in the City of Detroit by eliminating the threat of gang violence, said Timothy R. Slater, Special Agent in Charge, Detroit FBI. The conviction stems from a drive-by shooting in a southwest Detroit neighborhood on Oct. 7, 2017, that left a fellow gang member dead, two others injured and the intended target unscathed. Court records show Rishell orchestrated and helped carry out a drive-by shooting on Oct. 7, 2017, killing one person and injuring two others. The new charges allege that members of the Latin Counts shot two men, killing one of them in August 2013. Jackson . Detroit One collaboration of local, state and federal law enforcement has led to the guilty pleas of five Latin Counts street gang members for racketeering conspiracy involving murder and drug trafficking, U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade announced today. The intended victim was uninjured. Turn on push notifications and don't miss anything! The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. A federal jury convicted Gardner following his October trial on charges of sex trafficking a minor and production of child pornography. Also this week, Victor Vasquez, a leader of the Latin Counts street gang, was sentenced to30 years in prison after pleading guilty to Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy. So far, with the FBI, ATF and Detroit Homicide Task Force, there have been seven gang members charged and identified in connection to the drive-by, all of whom have pleaded guilty. Detroit Police Chief James Craig, alongside U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade, FBI agents and other law enforcement officials, announces the arrest of 33 men who authorities believe are involved in a southwest Detroit street gang known as the Latin Counts, July 25, 2014. Ex-FBI chief: Chuck Rizzo doomed for turning on the feds. It is also one of the founding members of the People Nation multi-gang . The number is 313-226-9151. 1M?>X`2e ~m;>g;>RPqIL`?GD*S?FW{|S+'L4T )ql>-{'g vk/u0[i5O7Xn\7T?d]!S_S?VuCx 6jwmCwmnyp/3[]3?V%^#9b}lF* cU0&H(B;6~78^\Hs`Z>w HvTafnVVIRXYY&k|pu'b &+`(*5-I h $[ C3/vo5BY?8zNxe5vz~g}w`u[u7U[*//JXk$ m]=;s_le2ImmSjVf2|Ex?Upue% Prosecutors say Latin Counts member Ryan Taylor fired the fatal bullet. x][s~trX SbIS7iNY,8L^] 6LC^tZu{ZKNZw|}gNP,:*vU6.t]7}So]'g(}e_}oMeTS=uLW{- Original territory of the infamous, Black Mafia Family, a crew of drug dealers led by the Flenory Brothers (Demetrius Big Meech Flenory & Terrance Southwest T Flenory), who were brought down in 2005 after being the biggest narcotic-trafficking organization in the country for the previous decade. Christopher Nicholas Rishell, known as "C-5", 30, of Lincoln Park, was sentenced on charges of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering. Both terrorized Detroit neighborhoods for years, prosecutors say. In 2014, 33 members of the Latin Counts were indicted on federal charges. A Latin Counts gang member was sentenced today to 30 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, announced United States Attorney Matthew Schneider, Special Agent in Charge James Deir of the ATF's Detroit Division, and Chief James Craig of the Detroit Police Department. They said the home is a known gang location. Jackson and others were upset with a member of another Latin Counts subset and decided to kill him, prosecutors said. ~ }]7|k|;_]ovG??RNLKii/J4ncZ^4]N0uijP0Dfr0fDnw)UWf " one of the Latin Counts members who rode to the scene with Jackson, R.R., exited the red pickup truck, stood out on the street, and fired bullets during the shooting, too.". Among the targets is the Latin Counts, whichoperates in southwest Detroit, Lincoln Park and Ecorse. Formed and operated in SW Detroit, The Bolo Boys, led by Rudolpho Bolo Moreno-Ponce and Mike Fonsecca, became the citys biggest drug dealing operation following the fall of the Chaldean Mafia in the late-1980s. The members started shooting at the home of the intended target, prosecutors said. DETROIT (WXYZ) The leader of the Latin Counts gang in Detroit was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison on Tuesday in connection to a drive-by shooting in southeast Detroit in. Michael Gardner, 21, of Detroit is going to prison for 20 years after a jury convicted him last fall offorcinga minor into prostitution and publishing sexually explicit photos of her in escort advertisements. *Tried to kill federal witness slated to testify against them. In 1991, a full-scale shooting war erupted with the Latin Kings over turf in Cicero that pitted all Counts and Kings against each other nationwide. A superseding indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Two Detroit gang members will spend decades in federal prison after an investigation by a coalition of Detroit-area law enforcement agencies. The Latin Counts are a criminal enterprise responsible for murders, robberies, and the distribution of illegal drugs. The cases were investigatedbythe Detroit Oneinitiative, a collaboration between various area law enforcement agenciesfocused on reduce homicides and violent crimes in the city and the region. He's got plenty -- and his situa- tion isn't improving with police saying he's the leader of the Latin Counts, a suddenly notorious south- west Detroit gang. Detroit A member of the Latin Counts street gang was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison Thursday for his role in a drive-by shooting that left a fellow gang member dead of friendly. 5 Detroit Gang Members Plead Guilty To Racketeering Conspiracy. AUDREY SHEHYN/'l'he Detroit New~; Dawn Mendoza, leader of the Lady Counts, hangs out in "Count Park" in southwest Detroit with members of the Latin Counts gang and her sister, Cindy. Schneider was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge James Deir of the ATFs Detroit Division, and Chief James Craig of the Detroit Police Department. [3] Benjamin Beightol, the gang's Minister of Information who disseminated Garza's instructions to lower ranking gang members, pleaded guilty to racketeering charges on January 29, 2018, and faced ten years in prison.[5]. "If you are involved in gangs and you're committing violent acts, the ATF will be knocking at your door," Schimke said. They named their gang the Texans in homage to the state they originally lived in. Please enter valid email address to continue. He is among more than 92people convicted of federal racketeering crimes in the last five years during a crackdown on violent Detroit street gangs, a crackdown outlined in "Death by Instagram," a serial narrative published last year by The Detroit News. The investigation into the Latin Counts gang started following a shooting at a house in Southwest Detroit on the 2400 block of Liddesdale last fall. Cindy Mendoza, 16, is not a gang member. Investigators have been working the case for months and, on Thursday, they served four search warrants across southeast Michigan. Detroit Police Chief James Craig, alongside U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade, FBI agents and other law enforcement officials, announces the arrest of 33 men who authorities believe are involved . The Latin Counts is a Latino street gang based in Chicago, Illinois with a significant branch in Detroit, Michigan. Federal authorities say all of them were targeting the organized crime unit the Latin Counts street gang. *Led by the Waucaush Brothers (Jerry and Bobby), Efraim Garcia, Greg Ballestro, Marty Rodriguez and Kenny Roland. Under the Detroit One initiative, and through the lead efforts of the ATF and the Detroit Homicide Task Force, law enforcement identified six violent members of the Latin Counts gang responsible for the shooting. Contact Tresa Baldas: tbaldas@freepress.com. DETROIT (WJBK) - Six people have been arrested in a deadly shooting in Detroit last fall that federal authorities say is connected to a Detroit street gang called the Latin Counts. Four other gang members also havepleaded guilty for their roles in themurder. Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, "Six Suspected Members of 'Latin Counts' Gang Indicted on Federal Charges", "Lengthy Sentences Given to Members of Latin Counts, Vice Lords Detroit Street Gangs", "Man Tied to Sweeping Latin Counts Racketeering and Drug Case is Going to Prison", "Final Detroit's Latin Counts Street Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Conspiracy", List of Chicago criminal organizations and crime bosses, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Latin_Counts&oldid=1137339974, Pages using infobox criminal organization with ethnicity or ethnic makeup parameters, Pages using infobox criminal organization with rivals parameter, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Isidro Garza, Victor Vasquez, Benjamin Beightol, This page was last edited on 4 February 2023, at 03:02. She said the unsolved Dec. 23 drive-by slaying at a gas station on Vernor would go unavenged because the Latin Counts "are not into revenge. According to court documents, Rishell, 30, orchestrated and helped carry out, along with other Latin Counts gang members, a drive-by shooting in a residential neighborhood in Southwest Detroit on Oct. 7, 2017. All rights reserved. [1], The Latin Counts gang operates in the Chicagoland areas of Pilsen, South Deering, McKinley Park, South Chicago and Cicero. But their gangster days are over. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Louis Crisostomo and Eric Straus. Five other members of the gang have been convicted for their roles in the drive-by shooting. Girls are drawn to an s' life on tb By Rosahra Hernandez Rishell was the president of the Toledo Mafia Counts set of the Latin Counts at the time of the shooting. A Latin Counts gang member was sentenced today to 30 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, announced United States Attorney Matthew Schneider, Special Agent in Charge James Deir of the ATF's Detroit Division, and Chief James Craig of the Detroit Police Department. Federal investigators saidGardner used violence to force a minor victim to engage in commercial sex acts and published explicit photographs of the minor in the prostitution advertisements he created. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to rid our community of these violent gang members.. According to the superseding indictment, the Latin Counts gang operates primarily in southwest Detroit and the downriver communities of Lincoln Park and Ecorse. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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