GANGLAND WORLD

3 NCCo gang members sentenced

2012-05-24T13:04:00.001+01:00

Three members of a Wilmington gang have been given lengthy prison sentences after a street war with a rival gang ended in at least 5 gun battles that left 2 dead in the spring of 2010. The 3 were charged with the crime of Gang Participation which allows prosecutors to present evidence demonstrating the overall scope of criminal activity that the gang is committing. Kevin Rasin was also charged with first degree murder and other offenses and sentenced to life without parole. Marc Taylor was sentenced to 15 ½ years in prison and Terrence Mills, who was also charged with manslaughter was sentenced to 16 years in prison.

Alleged United Blood Nation Gang Members Indicted on Racketeering Charges

2012-05-24T13:03:00.001+01:00

Twenty-seven alleged members of the United Blood Nation gang were arrested on Friday, May 18, 2012 and charged with racketeering and related charges. The 35-count indictment was unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Charlotte. Today’s announcement is made by Anne M. Tompkins, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina; and Chris Briese, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division. According to the indictment, which was returned by a grand jury on May 16, 2012, the defendants conspired to participate in a racketeering enterprise; that is, the United Blood Nation (“UBN” or “Bloods”) and several factions of the UBN. The indictment alleges that from 2007 to May 2012, in the Western District of North Carolina and elsewhere, the defendants conspired to operate as a gang. In doing so, the indictment alleges that the defendants engaged in criminal activities, including racketeering conspiracy, murder conspiracy, narcotics trafficking, armed robbery, and firearms related crimes. Charged in the indictment are: James Anderson, a/k/a “Stank,” 28, currently incarcerated; Alan Boyd Donta Barnett, a/k/a “Big Al,” 37, of Gastonia, North Carolina; Eric Eugene Brice, a/k/a “Bug,” 40, of Gastonia, North Carolina; Travis Lamar Brice, a/k/a “Trap,” 28, currently incarcerated; Quinton Lavar Brown, a/k/a “QP” or “QB,” 20, currently incarcerated; Rafas Gene Camp, a/k/a “Tick,” 32, of Shelby, North Carolina; Joston Jamal Clemmer, a/k/a “Ace,” 21, of Gastonia, North Carolina; Kemmey Nicole Cooke, a/k/a “ Gangsta Wu,” 29, of Chesapeake, Virginia; Jaimel Kenzie Davison, a/k/a “I-Shine,” 28, currently incarcerated; Wesley Tyler Floyd, a/k/a “West Coast,” 26, of Gastonia, North Carolina; Davon Yakeen Futrell, a/k/a “Smooth,” 24, of Gastonia, North Carolina; Tristan Daquane Goode, a/k/a “Buck,” 20, of Ranlo, North Carolina; Nathaniel Graham, a/k/a “Nasty,” 23, currently incarcerated; Joseph Dranell Gray, a/k/a “Killa,” 38, currently incarcerated; Dominque O’Neill Jackson, a/k/a “DJ,” 23, of Gastonia, North Carolina; Jimmy Lionell, Jones, a/k/a “Buddhist” or “Buddha,” 37, currently incarcerated; William Amir Knox, a/k/a “Poo Nuk,” 28, currently incarcerated; Kentrell Tyrone McIntyre, a/k/a “Mustafa,” 32, currently incarcerated; William Lewis Dontars Meeks, a/k/a “Willie” or “Rock,” 34, of Gastonia, North Carolina; Kevin Jerome Morris, a/k/a “Kato,” 34, of Shelby, North Carolina; Franklin Robbs, a/k/a “Frankie Boo,” 41, currently incarcerated; Maurice Terrell Robinson, a/k/a “Hell Rell,” 22, of Lincolton, North Carolina; Andrew Eugene Stowe, a/k/a “Coco,” 36, of Gastonia, North Carolina; Marquise Deshawn Watson, a/k/a “ Rambo,” 20, of Gastonia, North Carolina; Melinda Charmane Watson, 36, of Gastonia, North Carolina; Daryl Wilkinson, a/k/a “OG Powerful,” 47, currently incarcerated; Samatha Williams, a/k/a “Samantha Wilkinson” or “Lady Sam,” 43, of Bronx, New York; Perry Gorontent Williams, a/k/a “P-Flame” or “Flame,” 26, currentlyincarcerated. According to allegations contained in the indictment, as part of the conspiracy, the defendants engaged in drug trafficking and used the proceeds of their drug crimes to help finance the gang’s criminal activities. In addition to drug trafficking, the indictment alleges that the defendants committed armed robberies and armed home invasions in order to generate proceeds to support the enterprise. The indictment also alleges that as part of the conspiracy, the defendants committed acts of violence against rival gang members. Allegations contained in the indictment also state that the defendants concealed their criminal activities and obstructed justice, including threatening potential witnesses. The indictment further alleges that the defendants maintained and circulated a collection of firearms for the use in criminal activity by UBN members. The indictment alleges that the defendants and other UBN gang members in North Carolina and elsewhere identified gang members belonging to other UBN or Bloods factions by their gang names and phone numbers, including telephone area codes. For example, the indictment alleges, area code “704” represented gang factions within Mecklenburg and Gaston Counties. The indictment also alleges that gang members identified other gang members who were incarcerated by their street gang names and by their inmate identification numbers, in lieu of their telephone numbers. The members incarcerated were referred to as “behind the G wall,” the indictment alleges. According to the indictment, as gang members of the UBN enterprise, the defendants met regularly with other UBN members. The indictment alleges that during those meetings, gang members talked about past acts of violence and other crimes against rival gang members, about UBN gang members who had been arrested or incarcerated, about police interactions with gang members, and discussed internal disciplinary action of other UBN members. The indictment further alleges that during these meetings, gang members also shared identities of individuals whom they suspected to be cooperating with law enforcement and discussed the types of action that ought to be taken against those individuals. The indictment further alleges that during these meetings, UBN members also planned and agreed to carry out future crimes, including murder, robbery, and drug trafficking. “Street gangs spread violence in our cities and fear in our neighborhoods. Gang members engage in a range of illegal activities, from drug trafficking to armed robbery to conspiracy to commit murders. Through coordinated enforcement actions, we will pursue relentlessly dangerous gangs and dismantle their illegal activities that bring violent crimes to our streets and erode the stability of our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Tompkins. “The FBI is committed to dismantling the gangs that threaten the safety and stability of our neighborhoods. This two-year investigation is an outstanding example of what federal, state, and local law enforcement can accomplish when we attack the gangs that operate in our communities,” said FBI’s Special Agent in Charge Chris Briese. The charges contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The case is being investigated by the FBI in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation; the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department; the Gastonia Police Department; the Gaston County Police Department; the Gaston County Sheriff’s Office; the Shelby Police Department; and North Carolina Department of Probation and Parole.

Dog 'The Bounty Hunter' Chapman's Show Canceled

2012-05-22T07:55:00.001+01:00

Dog "The Bounty Hunter" Chapman will have more time on his hands to catch criminals, because his show on A&E is being canceled ... TMZ has learned. Multiple sources connected with the show tell us ... Dog's people and A&E have been negotiating, but the network has now decided to pull the plug and not do season 9. One source connected with Dog tells us the cancellation is based on "creative differences." But here's the reality ... saying "creative differences" is like breaking up with a girl and saying, "It's not you, it's me."

US blacklists sons of Mexico drug lord Joaquin Guzman

2012-05-10T14:55:00.001+01:00

The US treasury department has put two sons of Mexico's most wanted man Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman on its drugs kingpin blacklist. The move bars all people in the US from doing business with Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar and Ovidio Guzman Lopez, and freezes any US assets they have. Joaquin Guzman, on the list since 2001, runs the powerful Sinaloa drug cartel. Mexico has seen an explosion of violence in recent years as gangs fight for control of trafficking routes. The US administration "will aggressively target those individuals who facilitate Chapo Guzman's drug trafficking operations, including family members," said Adam Szubin, director of the department's Office of Foreign Assets Control . "With the Mexican government, we are firm in our resolve to dismantle Chapo Guzman's drug trafficking organisation." Ovidio Guzman plays a significant role in his father's drug-trafficking activities, the treasury department said. Ivan Archivaldo Guzman was arrested in 2005 in Mexico on money-laundering charges but subsequently released. As well as the Guzman brothers, two other alleged key cartel members, Noel Salgueiro Nevarez and Ovidio Limon Sanchez, were listed under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. They were both arrested in Mexico in 2011 and are still in custody. Under the Kingpin Act, US firms, banks and individuals are prevented from doing business with them and any assets the men may have under US jurisdiction are frozen. More than 1,000 companies and individuals linked to 94 drug kingpins have been placed on the blacklist since 2000. Penalties for violating the act range include up to 30 years in prison and fines up to $10m (£6m). The US has offered a reward of up to $5m a for information leading to the arrest of Joaquin Guzman, who escaped from a Mexican prison in 2001.

FBI offers up to $100,000 for info leading to capture of Eduardo Ravelo

2012-05-07T14:18:00.001+01:00

Eduardo Ravelo, born on October 13, 1968 was added as the 493rd fugitive to the FBI 10 most wanted list on October 20, 2009. He is originally from Mexico, however he holds permanent residency status in the United States which gives him free movement across the border. An FBI informant and former lieutenant in the Barrio Azteca, a prison gang active in the U.S. and Mexico, testified that Ravelo told him to help find fellow gang members who had stolen from the cartel. In March 2008, he became the leader of the gang shortly after betraying his predecessor, stabbing him several times and shooting him in the neck. (Eduardo Ravelo: Wikipedia) Eduardo Ravelo was indicted in Texas in 2008 for his involvement in racketeering activities, conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, and conspiracy to possess heroin, cocaine and marijuana with the intent to distribute. His alleged criminal activities began in 2003. He is believed to be living in an area of Cuidad Juarez controlled by the Barrio Ravelo, with his wife and children just across the border from El Paso, Texas. He is also said to have bodyguards and armored vehicles to protect him from rival gangs as well as rival cartels.

San Jose gang leader nicknamed 'Capone' sentenced to 223 years to life for violent kidnapping

2012-05-05T09:01:00.001+01:00

San Jose gang leader whose street name is "Capone" was sentenced Friday to 223 years to life in prison, plus another 112 years, for the violent kidnapping of a man who failed to pay for a delivery of methamphetamine. Saragoza Santos Sanchez, 33, wasn't present during the Jan. 15, 2009, kidnapping, which began in East San Jose, said deputy district attorney David Pandori. But as the leader of a Nuestra Familia street gang regiment, Sanchez ordered it to make an example of the victim for not paying for drugs that had been advanced to him, the prosecutor said. Nuestra Familia (NF) is a violent prison gang with criminal operations that reach far outside prison walls. Facing life behind bars, the actual kidnappers testified against Sanchez. Pandori said they now face sentences of 15 to 24 years in state prison, NF's stronghold. The victim escaped from a moving minivan on Capitol Expressway. Passing motorists called 911 when they saw the victim tumble out. The van fled the scene before police and paramedics arrived. Even before his latest arrest, Sanchez was a three-striker. The court set aside two of his strikes in 2004, allowing him to elude a life sentence. He had been charged with being a felon in possession of a gun and ammunition, plus gang enhancements. Sanchez also was convicted in 1999 of assault with a firearm for shooting at a neighbor.

South Asian Gangster Arrested With Guns

2012-05-05T08:58:00.001+01:00

South Asian gangster ad an accomplice, both prohibited from possessing firearms, have been charged with possessing guns. Christopher William Chand, 39, of Vancouver and Gordon John Mojzes, 36, of Vancouver were arrested after being stopped by police on April 13. Members of the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia stopped a Pontiac Montana van with Chand and Mojzes in New Westminster. Officers noted a strong odor of fresh marijuana and arrested the occupants for possession of a controlled substance. A further search revealed a hidden compartment inside the vehicle. Two loaded hand guns, a 9 mm Glock and Sterling .25 mm were located inside a secret compartment and were seized by police. Both Chand and Mojzes are facing seven counts each of firearms-related charges including possession of a firearm while prohibited. CFSEU-BC arrested Chand in December 2010, in Vancouver on three charges including assault, theft of a motor vehicle and breach of recognizance after a firearm was seized by Burnaby RCMP from Chand’s residence on November 29, 2010. Chand was on bail at the time he was arrested by CFSEU-BC. He is well-known to investigators having been previously arrested in possession of firearms in another case.

Gangster Jarrod Bacon sentenced to 12 years for cocaine trafficking

2012-05-05T08:56:00.003+01:00

Gangster Jarrod Bacon was sentenced to 12 years in jail for conspiring to traffic up to 100 kilograms of cocaine worth $3 million back in 2009. Bacon, 29, was also given almost five years credit for the time he has been in jail awaiting trial, meaning his net sentence will be seven years and two months. B.C. Supreme Court Associate Justice Austin Cullen said the sentence was on the high end of the range because Bacon lacked remorse and was on bail when he committed the crime. And he said Bacon's enabling family circumstances meant there was little hope for rehabilitation. Jarrod Bacon declined to address the court before Cullen read out his reasons for judgment. The Vancouver court room was packed with media and a few spectators, but only two Bacon supporters who were from his mother's church. Bacon and his co-accused and former father-in-law Wayne Scott were arrested in November 2009 by the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit after a reverse sting using an agent identified only as GL. GL, an acquaintance of Scott's, approached the CFSEU about becoming an agent and said he believed he could get at Bacon, whose Red Scorpion gang at the time was locked in a bloody street war against rivals from the United Nations gang. Both Bacon and Scott, 56, were convicted on Feb. 3, based on incriminating statements surreptitiously recorded in the summer of 2009 by GL. Scott's sentencing has been delayed until June 7 because of health issues. Crown prosecutor Peter LaPrairie had asked for a sentence of 21 years for Bacon, minus pre-trial credit, while defence lawyer Jeffrey Ray said a more fitting term for the offence was eight years given that no cocaine ever existed in the conspiracy. Cullen disagreed with the Crown's submission on sentencing, saying most of the cases cited were for importation of cocaine - a more serious crime. But he said Bacon deserved the high end of the scale for trafficking, especially since he got involved in the conspiracy while out on bail on gun charges. "The accused's record and apparent lack of remorse reduces the likelihood of rehabilitation and the circumstances taken as a whole warrant a sentence that firmly repudiates the evil of people trafficking," Cullen said. He said there was evidence at trial that Bacon's parents David and Susan were aware of their son's involvement in the cocaine deal. And he said the fact Bacon has no work history and described himself in court as a "criminal" and an "enforcer" demonstrates that he has chosen a criminal career path. Cullen mentioned the gangland execution of Bacon's elder brother Jonathan last August in Kelowna and his younger brother Jamie facing murder charges as more evidence of Bacon's negative family environment. He said Bacon took the necessary steps to participate in the cocaine conspiracy, including finding a funder who could put up millions for the drugs. Cullen earlier described Bacon's testimony at trial as evasive "and at times confrontational and argumentative." Bacon had claimed on the stand that he was only humouring GL about participating in the cocaine deal so that he could get access to five-kilo sample that he planned to rob. The cash for cocaine exchange had been scheduled for Aug. 28, 2009, but was called off after Scott saw police activity outside of a warehouse where GL purported to be holding the cocaine.

Gangster Jarrod Bacon sentenced to 12 years for cocaine trafficking

2012-05-05T08:56:00.001+01:00

Shooting a 'warning' from rival bikie gang

2012-04-25T16:55:00.001+01:00

SIMMERING tension between rival bikie gangs exploded on the Gold Coast yesterday with the drive-by shooting of a tattoo parlour in the heart of Bandidos territory. Police fear the attack could be a push for territory by the Hells Angels as the outlaw gang seeks a toehold on the lucrative Glitter Strip. Less than 24 hours after police commissioner Bob Atkinson told the Bulletin that bikie gangs were "one of the greatest challenges to face law enforcement", the Bandido-protected Mermaid Beach tattoo shop was hit by at least four shots in the early hours of yesterday morning. High-ranking police yesterday said it was "inevitable" that the violence that has plagued Sydney would eventually spill across the border. "We do not believe it is directly connected to the war between the Hells Angels and the Nomads that has been unfolding in New South Wales," said police. "But it is a similar style of attack. "We know the Hells Angels have been pushing to establish a chapter on the Gold Coast -- that push is coming from Sydney. "Tradelink Drive is not their most profitable chapter." While detectives have attempted to play down the shooting, police say there is "no doubt" it was intended as a warning. The Bandidos are the largest and one of the most secretive bikie gangs on the Gold Coast. The club has gained strength as its main rival -- the Finks -- have been severely weakened with so many senior members behind bars and Bandido territory stretches south from Broadbeach. Police said last month's Hells Angels National Run was intended as a direct message to all gangs on the Gold Coast. More than 200 patched gang members descended on Surfers Paradise for the run. "These clubs are so well organised, they do nothing without a reason," police said. "You can bet they had some purpose in coming to the Gold Coast. "They taunted the Finks and nothing happened, now the Bandidos tattoo shop is shot up in the same way the gym controlled by the Hells Angels was hit a few months ago. "You join the dots." The shop is owned by a senior member of the outlaw gang who has been a patched member of the Bandidos "for years", police say. In an exclusive interview with the Bulletin, Mr Atkinson said the danger of bikie gangs was "under-rated" by the community. "The outlaw motorcycle gangs nationally present one of the greatest challenges to police. "I think the degree of that challenge and the risk they present to our society is underrated." The Gold Coast has one of the highest populations of bikie gangs in the country. Mr Atkinson said he would not be surprised if the Hells Angels were not considering a move closer to the Glitter Strip. "They are businesses, they look for opportunity so that wouldn't be a surprise," he said. "They market themselves as a group of mature men who have a love and interest in motorbikes and they do that very cleverly. The reality is they are highly sophisticated, well organised criminal enterprises that pose a genuine risk to the community and many are well represented by the finest and best lawyers who they retain to represent them." South East Region Assistant Commissioner Graham Rynders said the gangs were constantly looking to expand. "One of things about OMCGs is they look for opportunity for criminal enterprise," Mr Rynders said. "Throughout Queensland, throughout the country, probably throughout the world they are looking to expand. It is obviously dictated to by territory, depending on who or what other groups exist in what areas."

Jury hears grisly details about murder scene

2012-04-25T16:50:00.001+01:00

Police discovered a grisly scene on Sept. 10, 2000, when they entered a Cogmagun Road home in Hants County. “It was a very brutal scene,” Cpl. Shawn Sweeney, who was a constable with the Windsor rural RCMP detachment that day, testified Tuesday in Nova Scotia Supreme Court in Kentville. It was the second day of trial for Leslie Douglas Greenwood, 42, who is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Barry Kirk Mersereau, 48, and his wife, Nancy Paula Christensen, 47. Sweeney, a Crown witness, testified that he and four other police officers who responded to a 911 call found Christensen sitting upright in a chair in the living room of her Centre Burlington home with a bullet wound in her left cheek, under her glasses. She had a cup of tea in her hand and a small dog was sitting in her lap. There were several bullet casings and lead fragments scattered on the floor. Mersereau was lying face down, with pools of blood around his head and body. Another dog, believed to be a German shepherd-Rottweiler mix, was hiding under covers on the bed in the master bedroom. A third dog was tied to the front porch and another had run off into the woods. Sweeney told Chief Justice Joseph Kennedy and the seven-woman, five-man jury hearing the case that the house appeared to be neat and orderly, with no signs of struggle. “It didn’t appear to be a house that was rifled through or things thrown around,” Sweeney testified. Const. Glenn Bonvie told the court it was immediately obvious that Mersereau and Christensen were dead. “There was no movement. There was no doubt that they were deceased.” Crown witness Ronald Connors owned a hunting cabin in the woods about half a kilometre away from the couple’s house. He testifed that he heard several shots at about 8:15 p.m. on Sept. 9. Connors said he heard six shots fired in quick succession, followed by a pause and a couple more shots. Moments later, there were more shots. He said he thought at first someone might be jacking deer, but Connors concluded that the shots didn’t sound like those from a high-powered hunting rifle. The jury was shown a video of the two bodies as they were found. Former RCMP officer David Clace, then in charge of the RCMP’s forensics identification unit in New Minas, said a large amount of money was found in plastic bags in a gym bag in one of the bedroom closets. The bag was later determined to contain about $65,000 in cash. Crown attorney Peter Craig has told the court that the victims were shot to death in their home in an execution-style killing as part of a Hells Angels-ordered killing. “They were killed in their home in a quiet community, with a teapot on the stove, with no signs of struggle and their baby in the next room,” Craig told the jury. He said evidence presented by as many as 40 Crown witnesses will show that Michael Lawrence and Greenwood murdered the couple on the orders of Jeffrey Lynds, a former Hells Angels operative who died recently in a Montreal jail of an apparent suicide. Lawrence, who owed Lynds money, pleaded guilty last January to three charges of first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole for 25 years. Also killed that day, by Lawrence, was Charles Maddison, an innocent man who picked Lawrence up hitchhiking. Lawrence shot him to take his truck to commit a planned robbery. Craig said Lawrence, expected to be a crucial Crown witness, will testify that he and Greenwood shot the couple, one with a .357 Magnum, the other with a 32-calibre handgun, in what he called “planned and deliberate” killings. The couple’s 18-month-old baby boy was safely recovered from the house by neighbour Ruby McKenzie, who went to the victim’s home the day after the shootings. McKenzie said she brought the baby back to her mobile home and called police. Greenwood sat quietly during the proceedings, occasionally exchanging comments with his lawyer, Alain Begin. Begin is expected to argue that Greenwood went to the Mersereau house the day of the shootings to buy drugs, and that Lawrence shot the couple while Greenwood was waiting outside. Also charged with first-degree murder in the killings is Curtis Blair Lynds, 36, who is serving time in a federal prison for drug trafficking. A preliminary inquiry in his case is scheduled to begin July 16.

Alleged Bloods gang member charged in Newark assault, carjacking

2012-04-20T16:15:00.001+01:00

Essex County authorities arrested an alleged Bloods gang member Tuesday night and charged him with assaulting and carjacking a woman in Newark last week, police said. Gerald "Kadafi" Gilyard, 35, of Newark, was arrested during a motor vehicle stop near Lehigh Avenue and Clinton Place in Newark around 9:45 p.m. Tuesday, Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura said. Fontoura said Gilyard was the subject of an open criminal warrant and an alleged member of the Brick City Brims, one of Newark’s largest Bloods sets. On April 10, Gilyard allegedly pulled a woman from her car on Renner Street, struck her in the head with a blunt object and drove off with the vehicle. He was charged Tuesday night with carjacking, aggravated assault, receiving stolen property and weapons offenses, according to Fontoura, who said Gilyard will also face a charge of hindering prosecution for providing a fake name to the officer who arrested him Tuesday. Gilyard remains in the Essex County Correctional Facility in lieu of $250,000 bail.

2nd USC shooting in a week,Suspect a gang member, police say

2012-04-20T16:13:00.001+01:00

The suspect who was shot by USC security officers after allegedly robbing USC students near fraternity row early Wednesday is a documented Compton-area gang member who was on probation, Los Angeles police officials said.

Jeremy Hendricks, 24, who is being treated for a gunshot wound to the leg, had multiple prior arrests for assault with a deadly weapon, burglary and robbery, according to LAPD officials. He is on probation for manufacturing dangerous weapons, officials said. Police did not immediately say what the weapons were.

Hendricks is from Compton and police said they are investigating why he was in the USC area. According to sources, Compton gang members have been known to frequent the area around 43rd and Hoover streets.

Officials said it was far too early to know whether the incident is related to the shooting deaths of two USC graduate students from China last week in the 2900 block of South Raymond Avenue.

In the latest incident, the suspect approached four students -- three men and one woman -- near USC's fraternity row and demanded items, said Lt. Andy Neiman of the LAPD. He placed the items in a backpack and fled on foot. The students flagged down USC security, who tracked down the suspect and confronted him, Neiman said.

An officer saw the suspect was armed, Neiman said. When Hendricks made a sudden move, the security officer shot him in the leg, Neiman said.

The suspect's gun as well as property belonging to the students was recovered, Neiman said.

A memorial service for the students killed last week -- Ming Qu and Ying Wu, both 23-year-old electrical engineering students -- is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Shrine Auditorium.

No one has been arrested in connection with their deaths. The city and school have offered rewards totaling $200,000 for information leading to an arrest in the case.

Witnesses to ex-bikie's murder sought

2012-04-20T08:22:00.001+01:00

DETECTIVES have renewed their appeal for help following the shooting murder of ex-bikie Darko Janceski in the Illawarra last Saturday. Police and ambulance crews rushed to Gannet St in Berkeley after receiving reports a number of shots had been fired. Darko Janceski, 32, was found in the front yard of his home with several gunshot wounds and died a short time later. He was shot by a man on a trail bike who rode away after a violent struggle with Janceski's father. Police are now appealing for information about the trail bike, which was last seen travelling west towards flagstaff Rd, Berkeley. The trail bike has been described as possibly being a Yamaha and blue and white in colour. A post mortem examination was conducted at Glebe on Monday and police are waiting on results.

Officers from the Gangs Squad have charged an alleged associate of the Hells Angels outlaw motorcycle gang (OMCG) with possessing an illegal handgun.

2012-04-20T08:21:00.001+01:00

The arrest comes following investigations into a brawl involving alleged members of the Hells Angels earlier this year. The incident happened at Kings Cross about 12.15am on Sunday 5 February 2012, when a number of people from a group of about 50 Hells Angels were allegedly involved in a brawl with other people. Strike Force Cheviot was established to investigate the incident in conjunction with Strike Force Raptor. On Wednesday 11 April 2012, officers executed six simultaneous search warrants at the homes of Hells Angels members and associates in Wentworthville, Emu Plains, Macquarie Fields, Ryde, Smithfield and the Sydney CBD. Firearms, fireworks, prohibited drugs, steroids and chemicals used in drug manufacture were seized during the warrants, and inquiries into a number of people have continued. Yesterday (Thursday 19 April 2012), police arrested a 26-year-old Emu Plains man at Parramatta Police Station. He was charged with possess unauthorised pistol and possess unregistered pistol. The charges relate to the seizure of a .32 calibre Mauser handgun at Emu Plains during the search warrants. The man faced Parramatta Local Court yesterday afternoon and is next due to appear there on 31 May 2012.

Police fear Winnipeg summer gang war

2012-04-20T08:20:00.003+01:00

Winnipeg police want to avoid a second summer of gang-related fire-bombings and assaults in the city, so they have started taking action now. The Winnipeg Police Service and federal prosecutors have taken the unusual step of applying in court for peace bonds for nine known biker gang members. The bonds impose various conditions on individuals, even if they have not been charged with a crime. Conditions could include curfews and orders to stay away from other gang members. Wiretap information connect the nine men to a turf war that erupted last summer between two motorcycle gangs: the Rock Machine and the Redlined Support Crew, a Hells Angels puppet group. In an affidavit filed with the court, police outlined last summer's violence between the gangs and raised concerns about public safety. "There were 20 reported and almost as many unreported incidents of violence between the Redlined/Hells Angels and the Rock Machine, including shootings, assaults and firebombings of properties," the affidavit states in part. Police said several arrests have been made, but most of the incidents remain unsolved. "The war has been quiet in the past few months, but the rivalry still exists and it appears the Rock Machine … are still intent on expanding their presence here and across Canada," the court document says. "More violence is predicted between these two groups." Two men have agreed to the peace bonds to date.

FEARS that gun-fuelled bikie wars are spreading across Australia continue to grow as authorities in three states try to grapple with the spiralling fire arm problem.

2012-04-20T08:20:00.001+01:00

Yesterday NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione warned that a US-style gun culture was heading to Australia. He said in NSW said the shootings between rival bikie and other criminal gangs were generally over drugs, turf or organised crime and previously were resolved with a punch-up. "Well, those days appear to have gone," Mr Scipione said. More likely, he believes Australia's biggest city is shifting towards American gun culture, where people settle disputes with firearms. Nine men have suffered gunshot wounds during 19 shootings in Sydney in April with a total of 52 shootings occurring in Sydney in 2012. "Perhaps we're moving down the American path where these sorts of disputes are resolved on the end of a handgun," Ms Scipione said.

Underbelly spills to real life

2012-04-20T08:18:00.001+01:00

Production of the series has coincided with the formation of numerous strike forces targeting a strengthened organised crime network and the re-emergence of faces from Sydney's underworld past. Even King's Cross club icon John Ibrahim, whose life formed the script for Underbelly - The Golden Mile, has found himself back in the spotlight. On Tuesday fire tore through a hotel believed to be partly owned by Ibrahim. A sledge hammer and two gas bottles were found at the Parramatta Rd scene. Ibrahim's brother Fadi has been receiving his own publicity in the Sydney District Court where he and brother Michael Ibrahim and Rodney "Goldie" Atkinson are accused of conspiring to murder John Macris. It is alleged the three may have had a vendetta against the man they believed to be responsible for the near fatal shooting of Fadi in June 2009. The trial continues. Meanwhile, senior police officers believe the dozens of shootings reported in Sydney this year have stemmed from an ongoing conflict between members of the Hells Angels and Nomads motorcycle gangs. Bikie feuds have not only been at the centre of reckless violence in Sydney, but also in parts of Queensland and most recently, South Australia. On Wednesday an alleged Hells Angels member was in a serious condition in an Adelaide hospital after being shot in the chest and arm. The 29-year-old drove himself to the emergency department. Police believe the shooting may be the result of conflict in club ranks. Detective Superintendent John De Candia, Officer-in-Charge of the Crime Gangs Task Force, issued a warning to those aspiring to gang greatness. "Anyone considering becoming an associate or a member of a bikie gang should take a good look at this incident," Supt De Candia said. "This is not something you want to get involved in. "As certain as death and taxes, those who are involved in outlaw motorcycle gangs risk a life of violence and continual police attention." In Sydney's west, detectives attached to Strike Force Kinnarra are still investigating five shootings which took place within a few hours early on Tuesday morning.

BRIT Government 'planning new Internet snooping laws'

2012-04-01T14:06:00.001+01:00

The British government wants to expand its powers to monitor email exchanges and website visits, The Sunday Times reported. Internet companies would be instructed to install hardware to allow the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) to go through "on demand" every text message and email sent, websites accessed and phone calls made "in real time, the paper said. The plans are expected to be unveiled next month. The Home Office said ministers were preparing to legislate "as soon as parliamentary time allows" but said the data to be monitored would not include content. "It is vital that police and security services are able to obtain communications data in certain circumstances to investigate serious crime and terrorism and to protect the public," a spokesman said. "We need to take action to maintain the continued availability of communications data as technology changes. "Communications data includes time, duration and dialling numbers of a phone call, or an email address. "It does not include the content of any phone call or email and it is not the intention of government to make changes to the existing legal basis for the interception of communications." An attempt to bring in similar measures was abandoned by the Labour government in 2006 amid strong opposition. However, ministers in the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government believe it is essential that the police and security services have access to such communications data in order to tackle terrorism and protect the public. The plans would not allow GCHQ to access the content of communications without a warrant. However, they would enable the agency to trace whom a group or individual had contacted, how often and for how long, the report said.

Eight people from 'Holy Death' cult arrested in Mexico over ritual sacrifices of woman and two 10-year-old boys

2012-04-01T00:10:00.001+01:00

Eight people have been arrested in northern Mexico have over the killing of two 10-year-old boys and a woman in what appears to be ritual sacrifices. Prosecutors in Sonora, in the north-west of the country have accused the suspects of belonging to the La Santa Muerte (Holy Death) cult. The victims' blood has been poured round an altar to the idol, which is portrayed as a skeleton holding a scythe and clothed in flowing robes. The cult, which celebrates death, has been growing rapidly in Mexico in the last 20 years, and now has up to two million followers. Jose Larrinaga, spokesman for Sonora state prosecutors, said the most recent killing was earlier this month, while the other two were committed in 2009 and 2010. Their bodies were found at the altar site in the small mining community of Nacozari, 70 miles south of Douglas, Arizona. Investigations were launched after the family of 10-year-old Jesus Octavio Martinez Yanez reported him missing early this month.

Gang dispute sparked funeral home shooting that left 2 dead, 12 injured

2012-03-31T23:52:00.001+01:00

Dispute among gang members at a North Miami-area funeral home sparked a mass shooting that injured 12 people and killed two men, according to Miami-Dade police and law enforcement. The gunmen, who fired a barrage of bullets at a crowd of mourners Friday night, remained on the loose. Investigators have not released information about the shooters, only that a white car may have been involved. One of the victims, a 43-year-old man, died outside the Funeraria Latina Emanuel funeral home, authorities said. The other, a 27-year-old man, died at the hospital. Witnesses at the funeral home had said one of the two people killed was shot in the chest. Among the wounded was a 5-year-old girl who was shot in the leg. She is hospitalized at Jackson Memorial Hospital and is listed in stable condition. The funeral was for Morvin Andre, 21, of North Miami, who was buried Saturday morning at Southern Memorial Park next to the funeral home. Andre was killed March 16 after he tried to jump 22-and-a-half feet from the fourth floor of the Aventura Mall parking garage to escape pursuit from Bloomingdale’s loss prevention employees. Andre landed on his feet, but then fell back and hit his head, according Aventura Police Major Skip Washa, a spokesman. Washa said Saturday the county medical examiner’s office has ruled Andre’s death a suicide because the Bloomingdale’s employees were one floor below Andre when they told him to stop. Instead, he jumped. Originally, it was reported that Andre, a nursing student at Broward Community College, had been killed in a shooting, according to mourners at the funeral home. A law enforcement official told the Miami Herald that the shooting involved members of several South Florida gangs who were in attendance at his wake Friday night to pay their respects. Andre was not part of a gang himself, the official said. Certain gang members took offense when someone touched Andre’s body in the casket, setting off an argument that spilled out into the street. Members of one gang retrieved an assault rifle and a handgun from a car and opened fire at other gang members in front of the funeral home, a police commander told Miami Herald news partner WFOR-CBS 4. Shooting erupted as more than 100 people were gathered outside the funeral home, in the 14900 block of West Dixie Highway, outside the city limits of North Miami. “I was on my way out of the chapel when I heard the shots,“ said A.D. Lenoir, the pastor who officiated at the service. “I told people to look for cover. It was chaos.” Lenoir, 29, said people were screaming, crying and yelling. Several victims were taken to Jackson, and others to local hospitals. The West Dixie Highway corridor has been the scene of several shootings in recent years. In 2007, the owner of a martial arts studio was fatally gunned down in a drive-by.

Kansas man struck by lightning hours after buying lottery tickets

2012-03-31T23:26:00.001+01:00

A Kansas man was struck by lightning hours after buying three Mega Millions lottery tickets on Thursday, proving in real life the old saying that a gambler is more likely to be struck down from the sky than win the jackpot. Bill Isles, 48, bought three tickets in the record $656 million lottery Thursday at a Wichita, Kansas grocery store. On the way to his car, Isles said he commented to a friend: "I've got a better chance of getting struck by lightning" than winning the lottery. Later at about 9:30 p.m., Isles was standing in the back yard of his Wichita duplex, when he saw a flash and heard a boom -- lightning. "It threw me to the ground quivering," Isles said in a telephone interview on Saturday. "It kind of scrambled my brain and gave me an irregular heartbeat." Isles, a volunteer weather spotter for the National Weather Service, had his portable ham radio with him because he was checking the skies for storm activity. He crawled on the ground to get the radio, which had been thrown from his hand. Isles had been talking to other spotters on the radio and called in about the lightning strike. One of the spotters, a local television station intern, called 911. Isles was taken by ambulance to a hospital and kept overnight for observation. Isles said doctors wanted to make sure his heartbeat was back to normal. He suffered no burns or other physical effects from the strike, which he said could have been worse because his yard has a power line pole and wires overhead. "But for the grace of God, I would have been dead," Isles said. "It was not a direct strike." Isles said he had someone buy him ten more tickets to the Mega Millions lottery on Friday night. While one of the three winning tickets was sold in Kansas, Isles was not a winner. Officials of the Mega Millions lottery, which had the largest prize in U.S. history, said that the odds of winning lottery were about 176 million to one. Americans have a much higher chance of being struck by lightning, at 775,000 to one over the course of a year, depending on the part of the country and the season, according to the National Weather Service. Isles, who is out of work after being laid off last June by a furniture store, said he did once win $2,000 in the lottery and will keep playing. "The next time I will use the radio while sitting in the car," he said

Kevin 'Gerbil' Carroll murder trial

2012-03-31T05:03:00.001+01:00

PHOTOGRAPHS of the spot where gangland figure Kevin “Gerbil” Carroll was shot dead were shown to a murder trial jury yesterday. The pictures – shown on day one of the trial – included an image of an Audi with smashed windows. The court was told the car was “subject to a significant degree of examination”. Carroll, 29, was shot in the car park of Asda in Robroyston, Glasgow, in January 2010. Ross Monaghan, 30, has been accused of Carroll’s murder. It is alleged that, while masked and acting with others, Monaghan repeatedly discharged loaded handguns at him, shooting him on the head and body. Monaghan is accused of – while acting with others – attempting to defeat the ends of justice by disposing of a revolver, pistol and ammunition in undergrowth in Coatbridge and Airdrie. It is also claimed a car bearing false number plates was set on fire. Monaghan also faces a number of firearms charges. He denies all the charges against him at the High Court in Glasgow and has incriminated Mr X, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and seven others. The trial, before Lord Brailsford, continues.

popular Caribbean dancing style used by adults, known as 'daggering', is sexualising the dance floors of a much younger generation.

2012-03-30T08:39:00.001+01:00

Teenagers as young as 11 are modelling sex acts and rape, in the form of daggering, on the dance floor with their peers. Deputy Children's Commissioner Sue Berelowitz said: "there's not a lot separating that kind of behaviour from actual violent, coercive sex." Footage seen by Channel 4 News [see above] shows an under-18s club night in East London. As with all 'under-18s' club nights, everyone is between 11 and 16. Some of the children look much younger. The club is packed. The music: Caribbean dancehall. The dancing style: daggering. It is a style of dancing that any carnival regular will be used to. Aficionados will no doubt, have a more technical description of the style but it mainly involves women bending over and rubbing their backsides up against the men's crotches. During that August weekend in Notting Hill every adult gives it a go. But what's different about this night club is that every child is giving it a go. Spurred on by the DJ, the 'daggering' becomes more enthusiastic, some of it verging on violent. Boys and girls end up on top of each other on the floor simulating sex. Throughout the night someone employed by the club promoter (presumably an adult) is filming it all and uploading it on the club's website via YouTube.

Shawn Tyson guilty of murdering two Britons in Florida

2012-03-28T23:00:00.001+01:00

An American teenager has been found guilty of the first degree murder of two British tourists in Florida. James Cooper, 25, from Warwickshire, and James Kouzaris, 24, from Northampton, were shot dead on a public housing estate in Newtown, Sarasota. The pair, who met at Sheffield University, were killed after drunkenly wandering into the estate in the early hours of 16 April 2011. The court heard Shawn Tyson, 17, killed them after trying to rob them. Tyson, who was tried as an adult despite being 16 at the time of the shooting, faces life in prison with no chance of parole. 'Shattered soul' The families of Mr Cooper and Mr Kouzaris were not in court but said in a statement they were satisfied with the verdict. They added: "It is a fact that we were given a life sentence when our sons were so brutally and needlessly taken from us. "Ours is a life sentence, with no chance of parole from a broken heart, and a shattered soul." Mr Kouzaris and Mr Cooper had been out drinking in downtown Sarasota before they were shot The families also criticised the Sarasota court system that freed Tyson after a judge warned he was a danger to the public. Hours before he shot the two Britons, Tyson was arrested for a separate shooting incident in which no-one was hurt. In the statement the families said: "The evil of the killer is one thing, but the fact is, he would not have been on the streets had instructions to keep him incarcerated been passed from one judge to another." Killer's boast When the mistake came to light the Mayor of Sarasota, Kelly Kirschener, vowed the city's prosecutors would never let anything similar happen again. During the trial jurors heard how Mr Kouzaris and Mr Cooper had been out drinking in downtown Sarasota before getting lost and wandering into the Newtown area in the early hours. The prosecution said they were confronted by Tyson who tried to rob them and then shot them when he realised they had very little money. The court heard Tyson had boasted to his friend Latrece Washington, who testified against him, that one of the men had begged for his life but he shot him anyway.