More than 60 "members and associates" of the notorious Latin Kings gang have been busted in a major East Coast sting, according to authorities. Cecchetelli is alleged to be the conduit between each of the Eastern Region states and the Latin Kings national leadership in Chicago. 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[25][26], The Latin Kings were founded in the Humboldt Park area of Chicago in 1954 by Ramon Santos as the Imperials, a Puerto Rican progress movement with the goal of overcoming racial discrimination. [46], The Latin Queen agenda is composed of self-respect, independence, family support, ethnic identity and self-empowerment. U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts, Members of the East Coast and Massachusetts leadership arrested, Boston Man Sentenced for Cambridge Bank Robbery, New Hampshire Man Indicted for Allegedly Robbing Five Massachusetts Banks, Boston Man Indicted for Robbing Brookline Bank. King Blood) fled to New York. BOSTON A New Hampshire man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for the allegedly committing a string of five bank robberies across Northern Massachusetts. And given the current state of sentencing, the court would be creating a serious sentencing discrepancy by allowing Mr. Lara to continue serving a life sentence , the order states. To further its efforts to legitimize, the organization began to hold monthly meetings (universals) at St. Mary's Episcopal Church in West Harlem. Rhode Island News. Five days after Pines stabbing death, Latin Kings leader Michael Cecchetelli told a cooperating witness they need to help Francisco get to Texas, where he will cross into Mexico with the assistance of Latin Kings members located there, federal prosecutors said. Lowest-earning counties in Rhode Island . [22][23][24] The gang was founded by Puerto Ricans in Chicago, Illinois in 1954. The Latin Kings adhere to a national manifesto, employ an internal judiciary and use a sophisticated system of communication to maintain the hierarchy of the organization. The Latin Kings are members of the People Nation alliance of gangs, and are therefore opposed to the rival Folk Nation gang alliance.[11]. The RICO conspiracy charge provides a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. . He is barred from contact with current or former Latin Kings members. United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction made the announcement today. [68][69], A multi-year joint federal and state investigation of the Holland Latin Kings (HLK) resulted in the prosecution of thirty-one of the gang's members. It was during his time under house arrest that the Latin Queens underwent a shake up in leadership, dismissing many of the leaders in order to bring in more politically focused members. Assistant Attorney General Michael Burns said it was the first in Rhode Island ever to name the . Friday, March 3, 2023. He's served 27 years for murder and didn't fire the gun. Providence, Rhode Island Fri, 04/21/2023 - 5:00pm to 8:00pm Food Truck Friday Roger Williams Park 04-28-23 Providence, Rhode Island Fri, 04/28/2023 - 5:00pm to 8:00pm Food Truck Friday Roger Williams Park 05-05-23 Providence, Rhode Island Fri, 05/05/2023 - 5:00pm to 8:00pm Food Trucks Roll into Richmond 05-11-23 Francisco, 41, had served as the local leader of the Latin Kings, police have said. Now 46, Lara argues in U.S. District Court that he has undergone a full and genuine rehabilitation that deserves a second look and a chance to be released from prison after serving 27 years. His decision to join a gang at a youthful age, although foolhardy, also reflects societal forces much bigger than him, McConnell wrote in the 40-page order. Johnston Police Department, Johnston, Rhode Island. In July he was arrested in a domestic attempted breaking and entering; police said he used a knife to try to break into the home of his ex-girlfriend. (WWLP) - After a four-year investigation, federal, state, and local enforcement officers arrested over 60 members of the Latin Kings gang, five of whom . Flora Alessandrini (Pisano) Authorities accused Lara and the others of committing killings, dealing in crack cocaine and heroin, maintaining a cache of firearms and ordering "beat-downs" in running the Providence Latin Kings chapter as a criminal enterprise. The operation, dubbed Operation Crown, cost the city over one million dollars and took 19 months to complete. Perry shot VanDerGroen in the back of the head, believing the teenager had shown him disrespect, according to Laras filing. One other was apprehended a month later after fleeing to New York. One of their associates, Joel Francisco, serving life behind bars for crack cocaine offenses, was an early beneficiary of the First Step Act. 10,293 were here. A recording on Sept. 4 captured Francisco and another Rhode Island man allegedly involved in the Latin Kings, Eric Thomas, buying 186 grams of cocaine base from another defendant in the case and a cooperating witness. Now she is forced to grieve anew, Release of 3 men convicted of murder as teens will proceed on orders of RI judge, state lawmakers last year took steps to give young offenders, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. A Haverhill man was arrested by a federally led statewide sweep Thursday that netted 60 gang members involved with the "Almighty Latin Kings and Queen Nation"or "Latin. Policing:Thousands of federal inmates to be released under 2018's First Step Act. PROVIDENCE A federal appeals court has upheld a sentence of life in prison for the former leader of the Almighty Latin Kings street gang in Providence for racketeering and murder. Delivering Cake throughout Rhode Island including Providence, Warwick, Coventry, West Warwick, Hope, Fiskeville, Cranston, East Greenwich, Johnston 02901, 02886, 02918, 02816, 02893 . [82], An investigation by the FBI into gang activity in Rhode Island found that the Providence chapter of the Latin Kings, made up of approximately 100 members, has been active in narcotics trafficking, gunrunning, extortion and murder since at least September 1994. He sought relief under the First Step Act, a criminal-justice reform law passed in 2018 that empowers federal judges to reduce sentences in extraordinary and compelling circumstances. KINGS GARDEN - 149 Photos & 194 Reviews - 90 Rolfe Sq, Cranston, RI - Menu - Yelp Restaurants Home Services Auto Services Kings Garden 195 reviews Claimed $$ Chinese Edit Open 11:00 AM - 9:30 PM Hours updated 3 months ago See hours See all 149 photos Write a review Add photo Share Save Menu View full menu $3.55 Steamed Roast Pork Bun . CAV Restaurant 384 reviews Closed Now International $$ - $$$ 2023 www.providencejournal.com. Judge Mary M. Lisi denied Laras bid for leniency in sentencing him and Perry to life in prison, which in the federal system amounts to life without parole. Velstegui, the founder of the Latin Kings, was sentenced in 2006 to. It outlined many freedoms for the inhabitants of Rhode Island and was the guiding document of the colony's government (and that of the state later) over a period of 180 years.. [48], Sixteen Latin Kings members, included the four highest-ranking members in the state, were arrested in Bridgeport and New Haven on June 30, 1994 and charged with conspiring to sell cocaine and heroin. 100 talking about this. Laras motion for release comes as state Superior Court Judge Daniel A. Procaccini issued a ruling last month calling for state lawmakers to enact a mechanism for state judges to reduce sentences in cases in which defendants deserve a second look.. Chris Walton Miranda Rae. Cranston Former Latin Kings Crown Council Chairman Angel Rodriguez (King Ace) pled guilty and his sentencing is scheduled for April, according to the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts. Lara argues he is a changed person from the teenager and Almighty Latin Kings Nation gang member who participated in the carjacking and point-blank killing of Temujin VanDerGroen, an 18-year-old Community College of Rhode Island student. During the four-year investigation, law enforcement developed evidence that the Latin Kings trafficked drugs, conspired to murder more than 10 victims, and committed violent crimes including numerous incidents of robbery, shootings, stabbings and witness intimidation. Phone: 401-606-0606. He wrote childrens books and mentored at-risk youth. [98] In February 2011, Velastegui had an additional four years added to his sentence after being convicted of directing the gang from prison, while lieutenants Jose Fabricio Icaza and Maria Torres were sentenced to three-and-a-half years' and two years' imprisonment, respectively. Among those charged is Cecchetelli, described as the Supreme East Coast Regional Overseer, or the gang's top man in the area, which includes Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York. 13. The John Carter Brown Library 94 George Street Providence, Rhode Island 02906. SPRINGFIELD, Mass. I am ashamed of the person I once was. Living in same house 1 year ago, percent of persons age 1 year+, 2017-2021. The Dirt Palace, Providence, RI, US . Over half of the arrested were charged with misdemeanors; other were charged with weapons possession and drug trafficking. The heads of the entire criminal organization are known as "coronas". 9. [53] Latin Kings member Alejandro Rodriguez-Ortiz was charged with the July 2, 2008 murder of Angel Rivera a fellow Latin King who was shot dead in Wilmington as well as the murder of rival gang member Rodrigo Monroy, who was fatally shot on September 30, 2008. A substantial amount of documentation relating to the gang and its organization, as well as gang paraphernalia such as necklaces to denote rank within the gang, black and gold flags, neckscarves and rings, was also confiscated. The Latin Kings adhere to a national manifesto, employ an internal judiciary and use a sophisticated system of communication to maintain the hierarchy of the organization. [73] Japhet "King Japhet" Lopez, Kiele "King Forty" Lopez and Carlos "King Future" Rodriguez pleaded guilty to racketeering. However, the Latin Kings have evolved into a nationwide criminal organization with chapters in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Florida, California and Illinois. [31][32] Felipe was charged with ordering the killing of William (Lil Man) Cartagena, who had been taken to an abandoned Bronx apartment and strangled, decapitated, mutilated and set on fire. McConnell, in his recent ruling, observed that the two men received identical sentences, despite differences in the culpability. This morning, over 500 federal, state and local law enforcement officers arrested dozens of Latin Kings members and associates and executed 31 search warrants at 24 locations. To support the conspiracy, Vallodolid murdered Victor Lusinski in Hammond on April 12, 2009. Fernandez was eventually permitted, though under house arrest, to attend monthly universal meetings. BOSTON A Boston man has been indicted in connection with the September 2022 robbery of a bank in Brookline. Before the year's end, Adelfa Vera, also a Puerto Rican activist, attended a monthly universal and was given ALKQN beads by the present leadership. He is still in custody after his arrest in Texas. [60] Zambrano was convicted under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) of racketeering conspiracy and related charges involving narcotics trafficking and violence. [97], Eric Javier Vara Velastegui received a forty-year prison sentence for rape, violent assault and kidnapping in June 2006. Providence's best dance and entertainment nightclub with free secure parking lot located. There are 11 active Latin Kings Chapters operating in Massachusetts: D5K (Boston), Morton Street Bricks (Boston), New Bedford, Springfield, Lynn/Salem, Chelsea, Lowell, Lawrence, Worcester, Fitchburg and within the Department of Corrections. federal judge has sentenced Joel Francisco, of Providence, to life imprisonment for trafficking in cocaine and crack cocaine. Since then, our mission has been to provide . 84.8%. [56] By January 2016, all twenty-three members of the gang which operated in Miami-Dade, Palm Beach and Broward counties had pleaded guilty to a variety of federal charges. But I pledge to you that I am no longer that ignorant person. Once facing life in prison without parole, Francisco was released in February this year. During the investigation, federal agents were able to infiltrate the top levels of the gang,. Days later, on September 4, 2019, a co-conspirator was captured in a video recording purchasing 186 grams of cocaine from members of the New Bedford chapter in a deal facilitated by Thomas. The appeals panel found that Lisi rightly determined that rehabilitation alone could not be an extraordinary and compelling reason for compassionate release. "I don't want him out. Attorneys Emily Cannon and Philip Mallard of Lellings Organized Crime and Gang Unit are prosecuting the cases. . [90], Latin Kings member Timothy Vallejo was sentenced to life in prison on January 26, 2010 after being convicted of racketeering and the murder of Oak Creek resident Kevin Hirschfield outside a Cudahy gas station in 2003.