Hello Everyone,
Evelyn Here,
I have been working on other projects and trying get my personal life into some kind of order. So, I have not posted many articles of late on this site. However, I have written an article in response to a news release from the Attorney General Office and dated September 17, 2007. Below is my response. Please read with consideration of the overall concern I possess for this issue.
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It has been nearly three years since my neighbors, my husband and I were witnesses to the brutal beating that included stomping of a young teenage boy, and whose family has deep illegal drug connection. To recap that evening, it was to our horror, that the teenage boys who live in one of the houses the corner was brutality victimized by more than twenty of his peers and at least one adult male. Those of us who were witnesses to this act were in near panic before the horror of it truly hit us. Finally, my husband had enough and reported the beating to the police department. While we were all waiting for the police to arrive, it was easy to see from the postures and attitudes of the victim’s attackers that they did not care if anyone was watching them, and that their act was an overt show of their evil power over that young boy and his family.
The sheer number of teenagers involved in that beating confirmed for me that they were a gang and the adult who led them and started the attack had a very evil and criminal mentality. It is no secret that at least two of the houses on that corner are occupied by branches of the same family and that using teenagers to the sell drugs is not new to them.
Since that evening, I have often wondered about how many other families on our block and up the street from that corner picked of a phone and made a police report. Being the person that I am, I still want to think that a few of them did make a call, and yes. Moreover, the struggle to keep that corner and our block drug free has continued. Although it has been quieter on this block, their illegal drug activities are still out there somewhere, and it has been moved to another location. I do not believe they have just turned and stopped years and years of crime within such a short time.
The purpose for this resurgent of bad history is that I have posted precautions to parents and those neighbors interested in keeping our streets clean of crime about this growing problem as well as the negative ways their children can be influenced into believing that such crimes will be not hurt them or their futures. When in truth such crimes can destroy their lives just as it can destroy the lives of corrupt adults. It is a fact that our justice system is getting blinder to an offender’s age. This means being a youth and/or a teenager is no longer guarantee of lighter getting a lighter sentence for their crimes This includes crimes of assault, murder, robbery, drug sell and trafficking, and crimes committed without or without a weapon – just to name a few.
Also, bear in mind that although such criminals have families too, they will try to make the innocents and their victims feel guity for their situation after you report their crimes, while at the same time, ignoring the harm to the lives they have destroyed. Keep reporting.
The following newsletter from the Office of The Attorney General, Bill McCollum and dated is a straightforward example of a case where a seventeen-year-old gang member is facing one sentence of 35 years in prison for his crimes.
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And now the Attorney General new release.
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Bill McCollum
Attorney General
News Release
Date: September 17, 2007
MANATEE COUNTY GANG LEADER GETS 7 YEARS FOR RACKETEERING
BROWN PRIDE LOCOS TARGETED BY STATE OFFICIALS FOR ORGANIZED CRIME
TALLAHASSEE, FL – Attorney General Bill McCollum today announced a significant victory in the fight against gang violence with the no contest plea and sentencing of a Manatee County gang leader. Jose Angel Lopez is the leader of the Brown Pride Locos, a violent street gang that has terrorized Manatee County through robberies, assaults, violence against law enforcement and other dangerous crimes. He pleaded no contest today to one charge of criminal racketeering and one count of conspiracy to commit racketeering and was immediately sentenced to seven years in prison, to be followed by five years of probation. Lopez, 19, was prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution in conjunction with the State Attorney’s Office for the 12th Judicial Circuit.
“Myoffice is committed to stopping these organized groups of criminals from running rampant through our communities,” said Attorney General McCollum. “This is a huge victory in our cooperative efforts to run these street gangs out of our state and bring an end to their reign of terror.”
Lopez, known as “Charlie Brown,” was arrested in January with six other gang members – Frank "Magoo" J. Avalos Jr.; Justino "Crazy" Santana Jr.; Fernando "Freddy" Chavez; Jose "Payaso" Luis Rodriguez; Eric "E" J. Santiago; and Alberto Gutierrez. "Pistol" Pete Garcia and Pedro "Perico" were arrested in late February. The arrests were a joint effort by the Office of Statewide Prosecution, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and Bradenton PD.
“This is a significant step in the right direction as we continue to dismantle this type of organized crime,” said Manatee County Sheriff Brad Steube.
The gang members were charged with criminal racketeering and conspiracy to commit racketeering, a new strategy employed by state prosecutors. Using the racketeering charge, authorities target the gang as an organized criminal enterprise, often useful when witnesses or victims are unwilling to testify against the gang members.
Two of the gang members, Gutierrez and Garcia, pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit racketeering in late August, agreeing to testify against the other gang members. They could receive sentences up to five years in prison are sentenced at a later date. The charges against the remaining gang members are still pending.
To address the gang issue on a statewide level, the Attorney General’s Office launched a statewide grand jury in August to investigate criminal gang activity including crimes involving narcotics or other dangerous drugs, robbery and gambling, as well as violations of the Florida Racketeer Influenced and Corruption Organization (RICO) Act. The jurors will also study various criminal issues and make recommendations to the legislature on needed laws to deter gang activities and punish those involved in these pursuits.
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Stay Vigilant!
Evelyn out.
