17-year veteran of the New York Police Department has been suspended without pay after a kidnapping victim was found tied up in his garage. The New York Post reports Ondre Johnson, a detective with the Brooklyn north gang unit, was being questioned in connection with the incident and was forced to surrender his gun and badge. A source tells the Post the 25-year-old victim was snatched off the street on July 26. The victim's friends then got calls demanding $75,000 for the victim's release. The call was traced to Johnson's home, MyFoxNY.com reports. When authorities arrived Friday afternoon, Johnson answered the door and identified himself as a detective with the NYPD. Investigators then found the victim tied up in the garage. Four men have been charged in the apparent kidnapping scheme, MyFoxNY.com reports. 30-year-old Hakeem Clark, who lives in the same building as Johnson, was charged with kidnapping and weapons possession along with 27-year-old Jason Hutson and 27-year-old James Gayle. 24-year-old Alfredo Haughton was charged with kidnapping.

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Jamie “Iceman” Stevenson is back on the streets – less than halfway through his prison sentence for laundering £1million of drugs cash. Scotland’s most powerful mobster has been enjoying meals at expensive restaurants and socialising with pals after being allowed home for a week each month. Stevenson – who was also accused of shooting dead his best friend in an underworld hit – was put behind bars in September 2006 when he was arrested after a four-year surveillance operation by the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency. He was later sentenced to 12 years and nine months for money laundering. But, we can reveal, he is now allowed out of Castle Huntly open prison near Dundee – just five years and 10 months later. A source said: “He seems determined to show his face all around town to deliver the message that he’s back and, as far as he’s concerned, nothing has changed. “A lot of people are surprised that he’s being allowed out so early. Some are not too pleased about it for a number of reasons.” Stevenson, 47, has been spotted at Bothwell Bar & Brasserie, which is run by his friend Stewart Gilmore. He and his cronies have also dined at upmarket Italian restaurant Il Pavone in Glasgow’s Princes Square shopping centre. And Stevenson has joined friends at various other restaurants and hotels, including Glasgow’s Hilton Garden Inn. A Sunday Mail investigation can today reveal that the Parole Board for Scotland could recommend Stevenson’s total freedom as early as February next year. However, the final decision on his release will rest with Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill. Yesterday, Labour justice spokesman Lewis Macdonald said: “I’m surprised to hear this and that anyone in these circumstances should get out of jail before the halfway point of their sentence – far less so when the conviction is of someone involved in organised crime. “The only circumstances where that would be conceivable would be if someone completely changed their lifestyle. But even then that should not be before they’ve served half their sentence. “I’m sure the victims of these crimes – and with drugs there are direct and indirect victims – will also be surprised at this.” To prepare Stevenson for his release, prison bosses have allowed him to stay a full week each month at his modest flat in Burnside, near Glasgow. On Friday, we watched him leaving the property with his wife Caroline and driving off in a silver Audi. A prison service insider said: “The Parole Board expect the prison authorities to have allowed home visits to test suitability for release ahead of the first eligible parole date. In Stevenson’s case, that’s next February. “There are conditions attached which vary but usually include the obvious ones like not mixing with other criminals and staying only at the designated address. “For prisoners sentenced to more than 10 years, the Parole Board make their recommendations to the Justice Secretary, who then decides whether to release on licence. “Stevenson is trying to keep his nose clean to convince the Parole Board that he poses no threat to society. “But, given his high profile and significance, it’s inevitable that the authorities will be careful before making any final decision.” Stevenson headed a global smuggling gang with a multi-million-pound turnover when he was brought down by the SCDEA’s Operation Folklore, which seized £61million of drugs. He faced drug and money laundering charges along with eight other suspects, including his 53-year-old wife. But his lawyers struck a deal with the Crown Office to admit money laundering in exchange for his wife’s freedom and the drugs charges being dropped. Stevenson’s stepson Gerry Carbin Jr, 32, was also jailed – for five years and six months – but was freed in 2010. Stevenson was previously arrested for the murder of Tony McGovern, 35, who was gunned down in Glasgow’s Springburn in 2000. But prosecutors dropped the case through lack of evidence. A gangland source said: “He does not fear any kind of reprisal from Tony’s brothers, nor does he regard any other criminals in Scotland as a threat or even as rivals. He did not fear any other operation in Scotland before he was jailed. Why would he now?” Two years ago, the Sunday Mail exposed a backdoor deal when the Crown handed back Stevenson’s £300,000 watch collection, which had been seized under proceeds of crime of legislation. Last June, he was sent back to high-security Shotts jail in Lanarkshire from an open prison after a major SCDEA drugs probe, Operation Chilon. Detectives believed that the gang they investigated was controlled by Stevenson. Haulage firm boss Charles McAughey’s home was one of 11 targeted in raids. In 2009, we revealed that French police had found 684kg of pure cocaine worth £31million in a lorry owned by McAughey. Chilon resulted in the SCDEA seizing 242kg of cannabis worth £1.21million and the jailing of three men for a combined 15 years.

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Police in Alice are investigating a shooting that occurred near Reynolds Street. According to investigators, it all started on South Nayer Street where police say Isaac Vela was standing on the side of the road waiting for a ride. A vehicle -- with four people inside passed by. One of the passengers, police say, shot Vela in the face. The vehicle fled the scene, but the driver only made it a few blocks before he lost control of the vehicle. It smashed into a nearby school. Three of the four people inside the car died. The other is in the hospital...where investigators will interview him tomorrow. Police say all of the men involved are known gang members.

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Reece James, 21, a close friend of Tulisa Contostavlos has been shot dead in a reported gangland attack. The 21-year-old, who appeared with Tulisa in a video for rapper Nines, was shot in the head in a "pre-planned and targeted" hit, 100 miles from his home in London, reports the UK's Sun newspaper. Police found James' body in Boscombe, Bournemouth, at around 2.30am near where Somali drug gangs are said operate. A 22-year-old man was arrested. Reece was said to have been in the area with some friends for "a couple of months", though had filmed the video earlier this month with Tulisa and rapper Nines on the Church End Estate in Harlesden, North West London. The former N Dubz star caused controversy at the time, making a "C" symbol to the camera - the same sign that is used by Harlesden's notorious Church Road Soldiers gang. Tulisa claimed it was a reference to Camden, where she was born. Twitter tributes began flooding in last night, with one user writing, "RIP Reece James. Thoughts are with him and his family and friends". Local MP Tobias Ellwood described the killing as "a spill over from the drugs turf war in the capital", adding, "This was one London gang chasing down another, carrying out a professional hit and then going back".

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Britain is in the grip of a pickpocketing epidemic as Eastern European gangs descend on London ahead of the Olympic Games.

A surge in sneak street thefts means more than 1,700 people fall victim every day – an increase of nearly a fifth in only two years, according to official crime  figures released yesterday.

At the same time, police warned that professional gangs from Romania, Lithuania and even South America who operate in capitals across Europe are heading to Britain, intent on cashing in on unwitting tourists at London 2012.

How they do it: A member of the pickpocket gang approaches a BBC reporter investigating the rise in thefts ahead of the Olympics

Keeping him occupied: The man speaks to the victim on the pretense of needing directions while another gang member approaches from behind

A BBC investigation exposed the tactics used by Romanian thieves, who were previously operating in Barcelona, to dupe their victims.

The criminals boasted of their ‘one-second’ theft techniques which leave targets unaware that anything has happened until  it is too late. They can make £4,000 a week taking wallets, smartphones and laptop bags. The goods are then shipped back to Romania and sold on the black market.

 Scotland Yard has made more than 80 arrests already and warned thieves the capital will be a ‘hostile environment’ in the coming weeks.

The Met has even drafted in a team of Romanian police officers to deal with the problem and patrol in the West End of London and Westminster during the Games. They will not have arrest powers.

Distracted: An accomplice (left) then plays drunk so he can get close enough to the target to strike

 

Sleight of hand: The 'drunk' man jostles around with the BBC reporter, making it harder for him to notice what is going on

 

 

Rich pickings: The sneering thief walks away with the wallet from the unsuspecting victim

Teamwork: The thief quickly hands the wallet to another member of the gang, who spirits it away

 

Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: ‘These Romanian officers will prove to be a huge asset in cracking down on certain criminal networks who are targeting tourists in central London.’

Official statistics released yesterday showed pickpocketing thefts rose 17 per cent in the past two years.

In 2011/12, a total of 625,000 people fell victim, the Crime Survey of England and Wales showed.

That is an increase of more than 102,000 since 2009/10.

The vast majority of the total are classified as ‘stealth thefts’, but in 83,000 cases the victims’ possessions were ‘snatched’.

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Photo: RCMP

Surveillance photo of Douglas Vanalstine

Douglas Edward Vanalstine, 52, formerly of Kelowna, pled guilty in BC Supreme Court Wednesday to conspiracy to traffic cocaine.

Vanalstine and Daryl Robert Johnson, 33, of Abbotsford, were both arrested in Kelowna in November of 2009 at the height of an RCMP crackdown on gangs in BC.

Both are said to be senior members of the UN gang.

Vanalstine was part owner of a snowmobile company at Big White and he was living in a cabin on the mountain at the time of the investigation.

The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit initiated the undercover enforcement that targeted the drug trafficking activities and resulting violence of both the Bacon group and UN gang.

During the investigation, Vanalstine and Johnson met with a police agent on a number of occasions to facilitate the purchase of 100 kg of 'Mexican' cocaine.

Police say the pair provided a $100,000 down payment and took delivery of 100 kg of placebo cocaine.

Jarrod Bacon, also arrested during the province-wide crackdown, recently received 12 years in prison after being found guilty of conspiracy to traffic in cocaine.

"Our commitment to the citizens of British Columbia is to ensure their safety by placing those people responsible for gang and organized crime violence behind bars," says CFSEU-BC's Chief Officer, Dan Malo.

"Our enforcement efforts over the past few years have significantly impacted the ability of this organized crime group and others to conduct their criminal business."

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The B.C. Civil Forfeiture Office is asking for more than $250,000 worth of jewellery belonging to Joey Lamont Arrance, according to a claim filed in B.C. Supreme Court. Arrance has been identified as a junior member of a Hell's Angels affiliate group in Prince George called the Renegades Motorcycle Club. The 33-year-old was found guilty in May of weapons offences and is being held at the Fraser Regional Correctional centre. Police were tipped off to his treasure trove of bling while Arrance was in custody awaiting trial. They noticed that he made a lot of phone calls — 671 in total — all recorded. In the civil claim, authorities say he was ensuring the smooth running of his drug trafficking operation and trying to convince a third party to take the fall for his gun. He also allegedly discussed the possibility of melting down dozens of pieces of jewellery to make a huge pendant for his girlfriend. A list of the pieces includes a gents' diamond pendant worth $43,000 and a Breitling watch worth $37,000. Now, the civil forfeiture office is going after all of it, saying it's an instrument of unlawful activity.

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There's a pretty good chance two recent gang-related shootings in Port Moody will go unsolved for years to come. A spokesperson for the Vancouver Police Department, which is investigating the two shootings on behalf of the Port Moody Police Department, noted there are no new leads in the case of the most recent shooting. VPD Const. Lindsey Houghton said officers were at the scene canvassing potential witnesses the day after the murder, but the effort turned up nothing new. He added it could take years for the crime to be solved. "It's a combination of luck and all sorts of other things, if they're even solved," Houghton said. On June 25, gangster Randy Naicker was gunned down on busy Queens Street during rush hour. Naicker was the founder of the Independent Soldiers and had a criminal past. In May, another gangster, Gurbinder Singh Toor, was gunned down in the parking lot of the Port Moody Recreation Complex just after sundown. The victim was exiting his car to play ball hockey when he was shot. There have been few leads in that case, but police believe the suspect vehicle was a Nissan Murano. Investigators put up posters with the description of the vehicle at the recreation centre in hopes of getting new tips. At the time, the VPD indicated it's not uncommon for an investigation into a gang shooting to move very slowly. Simon Fraser University criminologist Robert Gordon believes there is no chance the shooters will be brought to justice. He suggested the shooters were likely "imports," who were brought into the area for that one specific purpose. They likely picked up the firearm for the shooting and then disposed of it shortly afterwards. In the case of the Naicker shooting, witnesses said the gunmen wore masks to cover their face. "They'll never be identified," Gordon said. The two shootings were the first homicides in Port Moody in nearly a decade.

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20-year-old man has been arrested on a murder warrant in connection with a shooting at a party in October that left a young mother of two dead and seven others wounded. Jacob Cordero is accused of opening fire on party-goers standing outside a home in the 3700 block of Frazier Avenue in the early-morning hours of Oct. 23. Eight people were struck, including Christina Davila, 21, who died at the scene from a high-velocity gunshot wound to the neck. Homicide Sgt. Cheryl Johnson said the motive appears to be gang-related. Although Davila was not a gang member, Johnson said that she was acquainted with gang members and that several gang members were present at the party. Cordero, Johnson said, belongs to a rival gang. Cordero was being held in Johnson County on unrelated charges when he was arrested on the murder warrant. Police have said that the gunman had wore dark clothes, including a hooded jacket, when he walked up to the group, opened fire, and then ran away. Tarrant County records show that Cordova was sentenced to three years in prison in June 2010 for assaulting an off-duty Fort Worth police officer. Officer Randy Molina and two other off-duty officers were trying to break up a fight at a private party in the Stockyards when Molina was injured. He was treated at a hospital for a broken nose and concussion. Federal court records show that Cordero was deported to Mexico in May 2011. He was discovered back in the United States in November and indicted on one count of illegal re-entry. The indictment, however, was dismissed in February after information arose that Cordero, though born in Mexico, may have derived U.S. citizenship through his father. Davila left behind a son and daughter, now ages 3 and 4. Linda Rodriguez raised Davila, her granddaughter, from a toddler and now raises Davila's two children. "They do miss her, believe me," said Davila's great aunt, who spoke about the family only on the condition that she not be identified. "We have pictures in the house. "They know that's their mom and they know she's an angel in heaven and they know she's not coming back, and not because she doesn't want to." The great aunt said Rodriguez was relieved to learn about the arrest. "I know she's just glad that they finally arrested the person and there's finally closure to it," she said.

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20-year-old man has been arrested on a murder warrant in connection with a shooting at a party in October that left a young mother of two dead and seven others wounded. Jacob Cordero is accused of opening fire on party-goers standing outside a home in the 3700 block of Frazier Avenue in the early-morning hours of Oct. 23. Eight people were struck, including Christina Davila, 21, who died at the scene from a high-velocity gunshot wound to the neck. Homicide Sgt. Cheryl Johnson said the motive appears to be gang-related. Although Davila was not a gang member, Johnson said that she was acquainted with gang members and that several gang members were present at the party. Cordero, Johnson said, belongs to a rival gang. Cordero was being held in Johnson County on unrelated charges when he was arrested on the murder warrant. Police have said that the gunman had wore dark clothes, including a hooded jacket, when he walked up to the group, opened fire, and then ran away. Tarrant County records show that Cordova was sentenced to three years in prison in June 2010 for assaulting an off-duty Fort Worth police officer. Officer Randy Molina and two other off-duty officers were trying to break up a fight at a private party in the Stockyards when Molina was injured. He was treated at a hospital for a broken nose and concussion. Federal court records show that Cordero was deported to Mexico in May 2011. He was discovered back in the United States in November and indicted on one count of illegal re-entry. The indictment, however, was dismissed in February after information arose that Cordero, though born in Mexico, may have derived U.S. citizenship through his father. Davila left behind a son and daughter, now ages 3 and 4. Linda Rodriguez raised Davila, her granddaughter, from a toddler and now raises Davila's two children. "They do miss her, believe me," said Davila's great aunt, who spoke about the family only on the condition that she not be identified. "We have pictures in the house. "They know that's their mom and they know she's an angel in heaven and they know she's not coming back, and not because she doesn't want to." The great aunt said Rodriguez was relieved to learn about the arrest. "I know she's just glad that they finally arrested the person and there's finally closure to it," she said.

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20-year-old man has been arrested on a murder warrant in connection with a shooting at a party in October that left a young mother of two dead and seven others wounded. Jacob Cordero is accused of opening fire on party-goers standing outside a home in the 3700 block of Frazier Avenue in the early-morning hours of Oct. 23. Eight people were struck, including Christina Davila, 21, who died at the scene from a high-velocity gunshot wound to the neck. Homicide Sgt. Cheryl Johnson said the motive appears to be gang-related. Although Davila was not a gang member, Johnson said that she was acquainted with gang members and that several gang members were present at the party. Cordero, Johnson said, belongs to a rival gang. Cordero was being held in Johnson County on unrelated charges when he was arrested on the murder warrant. Police have said that the gunman had wore dark clothes, including a hooded jacket, when he walked up to the group, opened fire, and then ran away. Tarrant County records show that Cordova was sentenced to three years in prison in June 2010 for assaulting an off-duty Fort Worth police officer. Officer Randy Molina and two other off-duty officers were trying to break up a fight at a private party in the Stockyards when Molina was injured. He was treated at a hospital for a broken nose and concussion. Federal court records show that Cordero was deported to Mexico in May 2011. He was discovered back in the United States in November and indicted on one count of illegal re-entry. The indictment, however, was dismissed in February after information arose that Cordero, though born in Mexico, may have derived U.S. citizenship through his father. Davila left behind a son and daughter, now ages 3 and 4. Linda Rodriguez raised Davila, her granddaughter, from a toddler and now raises Davila's two children. "They do miss her, believe me," said Davila's great aunt, who spoke about the family only on the condition that she not be identified. "We have pictures in the house. "They know that's their mom and they know she's an angel in heaven and they know she's not coming back, and not because she doesn't want to." The great aunt said Rodriguez was relieved to learn about the arrest. "I know she's just glad that they finally arrested the person and there's finally closure to it," she said.

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20-year-old man has been arrested on a murder warrant in connection with a shooting at a party in October that left a young mother of two dead and seven others wounded. Jacob Cordero is accused of opening fire on party-goers standing outside a home in the 3700 block of Frazier Avenue in the early-morning hours of Oct. 23. Eight people were struck, including Christina Davila, 21, who died at the scene from a high-velocity gunshot wound to the neck. Homicide Sgt. Cheryl Johnson said the motive appears to be gang-related. Although Davila was not a gang member, Johnson said that she was acquainted with gang members and that several gang members were present at the party. Cordero, Johnson said, belongs to a rival gang. Cordero was being held in Johnson County on unrelated charges when he was arrested on the murder warrant. Police have said that the gunman had wore dark clothes, including a hooded jacket, when he walked up to the group, opened fire, and then ran away. Tarrant County records show that Cordova was sentenced to three years in prison in June 2010 for assaulting an off-duty Fort Worth police officer. Officer Randy Molina and two other off-duty officers were trying to break up a fight at a private party in the Stockyards when Molina was injured. He was treated at a hospital for a broken nose and concussion. Federal court records show that Cordero was deported to Mexico in May 2011. He was discovered back in the United States in November and indicted on one count of illegal re-entry. The indictment, however, was dismissed in February after information arose that Cordero, though born in Mexico, may have derived U.S. citizenship through his father. Davila left behind a son and daughter, now ages 3 and 4. Linda Rodriguez raised Davila, her granddaughter, from a toddler and now raises Davila's two children. "They do miss her, believe me," said Davila's great aunt, who spoke about the family only on the condition that she not be identified. "We have pictures in the house. "They know that's their mom and they know she's an angel in heaven and they know she's not coming back, and not because she doesn't want to." The great aunt said Rodriguez was relieved to learn about the arrest. "I know she's just glad that they finally arrested the person and there's finally closure to it," she said.

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20-year-old man has been arrested on a murder warrant in connection with a shooting at a party in October that left a young mother of two dead and seven others wounded. Jacob Cordero is accused of opening fire on party-goers standing outside a home in the 3700 block of Frazier Avenue in the early-morning hours of Oct. 23. Eight people were struck, including Christina Davila, 21, who died at the scene from a high-velocity gunshot wound to the neck. Homicide Sgt. Cheryl Johnson said the motive appears to be gang-related. Although Davila was not a gang member, Johnson said that she was acquainted with gang members and that several gang members were present at the party. Cordero, Johnson said, belongs to a rival gang. Cordero was being held in Johnson County on unrelated charges when he was arrested on the murder warrant. Police have said that the gunman had wore dark clothes, including a hooded jacket, when he walked up to the group, opened fire, and then ran away. Tarrant County records show that Cordova was sentenced to three years in prison in June 2010 for assaulting an off-duty Fort Worth police officer. Officer Randy Molina and two other off-duty officers were trying to break up a fight at a private party in the Stockyards when Molina was injured. He was treated at a hospital for a broken nose and concussion. Federal court records show that Cordero was deported to Mexico in May 2011. He was discovered back in the United States in November and indicted on one count of illegal re-entry. The indictment, however, was dismissed in February after information arose that Cordero, though born in Mexico, may have derived U.S. citizenship through his father. Davila left behind a son and daughter, now ages 3 and 4. Linda Rodriguez raised Davila, her granddaughter, from a toddler and now raises Davila's two children. "They do miss her, believe me," said Davila's great aunt, who spoke about the family only on the condition that she not be identified. "We have pictures in the house. "They know that's their mom and they know she's an angel in heaven and they know she's not coming back, and not because she doesn't want to." The great aunt said Rodriguez was relieved to learn about the arrest. "I know she's just glad that they finally arrested the person and there's finally closure to it," she said.

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Bessemer man, gunned down at a Hueytown intersection on Saturday, was shot multiple times in what Hueytown Police Chief Chuck Hagler described today as something normally seen in a "gangster movie." Police released more details in the slaying of Corey Montez Stephenson, 28, during a press conference at City Hall this afternoon. Stephenson was sitting in his 2002 S60 Volvo at  the intersection of 15th Street and 26th Avenue in the westbound lanes about 4:30 p.m. Saturday when a second vehicle pulled into a nearby turn lane and someone inside it began firing into Stephenson's car. Multiple bullets struck Stephenson's car, shattering its windows and striking the 28-year-old father of three. Police said a wounded Stephenson got out of the car and attempted to flee, but the shooter continued to fire what police believe was a large-caliber handgun. Stephenson fell in the middle of the intersection, where police later found him. He was flown to UAB Hospital but was pronounced dead that evening. Hagler said Stephenson was shot 10 times. "It was a blatant, brazen, lawless act which affects a whole community," Hagler said. "A message needs to be sent that we will not tolerate this type of behavior ... This car was shot up like something you see in a gangster movie." Police are pleading with any possible witnesses or anyone who had been in contact with Stephenson that day to contact them. "We desperately need assistance from the public," Hagler said. Hueytown Police Shooting Press Conference June 25, 2012 Hueytown Police Chief Chuck Hagler speaks at a press conference to seek information from the public about a Saturday afternoon fatal shooting of Corey Stepenson of Bessemer Mon., June 25, 2012 in Hueytown, Ala. Watch video Stephenson had been wounded ealier this month in a shooting in Bessemer, Hagler said. Hueytown police are working with Bessemer police because the two cases may be related, Hagler said. Bessemer police said Stephenson had been shot in the 2800 block of Fairfax Avenue on the night of June 7 but declined to cooperate with their investigation. "He didn't give us any information as to the shooter," Bessemer Deputy Police Chief Mike Roper said. "Sometimes we get those who will not cooperate after they've been shot."

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The last Underground Gangster Crips member in a prostitution case in Fairfax County pleaded guilty to sex trafficking girls on Tuesday. Twenty-six-year-old Justin Strom (also known as "Jae," "Jae Dee," or "J-Dirt") of Lorton, Va., pleaded guilty to recruiting at least eight juvenile girls to engage in commercial sex for his street gang's prostitution business over a period of six years. The gang members would pressure young girls who they met online or at Metro stops into prostitution. Strom pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of a child, which carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and maximum penalty of life in prison.  Strom's sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 14.

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"This can not be right. They can not just do this from one day to the next," said one judge High Court on Monday after learning the bodyguards That Were Being Assigned To him taken away. The Interior Ministry HAS BEGUN ITS plan to massively reduce the number of bodyguards Assigned to Judges, Prosecutors and other Officials, High Court sources said. The Reductions, Including the elimination of Government vehicles for Some Officials, are to start in September Taking effect from today. Among Those Who will be left without protection are three anti-corruption Prosecutors who are Investigating the Russian Mafia Currently the Gürtel and Contracts-for-kickbacks case. It was the High Court's chief criminal judge, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, who Informed His colleagues of the Government's decision. The Reasons? The Government no longer feels pressured by ETA, Which Announced an end to attacks last fall, and the move is part of overall cost-cutting Measures ordered by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. INITIALLY, Grande Marlaska, High Court Chief Judge Angel Juanes, chief prosecutor Javier Zaragoza and Judge Jose Luis de Castro, who covers penitentiary issues, will keep Their bodyguards and official vehicles. The rest of the Judges and Prosecutors will now Have to go to work unprotected and by Their Own means. Interior's decision will Radically change the Manner in Which protection is afforded to Courtrooms Interior's decision, if it is finally Implemented across the High Court, will Radically change the Manner in Which protection is afforded to Courtrooms. Until now, judge and prosecutor Each four police officers HAD Assigned to Them, as well as a vehicle. Some Judges Say That They Will the only protection is now Have Regular surveillance of Their homes. The High Court Judges and Its Prosecutors intendant to file a note of protest With The Interior Ministry, the sources said. Their colds are among a complaint That Neither Justice nor the Interior Ministry Officials to Assess Whether made evaluations at Risk Before They Were Deciding to Eliminate bodyguards. The decision to Affect también said the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) legal watchdog and the Supreme Court. In a statement released on Monday, Prosecutors Say That state has not yet ETA disbanded and the Danger Posed by That terrorists still exists. According To Interior Ministry estimates, police officers who 1.010 Some Were serving as bodyguards will be reassigned to other Duties.

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federal judge Wednesday sentenced Michael McCloud, of Paterson, to 89 months in prison for his role with the Fruit Town Brims, a set of the Bloods that authorities said terrorized a section of Paterson for years through violent activities connected to dealing drugs. McCloud, 26, also known as “Ike Brim,” was the second Bloods member to be sentenced this week by U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler for their part in a broad racketeering conspiracy to sell narcotics in Paterson and Newark. Chesler Tuesday sentenced Ricky Coleman, also known as “Pool Stick” and “Sticks,” 39, of Newark, to 151 months for a range of violent crimes and racketeering. McCloud was among 15 alleged members and associates of the Fruit Town and Brick City Brims charged in a 20-count federal indictment with racketeering, murder and other crimes. He was arrested by federal agents in Passaic in January 2011 and pleaded guilty to the RICO conspiracy charge in August. In his guilty plea, McCloud admitted to selling crack cocaine to an undercover officer on August 30, 2006, together with two other members of the gang. McCloud also admitted to participating in two robberies in Paterson in 2006. In the first robbery, McCloud and another gang member who was armed with an AK-47 broke up a dice game and took drugs, cell phones and money. In the second, McCloud worked with other gang members to commit a robbery in retaliation for the shooting of an associate by a member of a rival gang. In the sentencing hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa L. Jampol said the Fruit Town Brims had asserted a powerful control of a section of Paterson, centered at the intersection of 12th and 22nd streets. The gang members transformed this section into an area “that was completely uninhabitable,” to the point that residents were too afraid to leave their homes and attend church services, Jampol said. McCloud’s attorney, James Patton, said his client had worked hard to turn his life around, and was working full-time at Domino’s Pizza when he was arrested last January in the RICO sweep. McCloud told Chesler that he couldn’t change the past, but was trying to become a better person for the future. “I’m tired of going in and out of jail,” McCloud said. “I’m tired of letting my family down. And I’m tired of being a failure.” But Chesler was unmoved by this testimony. McCloud’s criminal history is a long one that begins at age 15, and there is nothing to indicate that his repeated contact with law enforcement had done anything to deter the young man from a life of drugs and violence, Chesler said. The sentence – the maximum under federal guidelines, with 36 months subtracted due to time already spent in a state prison – was meant to serve as a deterrent to other gang members engaged in the same activities, Chesler said. “His offenses are horrendous,” the judge said. “He was part of a gang that terrorized citizens of this state.”

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Leaders of El Salvador’s Mara street gangs said they are ready to start negotiations with the government toward a permanent peace pact following the success of a three-month-old temporary truce that has lowered the Central American country’s murder rate dramatically. The gang leaders said during a ceremony at the Izalco prison to celebrate the first 100 days of the truce that they want the government to offer job programs or some other sort of aid to gang members in exchange. “We want to reach a definitive ceasefire, to end all the criminal acts of the gangs,” said Mara 18 leader Oscar Armando Reyes. “But we have to reach agreements, because we have to survive. There was talk of job plans, but we haven’t gotten any answers, and it is time for the government to listen to us.” Mr. Reyes said the gangs weren’t thinking of ending the temporary truce. “We are issuing a call for us all to sit down and have a dialogue, to reach a definitive accord,” he said. There was no immediate response from the government. Former leftist guerrilla commander Raul Mijango and Roman Catholic Bishop Fabio Colindres mediated a truce between the Mara Salvatrucha and the Mara 18 gangs in March that has helped lower homicide rates. Mr. Mijango said the country’s homicide rate has dropped from about 14 murders a day in March to about five a day in early June. “This effort has saved the lives of more than 850 innocent Salvadorans,” Mr. Mijango said. An estimated 50,000 Salvadorans belong to street gangs that deal drugs, extort businesses and kill rivals. Gang leaders say they want to stop the violence that has given El Salvador one of the highest murder rates in the world, behind neighbouring Honduras. In April, authorities rejected a proposal that El Salvador’s gangs receive the subsidies the government currently spends on public transportation in exchange for gang members stopping extortion of bus drivers.

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last of 27 alleged gang members indicted in April was arrested Tuesday afternoon by the U.S. Marshals Service. Darius Smith was taken into custody around 3 p.m. after authorities found him on James Street, officials of the service said. The indictment, handed up April 3, alleges that Smith, 29, conspired to sell more than 280 grams of cocaine and heroin. He was to appear Wednesday in U.S. District Court. Smith was allegedly a member of the Uptown, or Gunners, gang. In an April news conference, U.S. Attorney Richard Hartunian said the gang used guns to terrorize the neighborhood and its members marked buildings in the Central State Street neighborhood with graffiti to mark their territory. The investigation led to the arrests of 27 alleged gang members listed on the indictment; 23 were arrested

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An accused member of the notorious Malvern Crew street gang has lost a last-ditch bid to stay in Canada and is being deported to his native Jamaica for criminality. Raoul Andre Burton, 28, of Toronto, was one of 65 suspected members of the east-end gang rounded up in May 2004 by Toronto Police in Project Impact. Members of the gang were involved in a rivalry with the Galloway Boyz over turf in 2003 and 2004 that left four people dead. Burton was charged with nine offences and sentenced to eight-months in jail along with a 165-day stint of pre-sentence custody. He pled guilty to participating in a criminal organization, known as the Malvern Crew, and two counts of drug possession and trafficking that made him inadmissable to Canada Officers of the Canada Border Services Agency have been trying for years to deport Burton, who arrived here from Jamaica at age 10 and never obtained citizenship. Lawyers for Burton sought to appeal the deportation order to the Federal Court of Canada, but Judge David Near dismissed the application which means Burton will be sent packing. “Mr. Burton was right in the thick of things, an active member of the Malvern Crew, actively participating in the activities of the organization,” Near said in his June 11 decision. “He may have occupied a rather influential or responsible place in the organization.” Near said Burton’s involvement with the Malvern Crew was “significant.” “He was obviously fully integrated and well-invested into the organization,” Near wrote. “He was also prepared to engage in criminal activities on a significant scale for the benefit of the organization.” Police gang experts said Burton was a loyal Malvern foot-soldier who was a “good money-earner” for the gang. Officers said the gang was involved in the trafficking, importation and distribution of drugs as well as other crimes, including murder.

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