Seventy-Four Members/Associates of Two Pontiac Gangs Charged with Federal Drug Violations
| U.S. Attorney’s Office November 04, 2010 |
Seventy-four members of two local gangs operating in Pontiac, Michigan were charged in two separate complaints with conspiracy to distribute marijuana and cocaine, announced United States Attorney Barbara L. McQuade.
McQuade was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Andrew Arena, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Special Agent in Charge Robert Corso, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Special Agent in Charge Brian Moskowitz, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Office of Homeland Security Investigation (HSI), Special Agent in Charge Thomas E. Brandon, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Sheriff Michael Bouchard, Oakland County Sheriff's Office. Also joining in the announcement are the Michigan State Police, Auburn Hills Police Department, Bloomfield Township Police Department, Pontiac Police Department and the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office.
The complaints charge that various members and associates of the New World Order and Almighty Latin King Nation gangs conspired to distribute marijuana and cocaine in and around the Pontiac area, from 2009 through the present.
According to one complaint, the Almighty Latin King Nation is a nationally recognized gang consisting of tens of thousands of members nationwide. The gang was created during the 1940's in Chicago, Illinois and was originally intended to foster unity and provide protection for its Latino membership. The organization quickly evolved into a street gang and soon became involved in narcotics trafficking, assaults, robberies and murders.
The New World Order (NWO) gang is a multi-racial street gang operating in the Pontiac Metropolitan area. The NWO is closely associated with the Latin Kings and is involved in numerous crimes including armed robbery, assault, attempted murder and murder. In addition, the NWO operates a large scale narcotics distribution network.
Agents and officers from several law enforcement agencies executed 35 search warrants this morning at various homes in the Pontiac, Waterford, Auburn Hills and Clarkston areas.
A complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Trial cannot be held on felony charges in a complaint. When the investigation is completed a determination will be made whether to seek a felony indictment.
The case is being investigated by members of the Oakland County Violent Gangs Task Force (OCVGTF) which was established in January 2009. The OGVGTF is comprised of special agents of the FBI, ATF, DEA, ICE-HSI and by officers from the Michigan State Police, Auburn Hills Police Department, Bloomfield Township Police Department, Pontiac Police Department, and the Oakland County Sheriff's Office as well as the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office and the United States Attorney's Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Leibson, David Portelli, and Terrence Haugabook.