Latin King Founder Sentenced for Murder in Aid of Racketeering

ALLENTOWN—Luis Colon, 28, of Allentown, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 28 years in prison for conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise, conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering activity, distribution of a controlled substance, distribution of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a public housing facility, and use and carrying of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Colon, a/k/a “King Respect,” was the founding member and “First Crown” of the Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (“ALKQN” or “Latin Kings”), Bethlehem Sun Tribe. A total of 24 members of the gang were charged federally in 2010 with crimes that included using violence and intimidation as a means to maintain territory, power, and profits. The gang even kidnapped, assaulted, and murdered its own members for violating any of the tribes rules. Colon was one of 12 members charged with the RICO conspiracy. He pleaded guilty on July 9, 2011.

Among the crimes that Colon participated in:

• On March 17, 2004, in Vineland, New Jersey, Luis Colon and five co-defendants traveled to Vineland, New Jersey upon orders of the Philadelphia chapter of the Latin Kings, armed with firearms, body armor, and ammunition, to serve as “soldiers” to assist in the murder of members of the New Jersey Latin Kings. The plan was thwarted when law enforcement raided the gathering location and arrested Colon and other Latin King members.
• On January 27, 2008, Luis Colon and four co-defendants discussed the possible murder of someone they believed had cooperated with law enforcement in the Saucon Park murder investigation.
• Between November 22, 2007 and February 2, 2010, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Luis Colon and three co-defendants distributed crack cocaine and methamphetamine.
• In May 2008, the defendant hired two individuals, including a fellow Latin Kings member, to travel to Las Vegas to pick up approximately four pounds of methamphetamine from the defendant’s uncle and return it to Bethlehem via Philadelphia International Airport. The defendant provided the couriers with $40,000 in cash for the purchase. The defendant then waited at the airport for the men to return. However, on their return flight from Las Vegas, law enforcement officers intercepted their luggage and seized 1,793 grams of methamphetamine before the defendant could take possession of it.

In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Joel H. Slomsky ordered Colon to pay a $3,000 fine and complete 10 years of supervised release.

This case was part of the “222 Corridor Anti-Gang Initiative,” a federally funded program designed to defeat some of the most violent and pervasive gangs in the country.

The case was investigated by the FBI Philadelphia Division Allentown Resident Agency, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General, and the Bethlehem Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John M. Gallagher.