Girl gang's grip on London underworld revealed | Books | The Guardian: "Girl gangs might sound like a modern British problem, but new research has revealed an all-female crime syndicate had a firm and pitiless grip on London as far back as the 18th century.

Forgotten stashes of photographs, records and letters have revealed that although the capital was carved into different fiefdoms by various male villains, one all-female gang ruled part of the gangland underworld for almost two centuries.

'Many a husband lounged at home while his missus was out at work, and many an old lag was propped up by a tireless shoplifting spouse. Some of these terrors were as tough as the men they worked for and protected,' said Brian McDonald, who uncovered details of the criminals when researching for his new book, Gangs of London.

The all-female Forty Elephants – or Forty Thieves – worked alongside the notorious Elephant and Castle gang, a sprawling, powerful army of all-male smash-and-grab artists, burglars, receivers, hard men and crafty villains operating across south London. The Forty Elephants, in contrast, was a tightly run, neatly organised collection of cells, whose operations extended across London and into other cities."

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Latin American Herald Tribune - Mexican Cops Nab Gang Wanted for 15 Murders: "Police in the central state of Mexico captured 19 members of a gang suspected in at least 15 murders involving decapitation, the state Attorney General’s Office said.

Among those arrested was the gang’s leader, 28-year-old Alejandro Yañez Hernandez, an ex-cop and erstwhile member of the La Familia Michoacana drug cartel, the AG’s office said in a statement.

Yañez served in at least two different police departments in the states of Michoacan and Queretaro and may also be a veteran of the Mexican army.

After carrying out killings on behalf of La Familia, which was seeking to displace other criminal outfits operating in Mexico state, Yañez struck out on his own, the AG’s office said."

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Bloods gang member pleads guilty to two murders | Washington Examiner: "member of the Bloods gang has pleaded guilty to two murders, including the slaying of a state?s witness.

Jamal 'Munchie' Winchester, 23, of the 3200 block of Emley Avenue, pleaded guilty Friday to two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Victor Lama Richards, 23, and Jarrell Lamont Adams, 21.

Baltimore Circuit Judge John Themelis sentenced Winchester to a 50-year prison term for the slayings. Winchester shot and killed Richards, a known Crips member, on March 30, 2006, because the two gang members had been arguing over drug trafficking locations in the Oliver Community in East Baltimore, according to prosecutors.

Adams was a fellow Bloods gang member and witnessed the murder of Richards, prosecutors said."

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Suspected gang member released - News - ReviewJournal.com: "Terrence 'Blunt' Henderson, 30, was released from custody. He faces three counts of distribution.Federal Magistrate Judge Peggy Leen released Henderson on his own recognizance in part because he does not have a serious criminal record and is employed. He is the only defendant who will not wait in jail pending trial.

Two separate indictments allege that several members of the Donna Street Crips and Anybody's Murders street gangs were involved in distributing crack cocaine. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, the Metropolitan Police Department and North Las Vegas police.

Others indicted were Jorge Montes, aka Camotes; Brandon 'Spank' Johnson; Antione 'Bookworm' Hall; Tarhain 'Boochie' Woods; Andrew 'Concrete' Thorns; Bruce 'G' Johnson and Maurice Swanson. The suspects are from Las Vegas and were charged with distribution of crack cocaine. They remain in custody."

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26th Alleged Bloods Gang Member Arrested After Indictment - NewsChannel5.com | Nashville News, Weather & Sports: "26th and final gang member indicted over the summer for a long list of offenses, including murder, has been captured.

22-year-old Joedon Bradley was arrested by Metro officers and TBI agents Tuesday afternoon. He was one of more than two dozen Bloods members indicted in June for racketeering and murder charges.

Those indictments led to a raid at a local non-profit that, ironically, was set up to keep kids away from gangs.

Federal agents said gang members plotted crimes, even murders, at Galaxy Star's community center on Lischey Avenue.
26 Alleged Gang Members Indicted On Federal Charges"

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Gang Member Convicted of Multiple Murders, Other Counts: "William Vasquez, an 18th street gang member, was convicted of the first-degree murders of five victims between 2002 and 2005. Jurors found true special circumstance allegations of multiple murders and that the defendant was an active participant in a criminal street gang.
Vasquez was additionally convicted of one count of attempted murder and two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. Gang and gun allegations were found true.
An allegation that the defendant personally used a firearm as to one of the murders was found not true.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Larry Fidler said the penalty phase of the trial will begin Dec. 14. Vasquez faces death or life in prison without the possibility of parole."

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FBI joins murder investigation involving Pontiac gang members - theoaklandpress.com: "FBI’s Violent Gang Task Force is involved in an investigation into a homicide late last week in which the victim was found in a burned-out minivan in Detroit.

Yeimi Moreno was shot in the back of the head multiple times at a Pontiac residence last week, investigators said. Her body was placed in the minivan that she was driving, taken to an abandoned warehouse on Livernois in Detroit and set on fire."

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'Crime is intolerable' mydesert.com The Desert Sun: "injunction against some 125 purported members of the South Side Indio gang was served Wednesday to further squash criminal gang activity in the valley's largest and oldest city.The injunction, similar to ones already in place in Cathedral City and Desert Hot Springs, prevents named gang members from associating with one another and engaging in gang activities and imposes a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew upon them.“That injunction stays in place indefinitely. It provides a tool for our police department to help fight gang activity in the city,” said City Manager Dan Martinez.Police Chief Brad Ramos said the results of the operation organized by the Riverside County District Attorney's office, exceeding his expectations.Criminals have been warned that they are being watched and know their activities will not be tolerated, he said."

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Wife of murderer cautions at-risk young people - The Globe and Mail: "wife of convicted Toronto murderer and alleged gang leader Tyshan Riley had a cautionary tale for the city’s at-risk young people at a news conference Friday on gun violence.
“I’m a mother of two beautiful girls, a college grad,” Dana Lee Williams, 20, told the packed room at the city hall event organized by the Canadian Communities Youth Alliance. “My life started out on the right path – educated, a supporting mother and very motivated to succeed in life.”
“I had everything planned out for my future,” she said, beginning to sob. “From what high school I would attend, what profession, to when I would be owning my own home.
“However things didn’t work out that way.”
Ms. Williams said the father of her two children, Norris Allen, an alleged leader of the Galloway Boys, was shot dead during an ongoing turf war with rival Toronto gang, the Malvern Crew."

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Drive-by shooting victims known to police - The Globe and Mail: "two men shot in Coquitlam Friday morning were known to police and, RCMP say, the incident was likely gang-related.
The men, both 28, were shot at while sitting in a truck with a third man who was unharmed, near the intersection of Clarke Road and Glenayre Drive, shortly after 4:00 a.m.
Following the shooting, one of the injured men drove them to the local police station to call for help. They were then taken to hospital for treatment.
Sgt. Peter Thiessen said that the victims were shot numerous times, but are unlikely to die from their injuries.
Resident Don Violette, president of the Burquitlam Community Association which is based 700 metres from the intersection, said he’s worried by the shooting, particularly that innocent residents could have been harmed.
“Let’s say one stray bullet goes and hits somebody, like a child,” Mr. Violette said. “Family, friends and the whole school would be traumatized.”"

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Gunshot sensors have crime in sights - News - Stornoway Gazette: "Sensors that can detect gunshots have been installed in Birmingham in a bid to drive down gun crime.
The Shotspotter Gunshot Location System - which can pick up blasts within a 25m (82ft) radius - is being used in parts of the city. Police hope it will drive down the number of firearm incidents, which have run into the hundreds in recent years.
The sensors, which record an audio clip and give police a GPS location, have been placed on buildings in areas of north-west Birmingham.
Trained officers listen in to the clips and can then decide whether to deploy other officers.
Chief Supt Chris McKeogh said the Shotspotter - used in 50 American cities - had an 85% accuracy rate.
He told the BBC: 'The sound waves a bullet produces has a particular signature, if you like, and that should be recognisable to our force control room officers that have been trained up to listen.
'Shots, or a shot, being fired outside have the best chance (of being detected)."

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Authorities today announced the arrest of a second man on murder charges for the deaths of three adults and a child on Woolson Street in Mattapan on Sept. 28.

Edward Washington, 31, of Dorchester, is a cousin of Kimani Washington, whom authorities charge participated in the drug shakedown and robbery that led to the murders.

Last month, police charged Dwayne Moore, 33, of Mattapan, with the four murders.

In addition to the murder charges, Edward Washington will face charges of armed assault with intent to murder, home invasion, armed robbery, and unlawful possession of a firearm, when he is arraigned in Dorchester District Court, likely tomorrow, the Suffolk County District Attorney's office says.

In 2006, Edward Washington was acquitted on federal racketeering and conspiracy charges related to his alleged involvement in the Esmond Street Crew, a violent gang that authorities said attempted to murder members of the rival Franklin Hill Giants partly for status, but mostly to protect its cocaine business in the Esmond Street area in 2000 and 2001.

A federal judge ordered Washington and a co-defendant not guilty the day after the jury declared itself deadlocked, over the issue of whether the gang was organized enough to be tried under federal racketeering laws.

In the federal case, Washington was accused of shooting at a Franklin Hill gang member on Sept. 16, 2000.

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Farm murderers leave chilling note: News24: South Africa: News: "A chilling message written in Sotho on a piece of cardboard saying 'We have killed them. We are coming back', was found on the gate of the farm where three people were brutally killed on Thursday.

The victims of the murders were Attie Potgieter, 40, his wife Wilna, 36, and their 3-year-old daughter Willemien. It was suspected that little Willemien was shot so that she wouldn't be able to identify her parents' killers.

Three farm workers were arrested on Thursday. Later, in townships in the area, three more suspects were arrested. According to early information, one of them is only 17 years old.

The Potgieters were murdered on their 11th wedding anniversary.

Shock

Arno Potgieter from the neighbouring farm, Van Tondersrust, spoke about the murders of his brother, sister-in-law and Willemien: 'It is still half unreal. It was a terrible, terribly big shock.'

After her mother was killed, little Willemien was presumably taken to an outside room and shot in the back of the head.

The body of Willemientjie, as she was called, was then apparently carried to her mother's body in the main bedroom. Her mother had also been shot in the back of the head."

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Triggerman in Shakopee drive-by shooting gets 9 years in prison Jordan Independent: "After pleading guilty in August to a drive-by a shooting at a Shakopee apartment complex, 24-year-old Marquis Levelle Jordan did the unusual: he tried to retract his plea.
Scott County District Court Judge Carol Hooten would have none of it, however, and went ahead and sentenced the Shakopee man to the maximum possible under his plea agreement: nine years and nine months in prison.
Hooten, in a memo, quickly dismissed Jordan’s arguments for withdrawing his plea.
Jordan’s reasons: He was under the impression that his prison time would be less than 117 months and said he became concerned about the possible length after receiving a copy of a pre-sentence investigative report. He also said he should be allowed to withdraw his plea because a good friend of his was never interviewed by his previous defense attorney.
Hooten responded that the sentencing matter had been discussed in court with Jordan, evidenced by a transcript. Jordan’s defense attorney planned to request less than the maximum possible under state sentencing guidelines, but 117 months was still possible under the plea agreement with prosecutors.
The judge also rejected Jordan’s argument about his friend, whose name actually appeared on a list of potential witnesses for the state should the case go to trial. Hooten said Jordan provided no reason why any information from his friend would exonerate him. His friend had previously told police that he didn’t witness the shooting, although he heard it."

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Convict sought in fatal Largo drive-by shooting - St. Petersburg Times: "man in a black SUV aimed a 9mm semiautomatic pistol at the women and opened fire, Largo police said. The woman in the car sped away as the gun barked again and again. Two of the women dashed into the store for cover.
But Annie Marie Conyers, 26, didn't make it. The Clearwater woman was shot in the lower torso. She died hours later.
The man behind the trigger, Largo police said, was Larry Joe Jerry Jr., a 300-pound convict with a long history of arrests for drugs and violence — including domestic violence.
But Conyers was not his target, said the suspect's half-sister, Malaya Pelham. The two women who escaped into the store were.
But that didn't stop Jerry from ambushing them with two family members in the line of fire, Pelham said. Another half-sister was the driver who fled, and a bullet penetrated the child's car seat and just missed his 1-year-old niece, Pelham said.
'He's not scared of nothing,' Pelham said. 'That's why I'm scared of him, because I know how my brother is. He's crazy.'
Jerry, 26, quickly became the target of a dragnet of Pinellas County. He is wanted on one charge of murder and four counts of attempted murder.
Jerry, who police said is armed and dangerous, was still on the loose Tuesday night. But Pelham said she doesn't expect her brother to come in peacefully.
'I already know he's going to die,' she said, 'because he's going to shoot back"

Rock Machine bikie charged after powerful guns cache found Perth Now: "ROCK Machine bikie has been charged after police uncovered a cache of powerful guns in a car yesterday. The find comes as senior detectives today called on outlaw gangs to 'stop the stupidity'' amid concern of a bloody bikie turf war on the horizon.

Police Transport Division officers pulled over a 39-year-old Edgewater man driving a red Holden Commodore ute on Mounts Bay Rd, Crawley.

Police will allege that a homemade semi-automatic pistol, fashioned from several other weapons, was found under the driver's seat, while two other guns - a 12 gauge sawn-off shotgun and a stolen .44 magnum lever-action rifle - were found in a toolbox on the tray of the ute.

In addition, ammunition was found."