Latin Kings Leader Sentenced to 23 Years in Prison for Racketeering Conspiracy Including Attempted Murders

Held the “Enforcer” Position in the MOG Tribe

Greenbelt, Maryland — U.S. District Judge Alexander Williams, Jr. sentenced Brandon Smith, a/k/a “Little One” and “King Little One,” age 26, of Hyattsville, Maryland today to 23 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise, in connection with his gang activities as a member and leader of the Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (Latin Kings).

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Assistant Attorney General Lanny A Breuer, of the Department of Justice Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Theresa R. Stoop of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives – Baltimore Field Division; Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department; Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy; Interim Chief Mark Magaw of the Prince George’s County Police Department; and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Angela Alsobrooks.

“This sentencing is yet another victory in the war against violent crime,” says ATF Special Agent in Charge Theresa Stoop. “ATF will remain a formidable opponent against the violent criminal gangs that threaten Maryland’s communities.”

According to Smith’s plea agreement, the Latin Kings is a violent street gang with thousands of members across the country and overseas. The Latin Kings have a detailed and uniform organizational structure, which is outlined – along with various “prayers,” codes of behavior and rituals – in a written “manifesto” widely distributed to members throughout the country. Members of the Latin Kings are also traditionally given “King Names” or “Queen Names,” which are names other than their legal names, by which they are known to members of the gang and to others on the street. At the local level, groups of Latin Kings are organized into “tribes,” including, the Royal Lion Tribe, MOG, Sun Tribe and UTL.

Smith was a member of the MOG and UTL Tribes in Maryland, joining the MOG Tribe in January 2009. On January 16, 2009, Smith and other Latin Kings members and associates from Maryland, traveled to New York City to attend a Latin Kings meeting at the Amazura Night Club in Queens, New York. After the meeting, as Smith and other Latin Kings members were standing in front of the Amazura, a car pulled up in front of the club and a man opened fire yelling “Mara, Mara!” (referring to rival gang MS–13). Smith admitted that he returned fire, emptying his 9mm semi–automatic Taurus. During the shooting, four Latin Kings were shot, as well as a limousine driver, who was driving by and was struck in the leg by the cross–fire.

According to the plea agreement, late in the evening on January 31, 2009, Smith and several Latin Kings members and associates, went to a residence in Wheaton, Maryland. Smith, the enforcer for the MOG tribe at the time, ordered an individual into the basement laundry room and ordered him to make the Latin Kings crown sign with his hands, while two other Latin Kings held the individual at gunpoint. From late in the evening on January 31, 2009 and continuing into the early morning hours of February 1, 2009, Smith threatened the individual, pacing in front of him with a knife, and telling the individual not to “drop” the crown (move his hands from the crown position). At one point, Smith slashed the individual across the face, stating that he wanted to see the individual “leaking” on the floor and that the victim was going to leave the house in a body bag. Smith instructed another Latin Kings member to shoot the individual in the heart if he dropped his crown, at which point the Latin Kings member cocked the gun. Smith called the leader of the MOG Tribe on speaker phone and told him that he had sliced the victim and planned to murder him. Montgomery County police arrived on the scene and directed everyone to leave the residence. After being threatened by Smith and others not to “snitch,” the victim wore a mask to cover his face as he left the residence. However, law enforcement made the victim remove his mask and discovered his wound.

Smith also admitted that during the evening hours of July 8, 2009, he and other members and associates of the UTL Tribe attempted to murder another individual in Germantown, Maryland. The individual was walking on a residential street with two friends when a car approached and several people got out and began chasing the individual, who was able to hide for several minutes. When the individual left his hiding place he was chased again. The individual was hit in the back of the head and fell to the ground. Smith admitted that he and the other UTL members and associates beat the victim with a bat–like object, kicked, punched, and stabbed him multiple times, including near his spinal cord. In fact, the victim was stabbed with such force that the blade of the knife broke off during the attack and was recovered at the scene. The victim was taken to the hospital and treated for the multiple stab wounds he sustained.

Seven co–defendants previously pleaded guilty to the racketeering conspiracy and an eighth was convicted after trial.

Mr. Rosenstein and Mr. Breuer thanked the ATF–led RAGE Task Force, including the Gaithersburg Police Department; the Montgomery County Police Department; Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office; Prince George’s County Police Department; Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office; the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, the Maryland National Capital Park Police – Prince George–s County Division; and the Maryland State Police; as well as, the New York Police Department; the U.S. Secret Service, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, for their assistance in this investigation and prosecution.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Glatfelter and David Salem, and Lara M. Peirce, a Trial Attorney with the Criminal Division’s Gang Unit, who prosecuted the case.