Two Mexican Mafia Members and 117 San Diego County, California Street Gang Members and Associates with Ties to the Mexican Mafia Charged with Racketeering Conspiracy, Drug Trafficking Violations, and Firearms Offenses

119 Individuals Charged in Three Countywide Law Enforcement Operations

SAN DIEGO—A federal grand jury in San Diego has handed up 17 indictments and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California has filed eight criminal complaints charging a total of 119 defendants with federal racketeering conspiracy, drug trafficking violations, and federal firearm offenses, announced U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California Laura E. Duffy.

U.S. Attorney Duffy said, “The cases unsealed today make communities stronger and safer. The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to an anti-gang, anti-violence strategy built on close coordination between federal, state and local officials. This coordination provides better intelligence about street gangs and violent crime within our communities. And better intelligence means better law enforcement and prosecutions.”

FBI Special Agent in Charge Keith Slotter commented, “Today’s arrests mark one of the largest single takedowns in San Diego FBI history. The FBI and our law enforcement partners stand unified in our efforts to protect this county from the violence, drug trafficking and extortion schemes employed by the Mexican Mafia and its affiliates. San Diego is inherently safer today because of the cooperation between our agencies working together to disrupt and dismantle the criminal activities of these dangerous individuals.”

“This is a traditional case of dishonor amongst thieves,” commented San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore. “Gangs were made to pay ‘taxes’ in order to facilitate their trafficking and violent behavior. We answered with a one-two punch: a strong and experienced multi-agency investigation, armed with the RICO statute. The results speak for themselves.”

The charges stem from three investigations entitled, “Operation Notorious County,” “Operation Carnalismo,” and “Operation 12-Step.”

“Operation Notorious County”

The indictments are the result of an 18-month-long investigation entitled, “Operation Notorious County,” led by the North County Regional Gang Task force. Eight indictments charging 51 individuals, including one charging 40 defendants with participating in a federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) conspiracy were unsealed today. All five indictments were handed up by a federal grand jury sitting in San Diego on Jan. 19, 2012. The RICO conspiracy alleged in the indictment involves the commission of both state and federal crimes, including attempted murder, kidnapping, robbery, extortion, money laundering, and drug trafficking violations. As set forth in the indictment, the defendants are members, associates and facilitators of violent street gangs operating primarily in north San Diego County under the auspices of the Mexican Mafia or “La Eme.” The gangs named in the indictment include the Diablos and West Side gangs, based in Escondido, Calif., as well as the Varrio San Marcos and the Varrio Fallbrook Locos. The individuals named in the indictment were involved in a long-standing criminal enterprise used to extort money by threat or violence. The money was then sent on to high-ranking members of the Mexican Mafia, including defendant Rudy Espudo. The indictment alleges that Espudo is a validated member of the Mexican Mafia who oversees their activities throughout much of northern San Diego County.

“Operation Carnalismo”

In “Operation Carnalismo,” led by the Violent Crime Task Force-Gang Group, a group of federal, state, and local law enforcement agents led by the FBI, five indictments charging 36 individuals were unsealed today. Eight defendants are charged in one indictment with a conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity (RICO), violent crime in aid of racketeering (VCAR), distribution and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin and criminal forfeiture. Four additional indictments, charging 28 defendants were also unsealed. These related indictments charge distribution and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and criminal forfeiture. All five indictments were handed up by a federal grand jury sitting in San Diego on Jan. 24, 2012, and unsealed today. The RICO indictment charges the criminal enterprise was run by Mexican Mafia member Salvador Colabella. Colabella and his associates conspired to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, extorted and robbed others, and laundered drug-trafficking proceeds. Colabella and his associates collected the extortion payments through the threat of violence and the commission of violence. According to the indictment, the Mexican Mafia has about 200 members, but its reach extends to thousands of Hispanic street-gang members in Southern California. A Mexican Mafia member is the highest level one can attain in the Mexican Mafia. A member, also called “Brother” or “Carnal” or “Tio,” controls, exploits and profits from the criminal activity conducted by street-gang members and others. This control over the criminal activity is enforced through acts of violence or the threat of violence.

“Operation 12-Step”

This year-long investigation, known as “Operation 12-Step,” was led by the East County Regional Gang Task Force, a group of federal and state law enforcement led by the FBI and the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department. Operation 12-Step focused on gang-related methamphetamine distribution activities in San Diego County. Today four indictments and eight complaints were unsealed charging 32 individuals with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. According to court records, individuals charged in this investigation belong to nine different criminal street gangs including Varrio Chula Vista, East Side Piru, Old Town National City, Shelltown, National City Locos, Imperial Beach Imperials, Paradise Hills, Varrio Encanto Locos and National City Block Boys. Between Feb. 22, 2011, and Dec. 13, 2011, law enforcement made more than 20 methamphetamine and heroin seizures in connection with this investigation. In addition, search warrants were executed at eight residences in San Diego; Spring Valley, Calif.; National City, Calif.; Imperial Beach, Calif.; and Chula Vista, Calif..

U.S. Attorney Duffy praised the coordinated effort of the law enforcement agencies of the Violent Crimes Task Force-Gang Group, the East County and North County Regional Gang Task Forces under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) for the coordinated team effort culminating in the charges filed in these cases. The OCDETF program was created to consolidate and utilize all law enforcement resources in this country’s battle against major drug trafficking.

The cases are being investigated by the FBI, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the National City, Calif., Police Department; the San Diego Police Department; the Escondido, Calif., Police Department; the Carlsbad, Calif., Police Department; the U.S. Marshals Service; the La Mesa, Calif., Police Department; the El Cajon, Calif., Police Department; the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office; the U.S. Bureau of Prisons; the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; the San Diego County Probation Department; Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations; and Customs and Border Protection-United States Border Patrol.

The cases are being prosecuted in San Diego federal court by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter Mazza, Jaime Parks, Fred Sheppard and Tara McGrath.

An indictment or a complaint are not evidence that the defendants committed the crimes charged. The defendants are presumed innocent until the government meets its burden in court of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

2 sentenced for role in gang-run juvenile sex trafficking scheme

SAN DIEGO – Two defendants who previously pleaded guilty to federal charges stemming from a multi-agency probe into a gang-run sex trafficking scheme involving underage girls have each been sentenced to 10 years in prison. .

Malcolm Jamal Allen was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Court Judge Michael M. Anello. Allen pleaded guilty in August 2010 to sex trafficking of children by force, fraud and coercion. In addition to the 10-year prison term, Judge Anello also sentenced Allen to five years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term.

The second defendant, Devon Leontae Sutton, received a 120-month prison term followed by three years of supervised release. Sutton pleaded guilty Sept. 29 to using a corrupt enterprise to conduct a pattern of racketeering activity, namely, prostitution of minors and adults, use of facilities of interstate commerce to promote prostitution, drug trafficking and other gang-related crimes.

The charges are the result of "Operation Vice Grip," an 18-month investigation spearheaded by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Oceanside Police Department and the Escondido Police Department. In addition, the following agencies provided substantial assistance with the investigation - the U.S. Marshals Service; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Carlsbad Police Department; the North County Gang Task Force; the Riverside County Sheriff's Department - Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement (SAFE) Team; and the San Diego County Jurisdictions United for Drug and Gang Enforcement (JUDGE) Task Force.

Operation Vice Grip focused on prostitution activities orchestrated by members and associates of the Oceanside Crips street gang. According to court documents, in recent years this street gang has focused its for-profit criminal activity on promoting and managing prostitution in San Diego County and throughout the United States. The gang-controlled prostitution spawned a "pimping" subculture that enforced strict rules with consequences for individuals who violated them.

In addition to Sutton and Allen, six other defendants in the case have pleaded guilty - Lindsey Clemmons, Adam Cassanova Anderson, Regta Inocencio Villareal, Michael David Washington, Leo Allen Sutton and Deonte Marquis Lenin. They are awaiting sentencing. The remaining defendants are pending trial, currently set for May 9, 2012.

FBI and Local Law Enforcement Seek Public’s Assistance to Identify the “Well Dressed Bandit”

See these San Diego Police books written only by experienced San Diego police officers.

The FBI, San Diego Police Department, San Diego Sheriff’s Department, and Escondido Police Department are seeking the public’s assistance to identify an unknown male believed responsible for robbing 10 San Diego County banks since May 2010. Investigators have dubbed this bank robber the “Well Dressed Bandit.”

The latest robbery in this series occurred today with the robbery of the Chase Bank, located at 9450 Scranton Road, San Diego, California. At approximately, 5:45 p.m. the suspect entered the Chase Bank, located at 9450 Scranton Road, San Diego, California. The suspect approached a teller, simulated a weapon and demanded cash. The teller complied with the suspect’s demand. Upon receiving a sum of money, the suspect fled the bank on foot. Witnesses stated the suspect was observed entering a black Lexus or Mercedes Benz. This is the third time the suspect is believed to have robbed this bank.

Witnesses describe the robber as follows:

Sex: Male

Race: Black

Age: Mid 30s

Height: 6’2” tall

Weight: Approximately 220 lbs.

Build: Average

Hair: Black

Clothing: Black hooded jacket, black cap, black scarf, dark pants, and dark shoes.

The following bank robberies are part of the “Well Dressed Bandit” bank robbery series.

1. May 18, 2010 1400 hours Wells Fargo—1510 West Valley Parkway, Escondido.

2. July 15, 2010 1015 hours Wells Fargo—3445 Del Mar Heights Rd., San Diego.

3. September 07, 2010 1555 hours Chase Bank—9450 Scranton Road, San Diego.

4. November 05, 2010 1600 hours Chase Bank—9450 Scranton Road, San Diego.

5. January 20, 2011 1700 hours—Bank of America—9460 Scranton Road, San Diego.

6. February 11, 2011 1729 hours—Point Loma Credit Union 10413 Craftsman Way, San Diego.

7. April 06, 2011 1104 hours—MFCU 953 Lomas Santa Fe, Solana Beach.

8. June 17, 2011 1731 hours—Point Loma Credit Union 10413 Craftsman Way, San Diego.

9. August 02, 2011, 1235 hours—MFCU 953 Lomas Santa Fe Solana Beach, San Diego.

Anyone with information concerning the “Well Dressed Bandit” is asked to contact the FBI at telephone number (858) 565-1255 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477. You may remain anonymous by calling the FBI or Crime Stoppers.

Members and Associates of Oceanside Crip Street Gangs and One Hotel Charged with Racketeering Conspiracy Relating to Prostitution of Minors and Adults and Other Crimes and Criminal Forfeiture

SAN DIEGO, CA—United States Attorney Laura E. Duffy announced today the unsealing of an indictment charging 38 individuals and one Limited Liability Company (LLC) with conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity (RICO). Specifically, the defendants are charged with using a corrupt enterprise to conduct a pattern of racketeering activity, namely, prostitution of minors and adults, use of facilities of interstate commerce to promote prostitution, drug trafficking, and other gang-related crimes. The charged racketeering activity stems from an extensive, 18 month, multi-agency gang investigation entitled Operation Vice Grip in Oceanside, California and surrounding North County areas. In addition to the criminal charges, the indictment also alleges the criminal forfeiture of the Oceanside Travelodge hotel.

According to the indictment, the defendants are charged as members, associates, and facilitators of the Oceanside Crip enterprise (“Oceanside Crips”) composed of various Crip gang “sets,” including the “Insane Crip Gang,” “Deep Valley Crips” and “Crook, Mob, Gangsters.” All three Crip sets are based primarily in Oceanside, and over the last several years have cooperated and interacted to the point that traditional gang distinctions between them have broken down. Specifically, the indictment alleges that since 2005, members of the Oceanside Crip Enterprise engaged in multiple racketeering acts in furtherance of the enterprise, including, among other things, the sex trafficking of minors and adults; attempted murder; kidnapping; extortion; and the distribution of controlled substances. The enterprise members also worked together to protect, promote, and expand their territory against rival gangs.

The indictment alleges that senior members of the Oceanside Crips enterprise controlled and directed the activities of more junior members, even from prison. The indictment further alleges that defendants identified as “pimps” (a person who befriends, recruits, trains, and/or panders a person for prostitution) and “bottoms” (a pimp’s most trusted/senior prostitute) promoted and managed prostitution activities in San Diego County, California, and elsewhere. As set out in the indictment, the Oceanside Crips enterprise has, in recent years, increasingly focused its for-profit criminal activity on pimping and prostituting adult and juvenile females in Oceanside, California, and elsewhere within northern San Diego County and throughout the United States. To this end, as described in the indictment, gang-controlled prostitution spawned a “pimping” subculture, known as “The Game,” which operates under a set of strictly observed rules, with consequences for individuals who violate them—including, but not limited to, physical abuse and/or public humiliation.

As alleged in the indictment, the majority of the defendants named in the indictment collaborated with one another as members, associates, and facilitators of the enterprise to carry out prostitution activities, primarily in and around low-cost motels in North County, including the Oceanside Travelodge. As detailed in the indictment, Oceanside Crips Enterprise members and associates also worked together to recruit new prostitutes. Recruitment efforts generally focused on vulnerable juvenile females who were runaways or from broken homes. Furthermore, as detailed in the indictment, Enterprise “pimps” and “bottoms” conducted extensive online recruitment via various social networking websites, including MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter.

As alleged, upon recruiting prostitutes, enterprise “pimps” routinely provided them with controlled substances and alcohol in order to manipulate their loyalty and increase productivity as related to prostitution. Once these victims became dependent on the “pimp,” Enterprise members sometimes sold, traded or “gifted” them to other “pimps.”

United States Attorney Duffy said, “The indictment unsealed today targets a growing problem in San Diego County and across the country—street gangs like the Crips expanding traditional gang activities (drug trafficking and violent crime) to include prostitution. I cannot state this more emphatically: I regard the kind of prostitution involved in this case, including the trafficking of children via the Internet, social networking sites, and local businesses, as a form of modern-day slavery to which every available law enforcement resource will be applied. I commend the work of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners for their dedication and commitment to this case.”

Special Agent in Charge Keith Slotter commented, “We are committed to disrupting the operation of violent and threatening street gangs in San Diego County and will relentlessly pursue those who traffic and exploit vulnerable juveniles. Cooperation among law enforcement agencies is critical to identifying, disrupting, and dismantling the organized criminal enterprises that perpetrate these crimes and stopping the cycle of victimization.”

“The sex trafficking of women and children is a particularly heinous crime and cannot be tolerated in our communities,” said Michael Carney, Acting Special Agent in Charge for ICE Homeland Security Investigations in San Diego. “This investigation sounds an alarm and puts a spot light on organized criminal gang activities in our own backyard. We must continue to work at all levels of law enforcement, local, state, and federal because that is the key to dismantling and destroying sex trafficking rings at home and abroad. Our goal is to not only prevent the spreading of this modern day form of slavery, but to wipe it out in every form where it exists.”

Among those charged with facilitating the enterprise’s prostitution activities are two individuals and one LLC who own and operate the Oceanside Travelodge. Specifically, as alleged in the indictment, Hitesh Patel and Vinod Patel, acting on behalf of Gayatri Investments, LLC, facilitated and allowed enterprise members and associates to rent rooms at the Oceanside Travelodge, using other people’s identification, with the knowledge of the illegal activity that would occur in those room and, occasionally, understanding that payment would be made following performance of “dates” or “tricks.” The indictment alleges that the Patels housed persons to carry out enterprise activities in specific areas and rooms within the hotel so that these persons were segregated from legitimate customers. Furthermore, as alleged in the indictment, the Patels also commonly charged, and enterprise members and associates paid, higher room rates in exchange for permitting the enterprise’s prostitution activities to be conducted at the Travelodge. Finally, as charged in the indictment, the Patels at times facilitated the enterprise by warning enterprise members and associates of law enforcement activity or inquiries.

This case is the product of an investigation by officers and agents of the Oceanside Police Department, San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement- Homeland Security Investigations, and the Escondido Police Department.

DEFENDANTS

Case No. 11CR1448-MMA

Enterprise Members

Rodeny Dwight Traylor (1) - Age 23

Malcolm Ninex Traylor (2) - Age 20

George Digemon Anderson (3) - Age 39

Adam Cassanova Anderson (4) - Age 35

Luis Abdul Gordon (5) - Age 23

Devon Leonte Sutton (6) - Age 23

Marcus Laron Ingram (7) - Age 22

Deshawn Andrew Ingram (8) - Age 18

Deshawn Travis Turner (9) - Age 21

Leo Allen Sutton (10) - Age 26

Juan Anthony Antonetty (11) - Age 23

Lamont Montel Grove (12) - Age 19

Michael David Washington (13) - Age 22

Stephen Adam Board (14) - Age 20

Ama Bahati Bernard (15) - Age 26

Darron Jerome Hamilton, Jr. (16) - Age 22

Anthony Jamal Samuels (17) - Age 20

Jack Donald Bivens (18) - Age 24

Christopher Michael Foreman (19) - Age 24

James Anthony Brown (20) - Age 38

Zachary Hayes (21) - Age 21

Patrick Dairmar Gladney (22) - Age 21

Hector Salgado (23) - Age 21

Deonte Marquis Lenin (24) - Age 21

Austin Andrew Clay (25) - Age 20

Teddie B. Marshall (26) - Age 23

Gauthier Kambanda (27) - Age 22

Hosea Quinten Harris (28) - Age 21

Dominique Cortez Little (29) - Age 21

Enterprise Associates

Miyako Danielle Traylor (30) - Age 22

Tricia Marie Griffith (31) - Age 22

Jenifer Lynn Furch (32) - Age 24

Lindsey Clemmons (33) - Age 22

Regta Inocencio Villareal (34) - Age 32

Brittany Lorraine Green (35) - Age 21

Enterprise Facilitators

Joshua Christian Salazar (36) - Age 24

Vinod N. Patel (37) - Age 60

Hitesh Vinod Patel (38) - Age 27

Gayatri Investments, LLC (39)

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Title 18, United States Code, Section 1962(d) - Conspiracy to Conduct Enterprise Affairs Through a Pattern of Racketeering Activity; Title 18, United States Code, Section 1963 - Criminal Forfeiture

Maximum Penalties: 20 years’ incarceration, a fine of $250,000, three years of supervised release.

AGENCIES

Oceanside Police Department

San Diego County Sheriff’s Department

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations

Escondido Police Department

An indictment itself is not evidence that the defendants committed the crimes charged. The defendants are presumed innocent until the government meets its burden in court of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.