Preet Bharara, the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, as well as representatives from the FBI, ATF and City of Newburgh police announced today the unsealing of a 42-count Superseding Indictment charging 31 members and associates of the Latin Kings gang in Newburgh with racketeering, murder and attempted murder, and a number of other federal crimes. The original indictment was
filed last May.

Today’s superseding indictment charges members of the gang with three murders: the murder of Jeffrey Zachary in May 2008, the murder of Jerome Scarlett in March 2010, and the murder of John Maldonado in March 2010.

The defendants are also charged with two attempted murders, attempted robbery, assault, conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine, heroin, powder cocaine,
and marijuana, the use and possession of firearms in connection with the crimes of violence and drug distribution conspiracy, and witness tampering, from 2007 through the present.

"Today’s arrests represent the latest salvo in our campaign to rid the City of
Newburgh of the scourge that calls itself the Latin Kings," Bharara said. "The
unprecedented crackdown on gangs that we launched last May continues in earnest. We have made significant progress in cleaning up the streets of Newburgh but we still have work to do. Together with our federal, state, and local law enforcement
partners, we will use every resource at our disposal to create a safer environment and a brighter future for the community."

According to the Superseding Indictment unsealed today
in White Plains federal court:

The "Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation" (the "Latin Kings") is a nationwide criminal organization that was founded in the 1940s in Chicago, Ill. The Latin Kings are organized into local chapters by geographic area. A chapter of the Latin
Kings has operated in the East End neighborhood of Newburgh, New
York (the "Newburgh Latin Kings").

The Newburgh Latin Kings were governed by a council of five officers, referred to as crowns (collectively, the "Crown Council"). The Crown Council wielded
great power and directed punishments, known as "violations," against members who were determined to have committed transgressions. In some instances, the Crown Council used meetings to order attacks on individuals and rival gangs. Eight
defendants held positions on the Crown Council at various times.

The Superseding Indictment charges that the Newburgh Latin Kings was a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization ("RICO"), the purposes of which included the distribution and sale of crack cocaine, heroin, powder cocaine, and marijuana, and
preserving and protecting the power, territory, and profits of
the Newburgh Latin Kings through murder, attempted murder, other
acts of violence, and threats of violence.

Eleven defendants are charged with committing and attempting to commit violent acts as part of the criminal activities of the Newburgh Latin Kings, including the following:

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/artic...keteering-probe

“I never lie because I don't fear anyone. You only lie when you're afraid.” ~John Gotti