|
Detroit
One
Collaboration
leads to
33
arrest
and
indictments
in
Southwest
Detroit
DETROIT,
MI (Tell
Us Det)
- The
Detroit
One
collaboration
of
local,
state
and
federal
law
enforcement
has led
to the
arrests
and
indictments
of 33
defendants
in
southwest
Detroit,
United
States
Attorney
Barbara
L.
McQuade
announced
today.
McQuade
was
joined
in the
announcement
by the
other
members
of the
Detroit
One
initiative.
Five
individuals
were
named in
a
racketeering
indictment,
unsealed
today,
alleging
violent
acts by
members
of Latin
Counts
street
gang.
In
addition
to the
racketeering
defendants,
two
other
defendants
were
arrested
today in
a
separate
indictment
on
charges
of being
felons
in
possession
of
firearms
in
southwest
Detroit.
In
addition,
26 other
defendants
were
recently
charged
in an
indictment
with
heroin
and
cocaine
distribution
and
related
firearms
offenses.
These
defendants
also
operated
in
southwest
Detroit.
The
racketeering
indictment
unsealed
today
charged
the
following
individuals:
- Victor
Vasquez,
23, of
Detroit,
was
charged
with
using
and
carrying
a
firearm
in
furtherance
of a
crime of
violence
causing
death,
assault
resulting
in
serious
bodily
injury
in aid
of
racketeering
and
assault
with a
dangerous
weapon
in aid
of
racketeering;
- Avery
Denardis,
20, of
Dearborn,
was
charged
with
assault
resulting
in
serious
bodily
injury
in aid
of
racketeering;
-
Jeffrey
Lunsford,
34, of
Ecorse,
was
charged
with
assault
resulting
in
serious
bodily
injury
in aid
of
racketeering;
- Kyle
Voltz,
24, of
Lincoln
Park,
was
charged
with
assault
resulting
in
serious
bodily
injury
in aid
of
racketeering;
- Jacob
Hixson,
20, of
Detroit,
was
charged
with
assault
resulting
in
serious
bodily
injury
in aid
of
racketeering.
The
felon in
possession
indictment
unsealed
today
charged
two
additional
individuals:
- Tim
Galvan,
32, of
Detroit,
was
charged
with
being a
felon in
possession
of a
firearm;
and
- Luke
Reardon,
23, of
Detroit,
was
charged
with
being a
felon in
possession
of a
firearm.
According
to the
racketeering
indictment,
the
Latin
Counts
gang
operates
in
southwest
Detroit
and the
downriver
communities
of
Lincoln
Park and
Ecorse.
The
indictment
alleges
that
five
defendants
committed
assaults,
murder,
selling
illegal
narcotics
and
stolen
firearms,
breaking
and
entering
homes
and
businesses
and
robbery.
The
indictment
alleges
that the
gang
uses
violence
to stake
out its
“turf”
and
intimidate
both
rival
gang
members
and the
citizens
of
southwest
Detroit.
The
indictment
alleges
that
defendant
Victor
Vasquez
aided
and
abetted
in the
use of a
firearm
during a
crime of
violence,
causing
the
death of
Mustafa
Al-Yasiry
at the
Big
Apple
Market
in
southwest
Detroit
on April
18,
2014.
According
to the
indictment,
several
Latin
Count
assaulted
Al-Yasiry,
and one
member
shot and
killed
him.
Under
the
Detroit
One
Initiative,
and
through
the lead
efforts
of the
Detroit
Police
Department
and the
FBI
Violent
Crime
Task
Force,
which
consists
of
representatives
of
Homeland
Security
Investigations,
Detroit
Police
Department,
Lincoln
Park
Police
Department,
Michigan
Department
of
Corrections,
and
Michigan
State
Police,
investigators
were
able to
merge
separate
probes
of
various
members
of this
organization
and its
activities
into one
encompassing
investigation.
"The
Detroit
One
partnership
is
working
to
reduce
violent
crime
though
enforcement
and
prevention,”
McQuade
said.
“Today's
enforcement
action
is a
great
example
of the
impact
we can
have
when
federal,
state
and
local
law
enforcement
agencies
work
together
with a
united
strategy.
By
arresting
and
charging
individuals
who
commit
violent
crimes,
we hope
to
restore
peace to
our
neighborhoods."
“As part
of the
Detroit
One
initiative,
this
collaborative
investigation
targeted
some of
the most
violent
criminal
offenders
in the
Detroit
metropolitan
area,”
stated
Paul M.
Abbate,
Special
Agent in
Charge
of the
FBI
Detroit
Field
Office.
“Combating
violent
crime
remains
among
the
highest
priorities
for the
FBI.
There is
nothing
more
important
than
protecting
our
communities
and
keeping
law
abiding
citizens
safe.
That
effort
is being
waged
each and
every
day by
all of
our
Detroit
One
partners.
It is
tremendously
important
work,
and the
officers,
agents
and
prosecutors
engaged
in this
effort
will
continue
to fight
on
behalf
of the
citizens
we
serve."
Detroit
One is a
collaborative
effort
between
law
enforcement
and the
community
to
reduce
homicide
and
other
violent
crime in
Detroit.
By
working
collaboratively,
local,
state,
and
federal
law
enforcement
is
striving
to
maximize
its
ability
to
identify
and
arrest
the
persons
and
groups
initiating
the
violence
in
Detroit. |