mickey cobras laws

Last summer, Hilbring recalled, officers seized an instruction list that a West Side gang was passing out to its drug customers. Instead, Davis claims only that the introduction of the co-defendants' plea agreements constituted clear error due to the fact that the agreements were inadmissible hearsay. After a nine month undercover narcotics investigation, in January 1998 the Chicago Police Department arrested 31 Spanish Cobras in "Operation: Mongoose", including some gang leaders. 4. The district judge mandated that the names of the witnesses be kept confidential, due to the fact that they feared retribution from the gang for their statements. Find something similiar nearby. Around 1993-94 the various gangs in the Maniac Familia, led by the Manic Latin Disciples (MLD's) began having violent conflicts with . What's more, Detective Charles testified that he personally witnessed Hankton standing with several other men in the parking lot of Williams' building at 1150-60 North Sedgwick Street, from 8:00-10:00 p.m. the evening of her murder. A central theme to the Mickey Cobras' rules is respect for the drug customer. Allowing an illegal sentence to stand would constitute a miscarriage of justice, see White, 406 F.3d at 835-36. "The loyalty is to the dollar," said Sgt. Olden stated that Hankton regularly supplied him with crack (not powder cocaine) which he was instructed to sell to others.17 Specifically, Olden testified that beginning in June of 2000 (until approximately October of 2000) Hankton had personally supplied him with amounts of crack cocaine ranging from one-eighth ounce to one-half ounce every three or four days. They changed their name to Cobra Stones in the late 1960s. The narcotics investigation started in the fall of 1999 when an undisclosed cooperating witness, associated with Mickey Cobras members for about 13 years, agreed to wear a hidden recorder while buying narcotics from Hankton. ", And rule No. A seller must turn over the proceeds from one pack before he can get another to sell, the rules state. 5. 31: "There will be no breaking into apartment or vacant apartment in the building.". Also, the district court did not rely solely on witness testimony concluding that Hankton was responsible for distributing more than 500 grams of crack. The BPSN and MCN nations later went to war after the cobras blamed jeff fort for the hit. See United States v. Puckett, 405 F.3d 589, 597 n. 8 (7th Cir.2005); United States v. Edwards, 397 F.3d 570, 574 (7th Cir.2005). 3E1.1, the government recommended that Hankton's requisite offense level should be 37 and that, due to the fact his criminal history category was at level III, the appropriate sentencing range was 262 to 327 months. We review the district court's determination of drug quantity and role in the offense, in the same manner as before Booker, for clear error. United States v. Sutton, 406 F.3d 472, 474 (7th Cir.2005) (citing United States v. Parra, 402 F.3d 752, 762 (7th Cir.2005)). Sign in and out each day. Three Mickey Cobras members, including Lindsey Bell, the gang's chief enforcer, were convicted in Cook County Criminal Court of beating Williams to death with baseball bats in a hallway outside her apartment in the Cabrini-Green public housing development. The government also introduced the signed plea agreements of other members of the MCs in which they admitted that they had purchased crack cocaine from Hankton. After all, a sentencing court in making its sentencing determination must draw inferences from a variety of data, including the defendant's demeanor and information in the [presentence report], in order to reach [its] conclusion. See United States v. Frazier, 213 F.3d 409, 417 (7th Cir.2000) (quoting United States v. Fones, 51 F.3d 663, 665 (7th Cir.1995)). It is true that later in the same monologue the judge mentions the position Hankton occupied to illustrate the point that the actual amount attributable to him could reach even beyond 1.5 kilograms. It is clear from those statements, however, that without taking Hankton's leadership role in the offense into consideration, the judge determined that the sentencing enhancement should apply, making any other drug amounts attributable to Hankton via his leadership role superfluous.29 Said differently, the judge concluded that Hankton was personally responsible for distributing well beyond 500 gram[s] of crack cocaine, which justified the enhancement of his sentence under 2D1.1. Factions of the gang are being established throughout the Midwestern United States. An FBI-led task force and Chicago police arrested Hankton and 12 of the other suspects Thursday. 29. Stay up-to-date with how the law affects your life. 3B1.1(a). In other words, Davis must present this court with more than conclusory allegations that a government witness is unreliable; he must present evidence which would in some way rebut that testimony or demonstrate that it is inaccurate and should not have been relied upon by the sentencing judge. In a number of those plea agreements, the defendants admit purchasing crack cocaine from Davis. Where different aspects or components of the defendant's behavior are addressed by different enhancements, improper double counting has not occurred. When determining the drug quantity attributable to Hankton pursuant to 2D1.1 the judge specifically found that, considering the admissions of the defendant in the plea agreement as well as the evidence concerning the intercepted phone conversations, Hankton was responsible for distributing well beyond 500 gram[s] of crack. 6. On appeal, both Hankton and Davis argue that their respective sentences should be vacated as unconstitutional under the Sixth Amendment citing the district judge's belief that application of the guidelines was mandatory as well as the judge's subsequent enhancement of their sentences on facts which were neither proven to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt nor admitted by the appellants. See supra p. 19-20. Robert Guthrie, a former gang-crimes investigator who now oversees the department's public housing unit. The initial intercept ran from June 15 to July 14, 2000, when the warrant expired. While in the gang, he achieved the rank of a 'prince.' He identified defendant in court as someone he had known for 20 years. Staff writer George Papajohn contributed to this article. We uphold the validity of both Hankton and Davis' sentence, but remand to the district court for further consideration as mandated by this court's decision in United States v. Paladino, 401 F.3d 471 (7th Cir.2005). Co., 434 U.S. 159, 161 n. 1, 98 S.Ct. Gatlin was murdered because he provided information to the police about the murder of Tony Dawson, a previously unsolved homicide in Minneapolis. The memo begins by reminding "all brothers of the struggle" about the story of the duck: "If any of you have ever had the opportunity to go on a hunting trip (in the free world) before being locked up, then you know full well that if the duck had kept his mouth shut, instead of quacking, he wouldn't have given his position away and, naturally, wouldn't have been our dinner.". "If there's no rules, no one knows what's going on. Both Hankton and Davis challenge the district court's enhancement of their sentences based on drug quantity. At FindLaw.com, we pride ourselves on being the number one source of free legal information and resources on the web. The gang long has controlled the area of the Hole, though most of the other buildings in Robert Taylor are the turf of their rival, the Gangster Disciples. Because neither Hankton nor Davis raised a Booker issue before the district court our review is for plain error only. The area around the buildings, at 5326 S. State St., 5322 S. State St. and 5323 S. Federal St., is known as "The Hole. 15. 3B1.1(a).11. Nevertheless, as we have stated, the rules of evidence do not apply at sentencing, see Hardamon, 188 F.3d at 849, and the judge was entitled to consider any relevant evidence assuming that evidence included a sufficient indicia of reliability. See Robinson, 164 F.3d at 1070. 841 and 846. Specifically, Hankton argues that: (a) statements made by government witnesses at sentencing constituted unreliable hearsay and should not have been considered; and Hankton and Davis argue that (b) the introduction of plea agreements signed by co-defendants in the case also qualified as unreliable hearsay evidence and likewise should not have been considered. Also, Hankton and Davis were each charged with additional counts; Hankton was charged with knowingly and intentionally distributing over 150 grams of crack cocaine in violation of 21 U.S.C. "If anyone break these laws or house rules more than three time, the penalty will increase," rule No. The Spanish Cobras is a primarily, but not exclusively, . Gang investigators over the years also have confiscated edicts from imprisoned gang leader Larry Hoover, the "chairman" of the state's largest street gang, the Gangster Disciples, Knox said. Some of the factors for a sentencing court to consider when determining whether a defendant held a leadership role under 3B1.1 include: the defendant's (1) exercise of decision-making authority; (2) participation in committing the offense; (3) recruitment of accomplices; (4) degree of participation in planning or organizing the criminal activity; (5) degree of control or authority exercised over others involved in the criminal activity; and (6) the nature and scope of the illegal activity. United States v. Falcon, 347 F.3d 1000, 1004 (7th Cir.2003) (citing United States v. Noble, 246 F.3d 946, 953 (7th Cir.2001)). See, e.g., United States v. Morales, 994 F.2d 386, 388 (7th Cir.1993) (holding that [i]t is enough that more than one person was involved in the criminal activity and that the defendant played a leadership as distinct from a followership role) (citing United States v. Herrera, 878 F.2d 997 (7th Cir.1989)). We simply cannot be sure. 28. Clarence Hankton, identified by authorities as the gang's second-ranking leader, was charged as the lead defendant with 18 others in the narcotics conspiracy case and also indicted on murder conspiracy charges for the slaying of 24-year-old Annette Williams in 1994. FindLaw.com Free, trusted legal information for consumers and legal professionals, SuperLawyers.com Directory of U.S. attorneys with the exclusive Super Lawyers rating, Abogado.com The #1 Spanish-language legal website for consumers, LawInfo.com Nationwide attorney directory and legal consumer resources. Finally, Hankton and Davis request that we order a limited remand to determine whether the district court would have imposed a different sentence had it known that the Sentencing Guidelines were merely advisory. The indictment also alleged that the defendants participated in various other drug-related crimes arising out of their membership in, and affiliation with, the "Mickey Cobras" ("MCs") street gang, which operated on the north-side of Chicago, Illinois during the 1980s and 1990s. See United States v. Schmeilski, 408 F.3d 917, 919 (7th Cir.2005). The Mickey Cobras now have their own unique written constitution and by-laws, which show a strong Islamic influence, just like those of the modern-day BPSN. 14. The informant agreed to wear an undercover recording device while interacting with Hankton. Davis also challenges the enhancement of his sentence under 3B1.1(b) for being a manager or supervisor (but not an organizer or leader) in the criminal activity on identical grounds. Hankton and Davis were also charged with the knowing and intentional use of a communication facility (i.e., a telephone) in the commission of a felony (distribution of a controlled substance), and four separate counts of knowing and intentional distribution of cocaine base, in violation of 21 U.S.C. At Hankton's sentencing, the judge enumerated a number of factors which led him to the conclusion that Hankton was a leader or organizer of a criminal activity-here the distribution of crack cocaine-within the meaning of 3B1.1(a). In another conversation, Darin described a conversation between Hankton and co-defendant Jammah Olden, where Olden requests that Hankton supply him with: About a half. Darin testified that, a half, as used in that particular context, referred to one half-ounce of crack cocaine. Violations of the instructions in the memo "most certainly will not be tolerated," the chairman and his board write in the memo. Rather, the "House Rules" for the Mickey Cobras street gang are handwritten on five pages of plain paper and were found by police stuffed in the pockets of several members who accused of selling crack cocaine. 25. On the high end, Hankton may have supplied Olden with as much as 1071 grams of crack (which is equal to 1 oz. We do however order a Limited Remand of both Hankton and Davis' sentences in accordance with the procedure set forth in United States v. Paladino. Agent Darin, a member of the FBI's joint gang task force and a trained drug traffic investigation agent, testified concerning Hankton's coordination of the drug trade for the MCs as well as his role as King or leader of the gang throughout the city in 2000 and 2001. The wiretap was granted pursuant to Title III of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Street Act of 1968, 18 U.S.C. Indeed, it would be antithetical to consider these to be mutually exclusive endeavors. I've caught them as young as 12 on the line.". There, he said, teenage gang members are more interested in their own pocketbook than gang loyalty. In this case the jury was confronted with conversations which contained code words that, when considered in isolation, might seem unclear, veiled and almost nonsensical, but when analyzed properly, in the context of the totality of the evidence, can clearly be seen to be code words for drugs It is true that, advisedly, no explicit mention was ever made of cocaine or other drugs in any of Vega's conversations with the Zambranas. Nonetheless, [a] defendant has the due process right to be sentenced on the basis of accurate information. United States v. Salinas, 62 F.3d 855, 859 (7th Cir.1995) (citing United States v. Mustread, 42 F.3d 1097, 1101 (7th Cir.1994)). See U.S.S.G. The Mickey Cobras now have their written constitution and by-laws, which, like the modern-day BPSN, have a strong Islamic influence. 3E1.1. The Mickey Cobras are a large street gang affiliated with the nationwide gang alliance known as "People" and based in Chicago. Although they very well could have been considered. What's more, Hankton's role as leader and organizer is rather persuasively illustrated by the fact that he had the power within the MCs organization to order the brutal beating and murder of one of the gang's members, Annette Williams. This increased the pressure on law enforcement to go after the gang. [1] What's more, the evidence submitted at sentencing was internally consistent with the totality of the evidence in the record and various aspects of that evidence corroborated other aspects. Cocaine base, better known as crack cocaine, is produced by cooking or mixing powder cocaine (cocaine hydrochloride) with sodium bicarbonate and boiling the mixture until left with a rocklike formation of pure crack cocaine (cocaine minus the hydrochloride). 3. "Prentis Smith testified that he was a former member of the Mickey Cobra street gang. Indeed, as we noted in United States v. Vega:Conversations regarding drug transactions are rarely clear. As the King, Hankton was responsible for everything from the direction of the conversion of powder cocaine into crack to the organization of the gang's basketball games. Copyright 2023, Thomson Reuters. This is a highly deferential standard of review and we refuse to second-guess the sentencing judge. United States v. Cleggett, 179 F.3d 1051, 1059 (7th Cir.1999) (citing United States v. Garcia, 66 F.3d 851, 856 (7th Cir.1995)). Thf 44 is also very deep and they also rep cobra heavily. Both men also contend that the district court erroneously enhanced their sentences based on insufficient and unreliable evidence. See supra pp. on Febuary 25, 1977 Mickey Cogwell was killed, The Gunmen were never found. Thus, [s]o long as the information which the sentencing judge considers has sufficient indicia of reliability to support its probable accuracy, the information may properly be taken into account in passing sentence. United States v. Robinson, 164 F.3d 1068, 1070 (7th Cir.1999) (quoting United States v. Taylor, 72 F.3d 533, 543 (7th Cir.1995)). The fact that Davis called no witnesses at sentencing and failed to successfully discredit Agent Darin on cross-examination, however, evinces nothing more than a shortcoming in the presentation of his case and falls far short of establishing error on the part of the trial judge. See United States v. Barnes, 117 F.3d 328, 337 (7th Cir.1997). In the microwave, like I always do. Still a third drug conversation portrays Davis mentioning the purchase of approximately four and a half ounces of cocaine. The collective name of joined gangs under the five point star banner (V.L.,B.P.S.,L.K., M.C.,4.C.H.,). The Mickey Cobras' drug operation is set up so that shifts of "security" patrol the lobby area, acting as lookouts for police or anyone else who might interfere with drug sales, according to police and the list of rules. United States v. Booker, 543 U.S. 220, 125 S.Ct. Hankton responds that [i]t's guaranteed. Agent Darin testified that butter was a common code word for cocaine and that the two were actually discussing the future sale of either crack or powder cocaine. "They don't want any trouble . The rules state that one gang member on "security" patrols the front door of the building, while the other mans the back door. To corroborate Detective Charles' testimony, the government introduced sworn statements from two sub rosa government witnesses, identified in the record only as A and B.12 In their statements both witnesses identify Hankton as the don or leader of the MCs at Cabrini-Green. In a superseding indictment dated May 15, 2002, Clarence Hankton, Greg Davis and six other co-conspirators were charged in the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base, in violation of 21 U.S.C. For example, the co-defendants' plea agreements state that Hankton sold them primarily crack cocaine-according to the government's calculation, 1156 grams total. According to Olden's testimony, which was unrebutted at sentencing, it was reasonable for the district court to conclude that Hankton personally distributed between 134 and 1071 grams of crack cocaine, to Olden alone, in the space of just these five months.26 See Salinas, 62 F.3d at 859; see also United States v. Durham, 211 F.3d 437, 444 (7th Cir.2000) (stating that estimates of drug quantity are acceptable if they are based on evidence possessing a sufficient indicia of reliability and not nebulous eyeballing). "It's just like any other corporation," said Donald Hilbring, commander of the Chicago police gang unit. 841(a)(1). "It's all geared for better business," Guthrie said. David Kelley. 841(a)(1) (Counts II, III, IV, and V) and Davis was charged with knowingly and intentionally possessing with intent to distribute approximately 250 grams of cocaine in violation of 21 U.S.C. 846 and 18 U.S.C. Thus, because the plea agreements submitted at sentencing were corroborated by the credible testimony given by Agent Darin, as well as the live testimony of co-defendant Olden-both of which were subject to thorough cross-examination at sentencing-we hold that the sentencing judge did not err, much less commit clear error when considering this most reliable evidence when determining that Hankton was responsible for distributing in excess of 500 grams of crack cocaine pursuant to U.S.S.G. The wiretaps also provided the FBI with further insight into Hankton and Davis' respective leadership roles in the MCs as well as more specific information on the hierarchal structure of the organization. Despite success in the early stages of the investigation, in the Spring of 2000 investigators came upon a situation where the amount of information they required in order to sustain the issuance of criminal charges against members of the gang could no longer be safely obtained through the investigative techniques they were currently employing (i.e., without putting agents in danger).6 That being the case, the FBI applied for and received a court order authorizing a wiretap of Hankton's cellular phone.7 While monitoring the wiretap, FBI agents recorded a number of inculpatory conversations between Hankton and his associates during the months of June, July and August of 2000.8 The recorded conversations implicated Hankton, Davis and various other individuals in the trafficking and distribution of drugs, as well as other types of gang-related criminal activities and violence. For example, the government was unable to obtain conclusive information about Hankton and Hankton's associates without arousing suspicion. Additionally, the use of undercover agents [was determined to] be impractical and dangerous due to the highly suspicious' nature of the alleged offenders..

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