Methods and detail in Latin Kings indictment

Here’s our report (link) in today’s issue of YES! Weekly about the indictment on racketeering charges against North Carolina members of the Latin Kings.

And here’s a more detailed version (link) published on the blog on Saturday.

Here’s a copy (link) of the unsealed indictment. The government’s motion for pretrial detention (link), which was granted yesterday by Magistrate Judge P. Trevor Sharp, provides additional detail for some of the more sensational allegations contained in the indictment and reveals the FBI’s methods of obtaining information.

Excerpt:

In this case, the FBI has developed a significant amount of evidence to substantiate the racketeering enterprise allegations against Jorge Cornell and the Latin Kings. The FBI has secured the cooperation of several current and former members of the Latin Kings in North Carolina. Through the use of these cooperators, FBI has recorded scores of conversations involving Cornell and the other Latin Kings totaling hundreds of hours. The quotations citied herein are taken from these audio recordings. Some of the crimes committed by the Latin Kings were captured on videotape. Furthermore, Latin King members have already been found guilty in state court on many of the RICO predicate acts. Those state court convictions can be used at trial in federal court to prove their participation in the enterprise. In sum, the government’s case against Jorge Cornell is very strong.

Also in the motion:

If convicted, Cornell is facing an estimated advisory guideline range of 360 months to life in prison.