Chicago Police Detective Kenneth Charles, one of the officers charged with investigating Williams' murder and a court recognized expert on the MCs, related information that he uncovered which led him to believe that Hankton had ordered the beating that resulted in Williams' death. Hardamon, 188 F.3d at 849-50 (quoting United States v. Gerstein, 104 F.3d 973, 978 (7th Cir.1997)). We disagree and believe this argument is misplaced. Both Hankton and Davis challenge the district court's enhancement of their sentences based on drug quantity. 7. 9. 3B1.1 n. 1 (In distinguishing a leadership role from one of mere management or supervision, titles such as kingpin or boss are not controlling.). As this court held in United States v. Torres-Ramirez, credible corroborating testimony is sufficient to provide hearsay evidence, such as the plea agreements and the statements therein, with an indicia of reliability and satisfies the defendant's entitlement to have his sentence determined based on reliable evidence. In the last two decades, authorities said, they have confiscated typewritten gang bylaws and constitutions, rules for drug dealing, charts of gang hierarchy and a how-to guide for drive-by shootings. 738, 160 L.Ed.2d 621 (2005) and United States v. Paladino, 401 F.3d 471 (7th Cir.2005). 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). Although there was some ambiguity in Olden's testimony as to his interpretation of the terminology used by the MCs to refer to crack cocaine, he eventually testified that he purchased a hard form of cocaine from Hankton. 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. UNITED STATES v. HANKTON | FindLaw As such, the defendant must have exercised some degree of control over others involved in the commission of the offense or he must have been responsible for organizing others for the purpose of carrying out the crime. Id. "Prentis Smith testified that he was a former member of the Mickey Cobra street gang. 19. 21. In addition, it was the government's position that the plea agreements received in evidence demonstrated Davis' authority position in the MCs, citing references to him as Sultan Supreme or lieutenant in the gang and leader of the MCs at the Lathrop Homes. Mickey Cobras - Wikipedia 26. While it may be true that the sentencing judge primarily focused on Hankton's gang activities, there was good reason for doing so. 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. Based on his understanding of the inner-workings of the MCs, Charles stated that on April 12, 2004, Williams had been issued a severe beating or violation as the MCs called it, for allegedly stealing approximately $3,000 from the gang. In a separate indictment, Hankton was accused of passing on orders from gang higher-ups in April 1994 to have Williams killed over a narcotics dispute. However, even if the judge had taken into account Hankton's leadership role when determining the quantity of drugs attributing attributable to him, this would not have been improper because, as explained above, although there may have been some overlap in the factual predicate for both enhancements, each enhancement addressed distinct aspects of the defendant's conduct. Schmeilski, 408 F.3d at 919. Online Menu of Cobras & Matadors, Los Angeles, CA On the record before us, we cannot ascertain with any exacting degree of certainty whether the sentencing judge would have imposed identical sentences for Hankton and Davis had he known that the sentencing guidelines were not mandatory at the time. They get lunch breaks, set time for shifts, are not supposed to socialize.". Even a conservative estimate of the amount of cocaine Hankton supplied Olden with amounts to approximately 4.6875 ounces or 134 grams of crack cocaine (which is equal to Hankton supplying Olden with 1/8 oz. The statements did suggest that the original order to issue Williams a beating may have emanated from, or been approved by, a higher authority in the gang; however, A and B agree that the order to beat Williams came to them directly from Hankton. UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Clarence HANKTON and Gregory Davis,1 Defendants-Appellants. 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. 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)). 25. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. See U.S.S.G. U.s. Accuses 19 Gang Members of Narcotics Conspiracy 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)). As Charles explained, Hankton held the position of don or foreman of the MCs at the Cabrini-Green housing project where Williams lived, and had the authority to order a violation of this kind. Indeed, it would be antithetical to consider these to be mutually exclusive endeavors. The disparate nature of behavior addressed under each enhancement, without more, suggests that impermissible double counting pursuant to those particular enhancements would be most unlikely. "If there's no rules, no one knows what's going on. 1781, 152 L.Ed.2d 860 (2002). Heroin laced with fentanyl has been. 11. Hankton's plea agreement also set forth his disagreement as to the two enhancements proposed by the government under the sentencing guidelines: one concerning the drug quantity involved and another pertaining to Hankton's alleged leadership role in the offense. 846 and 18 U.S.C. See, e.g., United States v. Hardamon, 188 F.3d 843, 849 (7th Cir.1999). Meanwhile, Davis held the position of Sultan Supreme, a lieutenant and leader of the MCs at a particular locale-in this instance the Lathrop Homes projects on the north-west side of the city. 22. 6. A fact-finder must always draw inferences from veiled allusions and code words. 17. 28. As explained infra, the rules of evidence do not apply at sentencing, thus the judge's decision to consider the code language testimony given by Agent Darin was squarely within his discretion. 4. See United States v. Torres-Ramirez, 213 F.3d 978, 980-81 (7th Cir.2000) Under circumstances such as these we are unwilling to find fault with the sentencing judge's decision to credit Darin's statement in determining the drug quantity attributable to Hankton. "The Horatio Alger of today is the gang leader," said Knox, referring to the 19th Century author made famous by his stories of rags-to-riches success. This is not to mention the fact that Davis was provided with ample opportunity to rebut the hearsay evidence proffered against him in the form of the co-defendant plea agreements, either by calling his own exculpatory witnesses or through his cross examination of Agent Darin. As the district court concluded, given the entirety of the government's submission, [Agent Darin's testimony] is reliable evidence and should be given substantial weight by the court [i]t is corroborated [i]t all ties together. http://www. 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. Andrew Martin and Tribune Staff Writer. The Latin King Gangs - 1535 Words | 123 Help Me But a Chicago Housing Authority sergeant who works in the Robert Taylor Homes said despite the sophistication of the drug trade, rules and bylaws created by imprisoned gang leaders are routinely violated on the street. The rules, chock-full of mispellings and street slang, aren't contained in a tidy corporate packet or posted on a store bulletin board. 13. See supra pp. 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. 8,000 to 10,000 that lives in the United States of America. In order for a judge to be well advised of the facts surrounding the defendant's background, and particularly in view of the judge's obligation to the general public, as well as to the defendant, to be fair, reasonable, and just, it is imperative that he be allowed to draw upon a wealth of information concerning the defendant's background, from his date of birth up to and including the moment of sentencing In order to render justice to all the judge must be able to impress upon a defendant through the expansive contents of an all encompassing sentencing report that we are a country of laws and not men. Bearing upon this was testimony given by a number of prosecution witnesses who confirmed Hankton's involvement in the murder of Annette Williams, a fellow member of the MCs, in April of 2004. Another defendant was already incarcerated in Cook County Jail on unrelated charges. Knox and gang investigators said lists like the one belonging to the Mickey Cobras are not uncommon among street gangs. The LA Eme is a Hispanic Organized crime. The government next introduced evidence directed towards establishing that Hankton was responsible for distributing more than 500 grams of crack cocaine, as opposed to the 150 grams he admitted to distributing. As part of the plea agreement, Hankton admitted that on three separate occasions in Cook County, Illinois, between February and April 2000, he distributed a total of approximately 156 grams of crack to an individual who, unbeknownst to him, was a confidential informant recruited by the FBI. 2518(1)(b) & (c). Also, although premising multiple enhancements on identical facts' constitutes impermissible double counting the presence of some overlap in the factual basis for two or more upward adjustments does not automatically qualify as double counting. Id. He joined in 1978 when he was eight years old and left the gang in 1996. According to metric-conversions.org, .375 ounces equates to approximately 10.63107 grams. (T. 1981, 1993). 3661. The collective name of joined gangs under the five point star banner (V.L.,B.P.S.,L.K., M.C.,4.C.H.,). As part of the plea agreement, the government agreed to recommend that Davis be granted a 3 level reduction for acceptance of responsibility pursuant to U.S.S.G. "He's got the props. Specifically, the court found that Hankton's leadership role in the MCs was evinced by the fact that Hankton had the authority to order the beating of Annette Williams, knowing that the beating could lead to her death.. See supra p. 9.Hankton argues that the testimony of Detective Charles and Agent Darin as to his role in the MCs should not have been considered because they were [not] qualified as experts in anything. This is misleading, for the district court made an express finding that Detective Charles was indeed an expert on the MCs, see supra p. 7, as well as expressly finding him to be a credible witness. Likewise, Agent Darin was also expressly found by the judge to be a credible and reliable witness. Not only do they give a vivid glimpse into the world of gangs but also, law enforcement authorities say, underline how central the drug business has become in some Chicago gangs. 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. In addition, Hankton also claims that the district court erroneously double counted by relying on his leadership role in the offense to enhance his sentence under 3B1.1 and 2D1.1. 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. The email address cannot be subscribed. There, he said, teenage gang members are more interested in their own pocketbook than gang loyalty. See Sutton, 406 F.3d at 474. 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. Gutta cobras (including) thf44 in the lowend probably the deep spot for cobras but they not . 3B1.1(a) of the Guidelines.21 The district judge, after hearing and weighing the totality of the evidence, sentenced Hankton to 300 months imprisonment, which fell in the middle of the applicable guidelines range of 262 to 327 months. Hankton's initial argument is that statements made by Agent Darin concerning various wiretap phone conversations should not have been relied on by the sentencing judge in his determination that Hankton was responsible for the distribution of more than 500 grams of crack under the guidelines. Federal authorities dealt a blow Thursday to the Mickey Cobras street gang, charging 19 of its leaders and members with narcotics conspiracy and also indicting a top leader on charges he passed along orders to have a woman killed six years ago. Imo..I think Maniac Cobras don't mess with other Mickey Cobra sets near them and I guess they don't go under the 5 (.. or they don't have structure and plus they only have love for their OWN set than any other sets.. like 051 for example. 2. 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. However, because we have held that the court's consideration of the co-defendant's plea agreements at sentencing did not constitute clear error under any circumstances, we need not separately discuss Davis' challenge to the enhancements to his sentence under 3B1.1(b).Nonetheless, even if we were to hold that the plea agreements were unreliable and should not have been considered, the enhancement was still supported by the record. A central theme to the Mickey Cobras' rules is respect for the drug customer. Hankton's claim of impermissible double counting finds no support in the record, much less the voluminous amount of case law on this subject. There are 30,000 to 50,000 MS-13 members and associate members that is worldwide. A and B's statements also unequivocally acknowledge that the order to beat or issue a violation to Williams-which resulted in her death-was issued by Hankton personally.13 They also related that the violation or beating was ordered because Williams had stolen some money from the gang. Limit bathroom breaks to 15 minutes. 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). Mickey Cobras Foondit 1954 Namit efter Henry "Mickey" Cogwell Foondin location Westside, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. Years active 1954-Present Territory Chicago, Illinois Ethnicity Maistly African American Creeminal activities Drog Trokin, Robbery, Extortion, Murther Allies People Nation, Black P. Stones, Vice Lords Rivals Officials said the Mickey Cobras include as many as 1,500 members and control the area around the Cabrini-Green public-housing complex. Specifically, Agent Darin testified as to the meaning and context of a number of intercepted phone conversations Davis had with Hankton and other individuals in which Davis discussed cooking large amounts of powder cocaine in order to produce crack cocaine. Made public recently by police sources, the sheets outline how gang members should behave while peddling drugs in the Robert Taylor Homes. Mickey Cobras - Wikiwand Cobras & Matadors ($) Write a Review. Furthermore, Agent Darin also testified as to Davis' role as a manager/supervisor in the MCs drug operations. Gatlin was murdered because he provided information to the police about the murder of Tony Dawson, a previously unsolved homicide in Minneapolis. Five others remain fugitives. See United States v. Barnes, 117 F.3d 328, 337 (7th Cir.1997). At the close of the sentencing hearing, after weighing the evidence presented, the district court determined by a preponderance of the evidence that Davis had indeed possessed with intent to distribute between 50 and 150 grams of crack cocaine and that he was a manager or supervisor of a criminal activity, within the meaning of 3B1.1. Maniac Latin Disciples - Wikipedia The Mickey Cobras are a large street gang affiliated with the nationwide gang alliance known as "People" and based in Chicago. June 16, 1993)). 31: "There will be no breaking into apartment or vacant apartment in the building.". 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. Cuisine: American Neighborhood: Los Feliz Website: www.shuttersonthebeach.com In order to corroborate Agent Darin's testimony, the prosecution called one of Hankton's co-defendants, Jammah Olden. Smith was best friends with defendant's brother. In the Illinois prison system, they are a part of the People Nation. We review the district court's application of the Sentencing Guidelines de novo. Dodge city is not active anymore but they were notorious back in the day. . 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. Around 1993-94 the various gangs in the Maniac Familia, led by the Manic Latin Disciples (MLD's) began having violent conflicts with . 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. Nonetheless, the government insisted that based on [Hankton's] offense conduct and relevant conduct he was actually responsible for distributing more than 500 grams of crack, which would result in an offense level of 36. 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. The government concluded that, because Hankton had admitted to distributing 156 grams of cocaine and because the plea agreements attributed at least an additional 344 grams of crack to him, it was reasonable to conclude from the evidence presented at sentencing that he had distributed in excess of 500 grams of cocaine for the purposes of U.S.S.G 2D1.1. The founder of the Egyptian Cobras was James Cogwell. Yeah the cobras are deep in the low end. A pen register is a mechanical device that records the numbers dialed on a telephone by monitoring the electrical impulses caused when the dial on the phone is released. United States v. New York Tel. The initial intercept ran from June 15 to July 14, 2000, when the warrant expired.