6 Tampa Street Gang Members Face Criminal Charges
Six Tampa street gang members are facing several felony charges that could end up seeing them face the rest of their lives in prison if convicted. Members of the Alexander Park criminal organization (“AP” for short) were allegedly engaged in narcotics trafficking, bank fraud, obstruction of justice, murder, aggravated assault, robbery, and arson, according to the criminal indictment. The pattern of illegal activity occurred between March 2020 and October 2023.
According to federal authorities, the pattern of racketeering was so extensive that the indictment takes 39 pages to set out the 12 counts and 32 separate acts that compose a larger part of the conspiracy in this case.
Authorities say that gang members used residences in Tampa to acquire, maintain, and distribute drugs, store firearms, and divide stolen property and narcotics from burglaries and robberies. Authorities say they also used these locations to plan attacks against rival gangs.
One of their most notorious crimes included a shooting at Scores Gentlemen’s Club in April 2022. A member of AP was killed after an argument broke out in the parking lot. Authorities said that a rival gang member from the Latin Kings shot and killed a member of AP during the altercation. That shooting led to retaliation from the AP gang. AP murdered a member of the Latin Kings in a strip mall parking lot. The shooter would later be identified as Christian Andujar Rivera, the leader of the gang.
Rivera is also accused of buying a Jeep Grand Cherokee by providing false information to the bank to secure the loan. Two other members of the gang were accused of the same crime. Rivera was later accused of setting fire to the Jeep (arson) to get rid of the evidence.
Investigators said that they found 70 shell casings where the murder took place and were able to use evidence from different crime scenes to find the suspects. Authorities used a database to match one of the shell casings to another casing that was found in an AP member’s car that was later impounded as evidence.
Investigators also used government tools to determine where the guns were manufactured and who the initial purchaser was. Touch DNA (trace DNA left behind when you touch something) was also used to trace the gang members.
AP was also accused of crimes in Oregon, California, and Michigan. The gang members would steal marijuana from warehouses for sale in Florida where it remains illegal. Authorities listed 6 different instances where marijuana was stolen. In one case, Rivera and two other gang members burglarized a marijuana warehouse and stole at least 300 pounds of marijuana.
The gang members will be charged under RICO for the crimes that they committed across multiple states.
Talk to a Federal Criminal Defense Lawyer Today
Facing federal charges? Then you need a skilled criminal defense attorney who is experienced arguing before federal judges and trying cases against federal prosecutors. Call the Tampa criminal lawyers at The Matassini Law Firm today to schedule an appointment, and we can begin preparing your defense immediately.
Source:
wtsp.com/article/news/local/hillsboroughcounty/tampa-street-gang-members-face-numerous-federal-charges/67-caabbab0-661d-4e89-8658-31c02e3779b5
