Police: Major East Oakland gang nearly dismantled
Harry Harris (Oakland Tribune) | July 03, 2012
OAKLAND — Four men charged last week in a suspected murder conspiracy plot are reputed members of a violent East Oakland gang involved in narcotics trafficking, prostitution, identity theft and fraud, police said Tuesday.
So far, 65 members or associates of the gang, including the four men, have been arrested and charged with various state and federal offenses as a result of a joint Oakland police, Drug Enforcement Agency and Secret Service case that started 18 months ago, initially as a narcotics and related violence investigation.
But authorities soon realized that the gang, which has about 100 members and claimed as its turf the areas around 82nd Avenue and Birch Street and 72nd Avenue and Spencer Street, was involved in much more criminal activity, said Oakland Officer K.C. Jones, a lead investigator in the case initiated and supervised by Capt. Ersie Joyner III.
The investigation was stepped up, and eventually wiretaps of suspected members phones were authorized by a federal judge, which led to key evidence being developed against the gang that led to the arrests.
Police Department spokeswoman Officer Johnna Watson said authorities believe “significant impact has been made in dismantling the gang. The chief players have been identified and arrested.”
Read more at: http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_21001088/police-major-east-oakland-gang-nearly-dismantled
Posted by Lora
on Jul 3 2012. Filed under News.
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