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Judge upholds sealed pleas in MS-13 case
A federal judge in Nashville ruled Wednesday that plea agreements for seven defendants in an expansive federal racketeering case against members of the notorious MS-13 gang would remain under seal right up until they testify in the case for the safety of the defendants and their families.
Judge Todd Campbell sided with federal prosecutors, ordering that plea agreements remain under seal for seven of the 14 defendants in the MS-13 racketeering case involving alleged and attempted murders of government informants and rival gang members, according to court record.
“The Government shall produce plea agreements of trial witnesses not later than when the witness has testified on direct examination,” Campbell ordered. “The plea agreements are sealed for the safety of the parties, witnesses and their families, as noted on the record at the time of the sealing.”
Indictments for 14 members of the largely El Salvadoran MS-13 gang came down in January, alleging a far reaching criminal enterprise based in Nashville but with ties to gang members nationally. In addition, some of the violent acts alleged to have been committed by Nashville MS-13 members involved a drive-by shooting in Indiana and the planned murder of a law enforcement confidential informant in Maryland.
Pleadings from the U.S. Attorney in the case filed as late as last week to keep the plea agreements for seven of the indicted gang members and other filings sealed shows the investigation against MS-13 in Nashville is “ongoing.”
One government filing noted not all MS-13 members pleading guilty in the case had cooperated with the government but said they feared for their safety anyway.
“Indeed, MS-13 is notorious for threatening, and in some instances harming and/or killing, witnesses and/or their families who cooperate with the government,” U.S. Attorneys wrote. “This threat is so serious, and the fear it creates so pervasive, that some co-defendants who have pled guilty in this case have done so only if they could have their pleas sealed, even though they did not cooperate with the government, out of fear their plea might suggest they were cooperating with the government.”
A survey of the docket in the MS-13 case shows dozens of motions and orders have been sealed routinely by Campbell. It is a similar tactic used by the U.S. Justice Department in the only other federal racketeering case against MS-13 successfully prosecuted in Maryland.
Speaking in general, one national gang expert told The City Paper MS-13’s reputation for violence and retaliation against witnesses and fellow gang members was well deserved.
“Everywhere they go, they spread violence,” said Robert Walker, a national expert on gang identification who has trained law enforcement officers across the country and in Tennessee. “They will not hesitate to kill one of their own if they disrespect the gang or flip.”
Federal officials announced last week the first sentencing in the case, a 19-year stretch for Geovanni “Rata” Pena. The remaining seven defendants are scheduled for trial April 8.
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This is what you attract when you become a "Sanctuary City."Our lawmakers and law enforcement aren't intelligent enough to allow these kind of illegals in.The illegals and felons lurking the streets have gained control, and MNPD has lost control of the city and it's about time it ends.
Why would anyone in any state allow all this ILLEGAL ACTIVITY knowingly. WTH is wrong with everyone?
Badc, this has no connection to being a "sanctuary city". No place does this article claim that the members of this criminal group are "illegal" immigrants. I hope that the U.S. Justice Department has a strong case to make & that it keeps safe those who testify against their fellow members. Violent criminals need to be behind bars to keep society safe & to get the treatment they need so as not to return to violent acts.
Treatment for violent acts? Ahhhhh, a pill for everything!!
mjb get in touch with reality will you.
yeah, mjb. id is SO in touch with reality.
Studies show that acute lead deficiency is the root cause of such behavior, but happily the treatment is cheap and remarkably quick.
I believe that supplying lead was Geovanni [gag] Pena's solution, too, Vandy. Interesting that you subscribe to it, too.
I am sure that MJB has a supplement that can fix any deficiency! Or, we just need to be more understanding, pat them on the head, and say “it’ll be okay!”
In MJB's world, no distinction can be drawn between graffiti vandalism and fine art, or sex and rape, or legal incarceration versus kidnapping, or the humane slaughter of an animal for food purposes versus torturing one just for the hell of it. Must be a regular funhouse in there, with the various illusions fueled by prescription pharmaceuticals aplenty would be my guess.
Well her friend fundit says that she is a college level teacher, so it might just be that a contact high! But she’n must’n be’n a smart’n if’n she’n is’n a teach’n them there college’d kids’n!!!
All you need is love. That, and plenty of drugs to keep the wonderland effects working in full force. Of course, each and every nutball misunderstood child who's pulled a Columbine in recent years has been loaded full of legally prescribed pharmaceuticals (usually Ritalin or Aderall mixed with antidepressants), but it's just a matter of getting them enough love and understanding, or of hitting just the right dosing schedule.
Better living thru chemistry! And denial!
No wonder the big pharmaceutical manufacturers are lining up behind Hillary. She'll tax us to get more people drugged down, and in turn her groovy proposals will seem that much more feasible and reasonable. Got a problem with criminal elements roaming your neighborhood? Take another pill! Resent government authoritarian intrusion? Pop another! Running out of excuses for why some people persist in committing crimes? You know what to do... Such a simple solution to our every woe.
Vandy, you seem to be ranting, but I certainly agree w/ you that pills are a simplistic treatment of mental health problems. The notion of using drugs was not mine. Please read the remarks before writing. And what's with all the stuff about graffiti &c.?
No way, Rodney King is back in the news.http://www.dailybulletin.com/breakingnews/ci_7591109How random is that?
I guess we can’t “just all get along”!!!!
Revo is being weird today. We usually agree on most things but he is in ATTACK mode. I hope you feel better (and sweeter) tomorrow. Go have a drink or something. On me ;-) since I owe you one.
Vandy, here's news of a bit more import:On Tuesday, the U.S. military led an airstrike that killed fourteen Afghans who were building a road for the U.S. military.Today: 16 dead in Iraq:In Baghdad: 3 killed in an explosionIn Nafal al-Shurta: 3 bodies foundIn Haqlaniya: 5 killed in mortar attackIn Kirkuk: gunmen kill 2In Tikrit: gunmen kill the mayorIn Hawija: gunmen kill 1In Mosul: gunmen kill a policeman.Over the last 29 days, our military has killed 73 Iraqi civilians and two Iraqi children: Five civilians every two days, one child every two weeks.This, you may be surprised, is good news. In September, our military, using our tax dollars, representing you & me, killed 1280 civilians.
To oblige your little "read more carefully" mode, you might show me where I've ever said anything about the war.Back to the topic at hand, of "immigrants" in Texas, fully half are illegal aliens. In Arizona 65 percent are illegal, in North Carolina 58 percent are, and in Georgia 53 percent are here illegally.http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/11/29/1129immig.htmlAnd how about this? "About one-third of all families nationally headed by an immigrant use at least one welfare program — compared to less than one-fifth for native households, the report said."No stats here on the delightful crime they bring, although MS-13 is a Salvadoran terror group. (Some might be able to connect these dots.) Its members are said to be ex-military types, but by the PC definition these all qualify as "civilians." Since none of them are part of an official army, just about everyone on the other side killed in Iraq is a "civilian" too, to connect it back to your non sequitur. (The drugs again?)
Fundit – Maybe it is just you. I just refuse to put up with MJB’s crap today. Accept for you, I don’t think there is anyone else taking much of it either.
Enablers: the bane of our existence. :) 'night, all.
Except for me, I guess you're right. Must be me. It's been a long day
I think export fully explained the workings of MS-13 a few days ago. Pretty well covered it.Fundit – Take a chill pill then! Now that is funny, I don’t care who you are!!!!!!!!All for fun Fundit, all for fun!!
Vandy, I'm looking into more statistics, but, as I wrote someplace else today, “illegal immigrants” have replaced “terrorists” who replaced “pedophiles” who replaced “welfare mothers” who replaced “hippies” who replaced “Negroes” who replaced “godless commies” who replaced “Jews” who replaced “immigrants” as America’s enemy of choice. I realize that you are mentioning all immigrants, but that just places you either ahead or 100 years behind the curve. Besides, most people railing against "illegal immigrants" dislike all immigrants, forgetting that almost all of us are the children of immigrants. Maybe we will grow up to the point where we don’t need an enemy & we can accept all w/ open arms, sharing our good fortune w/out begrudgement.
Arrogant ignorance. So easy to spot. So hard to get rid of.
MJB I was right a few days ago. 60's relic. Honey open your eyes before one of these misspent youth or gang members are tagging your neighborhood, or property sticking up your merchants, or trying to carjack you or one of your students. Don't you care for the welfare or quality of life for your students, or your neighborers, or your self.What are you going to do when you see one of these knuckle heads recruiting one of your neighborhood kids
Tv8, remove the labels, open your eyes & mind, read, & see. We need more & better education to help the "misspent youth" & the gang members. We need a leveling of the American playing field to help the "misspent youth" & the gang members.At the same time, don't fall sway to paranoia. What is your suggestion to the exceedingly slim chance that your car will be carjacked?
It is absolutely mind boggling how you make it in the world MJB. You have got to be the luckiest SOB in the world because nobody as stupid, and I choose stupid over ignorant because I don’t think you can be educated, could go thru life so blind and unaware and not be killed.Having compassion, real compassion not Bush compassion, is perfectly understandable and as far as I am concerned expected of human beings. But reality says that not everybody cares, or wants, compassion. Not everyone can be helped, and that is just the way it is. To not recognize that is to waste a lot of time that could be spent on the ones that do want help. This may be one big world, but there are 6 billion different thoughts about it and there is NO way they are all gonna agree or be good. Recognizing the bad ones is VITAL to survival. That is a simple animalist trait that we have all but lost. It will most likely be our, the human race, and America for sure, undoing.
Vandy, you said nothing about any war. I merely brought up the number of recent deaths to remind us that there are stories of more import than Rodney King’s being shot at. And, yes, Vandy, since they are Iraqis, then they are, by definition, on the other side. This important news leads to our leaving Iraq, so that we stop creating dead people “on the other side”.Your information about immigrants comes from an organization that wants to decrease immigration to the U.S. Thus, it is, on its face, suspect.Let’s look at the numbers, however: Wouldn’t you expect that a higher percentage of immigrant families would, in their early years, use public assistance? Further, what counts as welfare programs? A publicly funded program that helps a householder whose first language is Spanish or Chinese—is that a welfare program? If so, then how many native-born Americans would use it?In hard numbers, one-third of immigrants is a much smaller number than one-fifth of native-born Americans.Since writing the above, I have found more numbers (http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/immigration.html): All told, only 15% of the foreign-born (the U.S. Census’s term for immigrants) live below poverty. That is no worse than our native-born citizens. Furthermore, 93% of them are employed. These are good numbers.