S.F. jury convicts MS-13 gang members

[alp227]

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

(08-30) 13:48 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- A federal court jury convicted six gang members today of racketeering and conspiracy charges as members of MS-13, which waged war against rivals and defectors in San Francisco's Mission District and was found responsible for at least three 2008 murders.

A seventh defendant, Walter Cruz-Zavala, was acquitted. The six men face up to life in prison when sentenced Nov. 30.

Jurors deliberated for a week after a trial that lasted more than four months. Prosecutors portrayed the young men as leaders or soldiers of a heavily armed gang that controlled its territory, based at 20th and Mission streets, through fear and intimidation.

Defense lawyers said many of the crimes, committed from 2005 through 2008, were instigated by gang members who acted as informants. They secretly tape-recorded conversations and pleaded guilty in exchange for lesser sentences, the lawyers said. Six men testified for the prosecution while awaiting sentencing and were grilled by defense attorneys about inconsistencies in their accounts over time.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/08/30/BAES1KTPGL.DTL

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When one of the convicted, Erick Lopez, was arrested in March 2008, he was riding in a car driven by Edwin Ramos, another MS-13 member currently detained on charges of a June 2008 triple murder.

[Mz Pip]

1. Good bye and good riddance

The more of these violent creeps off the street the better.

[udbcrzy2]

2. Defense says crimes committed were instigated by the informants.

Sounds like the defense was getting a little desperate to me.

Well, I hope the Judge gives each one convicted a lengthy prison term (article says 'up to life').

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

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[fascisthunter]

4. the sad thing is... doing time is no longer a deterent

not too sure it really ever was for those who murder, but even sadder is the realization that even if they keep locking folks up, the underlying problems still exist.

[reggie the dog]

5. i risk 30 years in jail just to grow my own weed,

now the judges here never give 30 years but the assholes that made the law define 10 plants between 2 people as a drug cartel. how do we stay out of jail?? we dont fucking rat each other out!!!! i have got absolutely no respect whatsoever with people in the drug game who talk to the cops.

[fascisthunter]

6. no one should go to jail for weed - it's bullshit

but attempted murder and violence has got to be prosecuted. As for rats... yeah, well... no one likes a rat. I wouldn't want to be one and wear a target on my back.