GANGLAND GODFATHER

Appeal by Trong Minh Nguyen, 26, whose lawyer was seeking to have the sentence reduced to four years. Nguyen was convicted in 2008 of discharging a weapon with intent and possessing a loaded, unregistered handgun in connection with the July 6, 2006, shootout at the Pacific Place Mall on 36th Street N.E.Nguyen was in his parked BMW at the rear of the mall when gunmen in another vehicle opened fire on him and he returned several shots. The appeal panel concluded the trial judge's sentence was fair because of several aggravating factors surrounding the shooting.

17 year old girl was shot and killed on the front lawn of a Muldoon home. Neighbors tell the Anchorage Daily News that this residence has been a persistent problem for loud noise, underage drinking and other problems in the area. Even that night, multiple calls by multiple neighbors were made to Anchorage Police complaining about the noise, traffic and drunken juveniles wandering around the neighborhood. News reports now tell us that the shooting was gang related. An early morning dispute between rival gangs led to the death of a 17 year old girl who was caught in the cross-fire. This tragic event leaves many of us in disbelief. We need to understand how this was able to happen, so we can prevent it from occurring in the future. It is certainly justifiable to question the actions, or inactions, of a few different groups. First of all the house in question is reportedly owned by AHFC; it is a low income rental unit with what are supposed to be strict rules regarding loud noise and illeg...

officers on patrol found a man bleeding from his head and face at 294 Meridian St. around 10:10 p.m. on Friday:The victim reports that he was assaulted by 5-6 Hispanic males that he believes are 18th St gang members.Nestor Rodriguez of Condor Street was arrested for the attack, police say. The 18th Street Gang is a large gang based in Los Angeles.

An 18-year-old man is behind bars and a 17-year-old male is wanted in connection with the deadly stabbing of a teenage girl in West Chester.Police arrested Khrendon Gray of Springfield Township early Friday morning and charged him with one count of murder. He appeared in court on Friday where a judge set his bond at $1 million. Gray is accused of fatally stabbing 15-year-old Amber Robinson Thursday evening. On Friday afternoon, West Chester police issued an arrest warrant for 17-year-old Rashon Martin of Forest Park. The warrant is for complicity to commit murder in connection to the death of Robinson.

Gardai fear an England v Ireland fight was arranged after Bernard Dunne's world title defence on Saturday night, but it got completely out of control. British criminal Jason Lee Martin (41) died when weapons were produced in the mass brawl. A second man remains in hospital this evening after being hacked with a hatchet in the Parkwest bloodbath. "It appears to have been an arranged boxing match. But it got out of control when one guy pulled a knife and then everyone else reached for weapons," said a source. Hockey sticks, a hatchet, knives and broken glasses and bottles were all used in the melee. Many of the participants had earlier been at the Dunne fight in the O2. Martin (41) was on the run in Dublin while being hunted by British police for a killing in Lancashire last year. Gardai believe he was hiding out with criminals in Ballyfermot who he previously dealt drugs to -- and was socialising with them before being stabbed in the 20-man brawl outside Hannigen's bar...

Pedro Gil III, 37, a member of the Los Hermanos de Pistoleros ( HPL ) prison and street gang, was among 21 defendants sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sim Lake over the past seven days, United States Attorney Tim Johnson announced today. Gil pleaded guilty April 30, 2009, to conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute more than 150 kilograms of cocaine and to laundering millions of dollars in drug proceeds together with 23 other HPL members or associates. Today, Gil was sentenced to 300 months for the conspiracy conviction and 240 months on the money laundering conviction to be served concurrently, without parole. The sentence is to be followed by five years supervised release and will forfeit all interest in eight real estate properties, multiple high-end vehicles and a laundry list of expensive jewelry seized upon his arrest in May 2008 as well as $4.5 million dollars in cash. The sentence reflects the court’s finding that Gil was a leader/manager of the conspiracy. The court...

Royale LeBlanc, now 23, was convicted on June 12 of first-degree murder for the Nov. 25, 2006, killing of Carlos Urzua, of San Francisco. He was also found guilty of second-degree robbery and participation in a criminal street gang.Urzua, 29, was robbed and attacked by a handful of men at about 3 a.m. after being dropped off outside his home in the 900 block of Alabama Street. He was stabbed three times in the neck, abdomen and chest, suffering 18 wounds total. He died later at the hospital.Some of Urzua's friends witnessed the attack and called police as Urzua bled to death in his father's arms.LeBlanc and Jonathan Johnston, reputed Norteno gang members, were arrested a short time later after they were spotted driving nearby. Their white Chevrolet Caprice matched the description of the suspect vehicle and bloody clothes were found inside the car.LeBlanc, nicknamed "Crazy Teno," also had Urzua's cell phone.The main witness in the trial was a young man who testifie...