Multiple federal charges against an anti-gang activist have been dismissed on grounds of “errors” that the federal prosecutors acknowledged in the man’s indictment. The man in question is one of the most well-known anti-gang activists in Los Angeles. While the judge assigned to the case dismissed the charges, he did so “without prejudice,” which means that if prosecutors should choose, they could re-file charges. Before prosecutors make that decision, they made a statement that they would carefully review the evidence until sometime in March of this year.
The judge insinuated that the investigation was not conducted thoroughly or as carefully as it should have been. After a closer, a extensive look at the evidence, prosecutors may choose to present an error-free indictment against the man. The anti-gang activist is still hopeful that federal prosecutors will not re-file an indictment, stating that choosing not to re-file would be the “right thing.” Federal prosecutors chose not to elaborate on the details of the “errors” present in the indictment.
Federal authorities alleged that this particular anti-gang activist was tied to the leaders of the gang “Mara Salvatrucha” (MS-13), the gang that plotted and killed a man in El Salvador back in 2006 among other crimes. He was also accused of conspiracy to kill a man after a series of coded gang-language phone calls were discovered. Dismissal of these charges was filed, stating that the prosecutors presented false evidence and wrongly interpreted the phone calls.
Cases involving organized crime, such as this, are dealt with by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The Bureau has several anti-gang initiatives and partnerships that they use to crackdown on organized crime connected to various gangs. The FBI actually has a heavy focus on the MS-13 gang- the one this anti-gang activist is alleged of conspiring with. There is an entire MS-13 national gang task force that investigates crimes committed in conjunction with this particular gang.
Federal resources are vast, which means that those alleged of committing crimes at a federal level are facing stronger evidence than would be likely in the case of crimes committed at the state or local level. Okabe & Haushalter thrives on this type of defense. It is not characteristic for our firm to be intimidated by this kind of case. Instead, we take them head-on and provide a solid defense for our clients. If you have been arrested for a federal offense such as gang-affiliations, drug trafficking, fraud or any other related crime, then do not hesitate to contact Okabe & Haushalter today- your premier Los Angeles criminal defense firm.
