Signs of trouble

The Essex County District Attorney’s Office Thursday released the names of four of the five men indicted on state charges following Wednesday’s significant gang crackdown.

All of the defendants are from Lynn. They are identified as: Nelson Sanchez, 18, of 35 Timson St., Theodore Allen, 21, of 42 Melvin Ave., Carlos Hunter, 22, of 35 Laighton St. and Saul Rodriguez, 24, of 78 Harwood St.

The DA’s Office declined to identify a fifth defendant, a male juvenile.

The five suspects are among a group of 17 who were indicted Wednesday on state and federal drug trafficking and illegal weapons charges following a seven-month investigation by the North Shore Gang Task Force, the FBI, State Police, the Lynn Police Department and several other law enforcement agencies.

Authorities say the men are part of the Deuce Boyz and Soldiers gangs, which have been allied with the infamous Bloods for the past few years.

The gang alliance was allegedly behind a surge of gang violence in Lynn over the last few years. Most recently, the gangs were behind 11 shootings in January in the city and four shootings in February, including one outside the Soriano’s nightclub on Market Street, officials said. In that incident, on Feb. 22, two members of the Bloods and one member of the Deuce Boyz/Soldiers, along with a fourth person, were shot outside the club, according to authorities. About an hour after the shooting, a drive-by shooting occurred at the home of someone associated with the alleged shooter.

The gang task force and the FBI set up undercover purchases of weapons and guns during the investigation from several of the defendants. During one buy, the witnesses were robbed at gunpoint at an undisclosed location in Lynn.

Authorities also said that on March 13, members of the Deuce Boyz were overheard making statements in Lynn District Court about killing a Lynn Police Lieutenant Peter Holey.

The FBI also alleges members of the Soldiers murdered July Gratereau of Salem, a known drug dealer, in a Lynn apartment in February 2005.

During a press conference at the Moakley Federal Courthouse on Wednesday, U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan, Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett, Lynn Police Chief John Suslak and other officials announced the arrests over a table containing evidence seized from the defendants. Those items included $38,000 in cash, crack cocaine, a sawed-off shotgun, a rifle and a Tec-9.

The defendants who were indicted on federal charges are identified as: Daryl Knight, 21, of 137 Broad St. #5, Lynn; Manuel Bisono, 28, of 205 Highland Ave. #3203, Salem; Rafael Cristobal, 23, of 17 Highland Ave., Lynn; Clifford Slaughter, 30, of 14 Merrill Ave. #3, Lynn; Orlando Vales, 20, of 1704 Broughton Drive, Beverly; Adonis Cristobal, 23, of 36 Rantoul Ave., Lynn; Loeki Rodriguez, 24, of 526 Western Ave., Lynn; Frank Puello, 22, of 133 Kimball St. #5, Revere and Falkosky Beltre, Christopher Gutierrez, Donald Oliver, whose ages and addresses are unknown.

Another defendant, David Manuel “Falco” Valentin, was still at large Thursday night.

BOSTON — Sixteen members of the Deuce Boyz and Soldiers gangs were arrested Wednesday following a seven-month investigation, resulting in a major crackdown on gang violence in Lynn.

In all, 17 Lynn gang members were indicted on federal drug trafficking and firearms charges. One alleged gang member, David Manuel Valentin, with the nickname “Flaco,” is still at large and being sought by the FBI.

The crackdown came after a surge of gang violence in the city, particularly in January when 11 gang-related shootings were reported and in February when four gang-linked shootings were reported, including one outside Soriano’s nightclub on Market Street when four people were shot.

The FBI also alleges members of the Soldiers murdered July Gratereau of Salem, a known drug dealer, in February 2005.

At the Moakley Federal Courthouse in Boston yesterday, U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan announced the arrests and displayed some of the items seized from the defendants, including $38,000 in cash, crack cocaine, a sawed-off shotgun, a rifle and a Tec-9.

Most of the defendants were Lynn residents, but others resided in other communities, including Beverly, Revere and Salem.

Calling the crackdown a “high priority” for all of the law enforcement agencies involved, Sullivan says the vast majority of Lynn citizens are law-abiding and should not have to live in fear.

“We will not allow a handful of criminals to disrupt the lives of everyone in these communities,” Sullivan said.

“If you get involved in gang life, there’s going to be very serious consequences,” said Lynn Police Chief John Suslak. “The gangs are certainly not going to intimidate the Lynn Police Department.”

The investigation centered on an alliance between the Deuce Boyz and Soldiers gangs, who are allegedly aligned with the Bloods as well.

Authorities say the Deuce Boys were formed in the late 1990s following a merger of the Trinity Avenue Crew and the Cambodian Deuce Boyz. When the two gangs merged, they became the “Latino Deuce Boyz,” which eventually became, simply, the Deuce Boyz with a Latino branch and an Asian branch. The Soldiers, a multi-racial gang, was created between 2000 and 2001, forming an alliance with the Deuce Boyz shortly thereafter.

According to a court affidavit, much of the evidence against the defendants revolves around drug and weapons sales made to undercover cooperating witnesses for the FBI since October 2006.

During one sale at a Lynn location, the cooperating witnesses were robbed at gunpoint. The robbery was caught on camera because authorities had rigged the vehicle with audio and video recording equipment before the buy went down.

Donald “Heavy” Oliver was identified as one of the leaders of the Deuce Boyz/Soldiers. During two sales to cooperating witnesses, he allegedly sold 75 grams of crack cocaine while he was on pretrial release for conspiracy to traffic over 100 grams of crack cocaine and possession of ammunition.

Oliver also allegedly set up the buy between his fellow gang members and the two FBI witnesses for two firearms, a .40 caliber handgun and a .45 caliber handgun and two eight-balls of cocaine for $300. It was during this purchase when the two witnesses were allegedly robbed at gunpoint.

Another alleged purchase was recorded on videotape inside an apartment on Rantoul Avenue, which is part of a public-assisted housing facility. The witnesses allegedly watched two defendants, Rafael and Adonis Cristobal, who are brothers, cook a large amount of crack cocaine and package a portion of it for the witness, to whom it was later sold. The brothers allegedly sold over 50 grams of crack to the witnesses during two different transactions.

On Feb. 22, two members of the Bloods and one member of the Deuce Boyz/Soldiers, along with a fourth person, were shot outside the Soriano’s nightclub on Market Street, authorities said. About an hour after the shooting, a drive-by shooting occurred at the home of someone associated with the alleged shooter.

To designate their “turf,” Deuce Boyz use the numbers “4” and “2” indicating the initials of the “D” and “B” n the fourth and second letters of the alphabet.

Soldiers members often utilize the number “19” because “S” is the nineteenth letter in the alphabet.

Eight of the 16 defendants arrested Wednesday were taken into custody by the Lynn Police Department before being sent to federal authorities. Those men are identified as: Daryl Knight, 21, of 137 Broad St. #5, Lynn; Manuel Bisono, 28, of 205 Highland Ave. #3203, Salem; Rafael Cristobal, 23, of 17 Highland Ave., Lynn; Clifford Slaughter, 30, of 14 Merrill Ave. #3, Lynn; Orlando Vales, 20, of 1704 Broughton Drive, Beverly; Adonis Cristobal, 23, of 36 Rantoul Ave., Lynn; Loeki Rodriguez, 24, of 526 Western Ave., Lynn; Frank Puello, 22, of 133 Kimball St. #5, Revere.

The three other men indicted at the federal level and were taken into custody on Wednesday are identified as: Falkosky Beltre, Christopher Gutierrez, Donald Oliver. Their ages and addresses were unknown as of press time.

State officials have also indicted four other males, including a juvenile, as part of the investigation. Their identities were unknown as of press time.

One Student Stabbed, Another Arrested at Lynn Tech
By James Haynes and Jill Gadsby, The Daily Item of Lynn, Friday, June 16, 2006

LYNN -- A cafeteria confrontation at Lynn Tech escalated into a stabbing outside the school Thursday afternoon, with one student sent to the hospital and another facing assault and weapons charges.
     A 15-year-old Lynn male faces charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, a city knife ordinance violation and carrying a dangerous weapon on school grounds, after he was allegedly involved in the stabbing of another Lynn Tech student shortly after 1 p.m. Thursday.
     School Attendance and Discipline Specialist Rick Iarrobino said the altercation took place in the Lynn Tech driveway leading out to Neptune Boulevard and stemmed from an incident in the cafeteria.
     "There was a minor altercation that started with two kids bumping into each other in the lunchroom and carried on outside when the kids exited lunch," he said. "One group of kids surrounded another boy and that's where the stabbing took place. He reacted because he felt like he was being intimidated."
     Police responded to the scene shortly after 1 p.m., said Lynn Police spokesman Lt. David Brown, in time to find the crowd dissipating. A knife, believed used in the fight, was later recovered and the incident is under investigation.
     "School Resource Officer Jennifer Cash and the patrol division were involved in the response to this, and police are working with school officials in the investigation," he said.
     Iarrobino said the students involved did not report the stabbing.
     "They all started to go back to class and I guess someone reported it and they took him to the hospital," he said, adding he is unsure whether the incident was gang related.
     "We can't make a determination on that. It looks like it could be, but we're not sure yet."
    Police said the student's was taken to Salem Hospital, where his injury was diagnosed as not life-threatening. Superintendent of Schools Nicholas Kostan also said the victim's injuries were minor.
     "It was a non-life-threatening wound," he said. "I was told he went back to class, but I don't know the extent his injuries. Any injury is serious as far as we're concerned."
     Kostan said the matter is being taken seriously.
     "We certainly will not tolerate weapons in the schools," he said. "We take this very seriously and we're just not going to put up with it. These kids have worn their welcome out in the Lynn Public Schools."
     Kostan said the district will continue to monitor the situation.
     "It is something we will stay on top of," he said. "I regard it as an isolated incident - we haven't had anything like this so far this year and there's only a week left (until school lets out)."
     Kostan said Thursday's incident illustrates the need for School Resource Officers and a stricter dress code policy.
     "It's all tied into it," he said. "The SROs have always been a huge issue with us and we're grateful that program is going to be maintained. The presence of law enforcement is important. It also speaks to the importance of a dress code and limiting the opportunity to bring in weapons or any kind of contraband and hide it in."

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Lynn School Committee OKs Ban on Baggy Clothes in Schools
By Jill Gadsby, The Daily Item of Lynn, Friday, June 9, 2006

LYNN - Oversized clothing will no longer be allowed in the Lynn Public Schools once the new student appearance policy goes into effect in September.
     Members of the School Committee Thursday unanimously voted to accept the policy, which now prohibits the "baggy" look popularized by the advent of hip-hop music.
     Specifically, the policy states that all shirts must be tucked in with the beltline showing, regardless of the type of shirt. The policy also states that pants must be worn at or above the waistline.
     The oversized style of dress came into question after police raised concerns that students could use baggy jeans and knee-length shirts to smuggle weapons into the city's schools.
     Since March, School Committee member Daniel Cahill has worked with parents, teachers and administrators to revamp the existing dress code. He said he is pleased with the changes.
     "I'm ecstatic," he said. "I think it's a positive for the Lynn Public School system as a whole. The most important thing is that the parents buy into it and that we give principals and teachers enough support to implement it."
     The existing code, written in 2001, prohibits hats, scarves, gloves, coats sunglasses and headbands from being worn in school. It also prohibits tank tops, sleeveless shirts, halters, mini-skirts, shoulderless tops, halter tops, tube tops or tops that bare the midriff, spandex, see through or skin-tight clothing, regardless of length.
     Clothing containing metal studs and shirts advertising tobacco, alcohol, drug use, or those with obscenities are also prohibited, along with clothing which is considered to be gang-related or in gang-related colors.
     While Bermuda shorts are currently permissible, the code prohibits gym shorts, cutoff shorts, athletic shorts, bathing suits and shorts advertising or displaying any sports team or products of any kind.
     Other prohibited items include beepers, cell phones, portable radios, Walkmen and Discmen.
     The new policy includes all the language from the existing policy, but adds headbands, wristbands, doo-rags, skullcaps, hood and wavecaps to the list of prohibited garb.
     Also banned are shoes that pose safety problems or contain metal cleats, taps or wheels. Clothing with chains attached will also be prohibited.
     The new policy also clarifies the issue of shorts and electronic devices.
     The use of electronic devices, including cell phones, is prohibited during school hours and knee-length shorts are permissible during the months of September and June at the secondary level. At the elementary level, shorts may be worn at the discretion of the principal.
     "I think parents will be satisfied with the level of accountability," Cahill said.
     Students violating the new policy will have a parent notified to bring in appropriate clothing. Any student sent home because of inappropriate clothing is expected back in school, without delay, properly dressed for class. Any time missed will be considered an unexcused class absence.
     Deputy Superintendent William Frost, former Classical High School principal, said students are rarely sent home for dress code violations.
     "In most cases, there is usually a solution there in the school," he said. "They put a sweatshirt on or turn the shirt inside out if it is offensive. It is only when something is totally outrageous that we will send a youngster home to change. Most (situations) are handled on the spot."
     Under the new code, repeat violations may result in progressive discipline up to and including conditional suspension.
    The new policy is not to be confused with a voluntary school uniform program that may be piloted at English High School in the fall.
     The school has received $50,000 from the O'Brien Foundation to purchase collared shirts bearing the school name. State law prohibits public schools from requiring uniforms, but English High Principal is hoping to garner voluntary support from various student clubs and organizations within the school.
     The School Committee must first approve the use of uniforms at the school.