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Ex-Gang Member Gets Reduced Sentence For Assistance

On Behalf of | Apr 5, 2016 | Felonies

Sometimes working with the police can help your case. Assisting them can be one way to work toward a reduced penalty, particularly if you have information that can help them break down a crime ring.

That’s what happened for this Latin Kings member, who now has to serve less time because of his assistance. According to the news, the man had been interested in law enforcement as a career, but he was the second-in-command of the violent gang and was arrested before he got the chance to get out. He was arrested in 2015, but then he decided to help the federal agents convict and imprison 23 members of the gang and its associates.

Unfortunately, helping police did cause a strain for the ex-gang member; the gang ordered him to be executed on sight, putting him at high risk. There was even a plan to kill the man while he was in jail. The 34-year-old had first faced nine years in prison for the crimes he’d committed, but prosecutors determined that because of his assistance, he deserved a 50 percent break on the penalties, bringing his sentence down to just 4.5 years in a federal prison.

Because of helping the police, the man may be involved in a witness protection program, although the man’s lawyer was not allowed to say either way. The defendant tried to go straight in the past, going as far as to take criminal justice courses and join the military. Unfortunately, he slipped back into a life of crime, which landed him in the current position.

Those facing similar criminal penalties may ask their defense attorneys to investigate the possibility of reduced sentences in lieu of their cooperation with the prosecution.