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Gangs Article

January 29, 2008

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Feds charge 14 alleged Bloods members

Related PoliceOne article: 10 practical, tactical tips for safe contact with gangs

By Vanessa Blum
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

FLORIDA — Federal authorities announced charges Tuesday against 14 people described as leaders and senior members of a South Florida street gang with ties to the Bloods, a major national gang.

According to the 14-page indictment, the individuals belonged to a local unit of the Bloods known as Neighborhood Piru, or NHP, and operated out of Miramar.

Gang members have been tied to murders, kidnappings, shootings, assaults, home invastions, robberies and other crimes over the past 18 months, said U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta. He described the arrests as part of a recent crackdown on gang and gun violence.

"Almost everyday in South Florida, we see the deadly consequences of gang violence," Acosta said. "Gang violence spills onto our streets and neighborhoods."

The Bloods began in Los Angeles and became nationally known for their violent rivalry with the Crips. Bloods members identify themselves by wearing red or burgundy clothing.

The gang is made up of smaller groups known as "sets" and has branched out across the country.

Acosta said the indictment resulted from a year long investigation into the local branch of the Bloods set. Officers with the Broward Sheriff's Office and Miramar Police Department worked with federal prosecutors to identify leaders of the organization, he said.

The indictment identifies Earnest Copeland, as an "OG", short for "original gangsta", in the South Florida Bloods. Copeland controlled the activities of gang members, gave the approval for shootings and mediated disputes between members, the indictment states. He allegedly received a portion of proceeds earned through drug trafficking, robberies and other illegal acts.

Sheriff's Office Capt. Kevin Butler said gang members broke into homes looking for valuables and weapons to be used in future crimes.

The group is charged with violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO-a law most often used to prosecute traditional organized crime.

Though it is the first time the law has been used in South Florida to target gang members, Acosta said there is little difference between organized crime and street gang activities.

"They might not be organized crime in the traditional sense, but as far as I'm concerned they are organized crime," he said.

Copeland, his wife Sharlene Copeland, Raymond Desinor, Alfred Allen, Alden Budhoo, Randolph Barrow, Michael Petty, Omeal Lee, Willie Ellis, Jeffrey Byrd Jr., Amr Ramson, Linus Bridgelal, Tyrone Doolam and Daquam Thomas are scheduled to appear in court Wednesday in West Palm Beach, prosecutors said.

They each face up to 20 years in prison.

Copyright 2008 The South Florida Sun-Sentinel





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