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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.- The Holland Latin Kings are a dangerous organized crime ring that have terrorized the community for more than two decades.
Now, the U.S. Attorney's office says 31 key members of the gang are behind bars, part of a 3-year long investigation.
After several convictions, authorities are sharing what these busts really mean for the community.
“This was a very organized gang, had a hierarchy, had a constitution, had a very structured meetings,” said Patrick Miles, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan.
Russ Kavalhuna, Assistant U.S. Attorney, said they committed shootings, stabbings, fire bombings funded by selling and moving marijuana and cocaine.
Terrorizing the streets of Holland and across West Michigan, authorities say the gang was grooming members as young as 9-years-old.
Kavalhuna says the HLK had a mission.
“If anyone crossed them they would execute something called an SOS, which is called a smash on site, and they meant that, that if people crossed the Latin Kings there would be repercussions,” he said.
A three-year investigation revealed the HLK began in the early 1990`s growing to more than 50 members.
Miles says authorities found their 'in' when members started looking for ways 'out.'
“There were certainly people who cooperated and decided early on that they would get a better deal if they cooperated rather than holding out to the bitter end,” he said.
Discovering this was a local 'chapter' of the national gang 'Almighty Latin King Nation,' members followed a strict ranked structure mandated by national edict. Leaders were elected by member vote.
The president was the enforcer, responsible for maintaining firearms and imposing punishments for violations of gang rules.
The organization’s finances were organized by the 'treasurer,' funded by cocaine and marijuana sales.
The gang conducted secret meetings beginning with the Latin Kings prayer. This is where members paid their dues. Members were strip-searched during the meetings to avoid any surveillance, however West Michigan authorizes say they were able to record several meetings and ultimately bring 31 members to justice.
It’s something Miles says they’re working to continue with a violent crime reduction task force in all major cities in the Western District of Michigan.
“This is an ongoing effort, this isn`t a one shot deal, this is ongoing, this collaboration, this federal involvement is something that we take very seriously and we`re trying to send the message that if you`re out there committing violent crimes, out there terrorizing neighborhoods, you`re gonna go down,” he said.
The 31 members of the Holland Latin Kings were sentenced to between two and 20 years, that's a combined 340 years of prison time handed down.
