Drug ring tied to Latin Kings busted

By Sarah Tompkins
Posted: Friday, March 4, 2011 12:00 am


CHICAGO | Law enforcement busted an alleged drug trafficking ring Thursday that they said, at times, made $10,000 a week supplying powder cocaine to Chicago, Calumet City, Hammond and Whiting.

An FBI task force arrested eight suspected members and associates of the Latin Kings street gang Thursday, closing a nearly two-year-long investigation.

Those in custody include: Chicagoans Paul "Guero" Jasso, 42; Paulino Bosanko, 23; Sandra Barron, 38; David Ruiz, 52; Joseph Barron, 27; Josef Neri, 28; Charles Schill, 20; and Calumet City resident Loretta Flores, 44.

Edwin Tevenal Jr., 30, of Chicago, avoided capture and remains at large, according to the FBI.

The group sold cocaine from their homes or restaurants and bars in Chicago, Calumet City, Whiting and Hammond -- sometimes for $700 an ounce.

In "Operation King Gone," law enforcement tapped phones and used hidden cameras to capture criminal informants buying cocaine from the dealers, according to the FBI. Some informants were paid thousands of dollars for working on the case, according to court records, and one was terminated after engaging in "unauthorized drug dealing activity."

Jasso, an alleged senior member of the Latin Kings, is being charged with distributing 500 grams or more of cocaine, according to federal court records unsealed Thursday. Bosanko, Barron and Ruiz were also listed in the complaint as helping run his independent drug enterprise.

The remaining suspects were charged in state court for drug or firearms violations.

According to court records, the group used code words and erratic driving to shake law enforcement officers off their tail.

The FBI is seeking search warrants for the homes of Jasso, Barron and Ruiz, where video footage and drug purchases by criminal informants took place.

If convicted, the federal defendants face a minimum of 10 years behind bars and up to life in prison. The state suspects could do jail time for up to 30 years if convicted.

Last year, a group of alleged Latin King members were indicted in Indiana on racketeering charges. Some could face the death penalty for their suspected roles in murders.

http://www.wthr.com/story/14180995/auth ... 000-seized