Arizona operation nets arrests of 61 tied to prison gang

by Matt Haldane - Jun. 7, 2011 06:45 PM
The Arizona Republic-12 News Breaking News Team

State and local authorities have indicted 61 people on suspected crimes tied to a prison gang, Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery said Tuesday afternoon.

"Operation Wolf Pack" launched nearly two years ago and targeted one prison gang, but 24 other street gangs were associated with it, Phoenix Lt. Charlie Consolian said. The investigation was conducted by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, Phoenix Police Department, Department of Public Safety, and Maricopa County Attorney's Office. Of the suspects indicted, 38 were already in custody and 23 were "out on the street," he said.

There are 40 felony charges, according to Montgomery. The defendants were indicted on charges that include fraud schemes, identity theft, drug trafficking, and possessing prohibited weapons such as hand grenades.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said he was saddened by the fact that people behind bars continue to commit crimes, said that while gangs within county jails are "not unusual," the size of the investigation was large.

"Innovative investigative techniques" were used to "infiltrate" the gang, according to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office. Nothing more specific was said about the techniques used, but Arpaio credited, in part, his "jail intelligence unit" that started in 1999. "I never could have imagined how much this unit would uncover and ultimately help prevent," Arpaio said.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... -abrk.html