Operation Peddling Misery Indicts 19 People Involved With Latin Kings
By: ElleO
(August 4, 2017
The 19 people indicted following an investigation by the NJ State Police and Division of Criminal Justice had connections to narcotics distribution in Newark. The Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation gang, founded in Chicago in the 1950’s, has a Newark branch that operates in the distribution of crack cocaine and heroin.
Four of the men arrested are allegedly top leaders in the street gang, all from Newark. They have been charged with First-Degree Promoting Organized Street Crime, if convicted of the charge the sentence could be between 15 and 30 years in prison.
● Japhet “King Japhet” Lopez, 33, controlled the gang.
● Kiele “King Forty” Lopez, 22, Japhet’s right-hand man, “warlord”, and head of security.
● Christopher “Boxing Chris” Valdez, 30.
● Luis “King Santo” Maldanado, 38.
The Latin Kings have an intricate system of hierarchy, discipline, and territory distribution. They use violence to protect their “turf” but also amongst their own members to control them.
The Director of the Division of Criminal Justice Elie Honig announced, “Through this far-reaching investigation, we built a first-degree racketeering case that targets the entire hierarchy of this gang-run drug syndicate, from the alleged top leaders of the Latin Kings in Newark down to street-level dealers.”
The charges range from the quotidien street operations as well as a robbery incident that occurred on May 5, 2016.
Name
Also Known As
Age
Town
Charge
Japhet Lopez
King Japhet
33
Newark
– 1st Degree Promoting Organized Street Crime
– 1st Degree Operating or Maintaining a Narcotics Production Facility
– 1st Degree Racketeering
– 1st Degree Armed Robbery
– 2nd Degree Possession of a Handgun for Unlawful Purpose
– 2nd Degree Conspiracy
– 3rd Degree Aggravated Assault
– 3rd Degree Criminal Restraint
– 1st Degree Witness Tampering
Kiele Lopez
King Forty
22
Newark
– 1st Degree Promoting Organized Street Crime
– 1st Degree Operating or Maintaining a Narcotics Production Facility
– 1st Degree Racketeering
– 1st Degree Armed Robbery
– 2nd Degree Possession of a Handgun for Unlawful Purpose
– 2nd Degree Conspiracy
– 3rd Degree Aggravated Assault
– 3rd Degree Criminal Restraint
– 1st Degree Witness Tampering
Christopher Valdez
Boxing Chris
30
Newark
– 1st Degree Promoting Organized Street Crime
– 1st Degree Racketeering
Luis Maldonado
King Santo
38
Newark
– 1st Degree Promoting Organized Street Crime
– 1st Degree Racketeering
Justin Rodriguez King Jay AiryCarlos Rodriguez King Future 35 Newark
– 1st Degree Operating or Maintaining a Narcotics Production Facility
– 1st Degree Racketeering
– 2nd Degree Conspiracy
– 3rd Degree Aggravated Assault
– 3rd Degree Criminal Restraint
Christian Padilla 21 Newark
——————–
– 1st Degree Operating or Maintaining a Narcotics Production Facility
– 1st Degree Racketeering
Israel Carreras
King Solle 26 Newark
– 1st Degree Racketeering
– 1st Degree Armed Robbery
– 2nd Degree Possession of a Handgun for Unlawful Purpose
– 2nd Degree Conspiracy
– 3rd Degree Aggravated Assault
– 3rd Degree Criminal Restraint
Julio Benabe
King Coco
29
East Orange
– 1st Degree Racketeering
– 1st Degree Armed Robbery
– 2nd Degree Possession of a Handgun for Unlawful Purpose
– 2nd Degree Conspiracy
– 3rd Degree Aggravated Assault
– 3rd Degree Criminal Restraint
John J. Ruiz
——————–
20
Newark
– 1st Degree Racketeering
Angelo Rodriguez
Tito
51
Newark
– 1st Degree Racketeering
Jose D. Torres
Wop
31
Newark
– 1st Degree Racketeering
Edwin Roman III
Chicken Little
19
Newark
– 1st Degree Racketeering
Luis Diaz
King Stevie
26
Newark
– 1st Degree Racketeering
Edgardo Mendez
King Ito
27
Belleville
– 1st Degree Racketeering
Yaritza Perez
——————–
22
Newark
2nd Degree Conspiracy to Distribute Narcotics
Keisha Colon
——————–
22
Newark
2nd Degree Conspiracy to Distribute Narcotics
Vidalina Torres
——————–
73
Newark
2nd Degree Conspiracy to Distribute Narcotics
Jadnier Rios
Jadnier Torres
33
Newark
2nd Degree Conspiracy to Distribute Narcotics
All persons are assumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Tags: Racketeering, Latin Kings, Newark
Photo: Courtesy of NJ Attorney General
