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Street Gangs & Drugs
Investigator Michael Rokaitis Officer Martin Lemus Modesto Police Department – Street Gang Unit
WHAT IS A STREET GANG?
▪ 186.22(f) PC – A group of three or more people who regularly associate (Formally or Informally)
– Has a primary criminal activity {186.22(e)PC}
– Has a common name, sign, or symbol
– Membership engages in a pattern of criminal activity
▪ 186.22(e) PC – Predicate Crimes established by the State Legistlature
– Includes Murder, Weapons Possession, Burglary, Robbery, Identity Theft, Auto Theft, Vandalism, and Drug Sales
THE EVOLUTION OF STREET GANGS
▪ 1940’s – 1960’s – Many gangs developed in inner-city environments and grew out of poverty and race
issues
– Gangs claimed blocks, parks, and neighborhoods, offering protection for the community
▪ 1960’s – 1990’s – The illegal drug trade created profitable markets in each neighborhood for street gangs
– Prison Gangs began controlling street gangs because of the money and power
▪ 2000’s – Many large criminal organizations have been targeted by the Fed’s with indictments
– Street Gangs no longer rely on large organizations for drug supplies in the Central Valley (Cartel Connections, Growing Marijuana yourself)
– Social Media and Cell Phones have allowed gangs to diversify and connect outside of the neighborhood. Drug sales are now easier!!!
WHY GANGS LOVE THE DRUG TRADE
▪ RECRUITMENT – Gangs use the easy supply of
marijuana, alcohol, pills, and cocaine to entice young membership into a life with the gang.
– Older gang members in school are seen as the “cool kids” who can offer parties, protection, girls, and drugs.
– Gang members have new young members sell drugs for them in youth markets, offering easy money for the membership and easy profits for the Shot Callers.
E$APT Members Ages 12 - 20
▪ HUMAN TRAFFICKING – Traffickers use recreational drugs to
lure victims into the world of H.T.
– Victims fear withdrawal from the drugs they are addicted to, causing them to rely on their trafficker
– Traffickers double as drug dealers and get victims used to paying off drug debts through sexual acts
– By coupling physical abuse with drug addiction, traffickers are able to exert complete control over their victims
RISE OF THE MARIJUANA MARKET
▪ California has been decriminalizing marijuana for over twenty years – Compassionate Care Act of 1996
▪ Allowed anyone with a “recommendation” to legally grow and possess marijuana
▪ Loopholes in the law allowed “patients” to grow thousands of plants and legally sell them for profit in dispensaries and co-ops
– Recreational Marijuana approved by voters 11/08/16
▪ The law took effect immediately for personal use
▪ Licenses required for legal sales of marijuana were not issued until 2018
▪ Penalties for sales were decriminalized immediately
HOW DID THE LAW CHANGE?
OFFENSE Under 18 Years Old 18 – 20 Years Old 21+ Years Old
Possess Under 1 Ounce (Bud) or Under 8 Grams
(Concentrated)
Infraction
Infraction
Legal
Possess Over 1 Ounce (Bud) or Over 8 Grams (Concentrated)
Infraction
Misdemeanor
Misdemeanor
Possess on School Grounds Infraction Misdemeanor Misdemeanor
Cultivation of Under 6 Plants Infraction Infraction Legal
Cultivation of Over 6 Plants Infraction Misdemeanor Misdemeanor
Possession for Sales Infraction Misdemeanor Misdemeanor
Sales to Juveniles Infraction Felony Felony
WHY IS THE MARIJUANA MARKET DESIRABLE?
WHY IS THE MARIJUANA MARKET DESIRABLE?
▪ MARIJUANA – Diverse Market of Users
– $1,300 - $2,000 per Pound
– Misdemeanor to Sell for Adults
– Infraction to Sell for Juvies
– You can be Armed with MJ
– Concentrated products exponentially increase your profits
– You can be in control of the entire operation
– MORE MONEY … LESS RISK
▪ METHAMPHETAMINE – Limited Market
– $1,000 - $2,000 per Pound
– Felony to Sell for Adults
– Felony to Sell for Juvies
– 11370.1HS – Prison Felony
– There is no way to concentrate your product
– It is near impossible to oversee production all the way to sales
– LESS MONEY … MORE RISK
MARIJUANA ATTRACTS VIOLENCE
• Because of the big money in selling Marijuana, gangs are heavily armed.
• If the gangs are not growing the marijuana themselves, they are commonly sending groups into other homes to conduct home invasion robberies for product or money
• Almost all home invasion robberies in the Modesto Area are directly related to marijuana grow operations or stash houses
• Juvenile members are commonly used in order for older members to avoid prosecution.
GROW OPERATIONS
• Street Gangs in Modesto have been linked to numerous indoor and outdoor Marijuana grows
• This grow operation had over 800 plants in a back yard in West Modesto
• The gang could have made over $500,000 in profit off of the grow
CONCENTRATED CANNABIS
• High quality Concentrated Cannabis sells for $350 - $600 an ounce
• The product is made from trimmings and low-quality marijuana left over after a harvest
• Chemicals such as butane are used to strip THC from the plant materials
• Home extraction labs explode due to the volatile solvents being used
• THC levels of 75% - 95%
• Can increase profits from a grow by 3x – 5x
• Many products with brands and labels are actually produced by gang members in garages … there are NO HEALTH REGULATIONS IN PLACE!!!
MARIJUANA IN SUMMARY
▪ Street Gangs have tapped into the semi-legal but unregulated marijuana market
▪ With decriminalization, Law Enforcement has been given less tools to control the flow of illegal marijuana onto the streets. – Lack of funding to prosecute cases
– No incentives to keep Juveniles from using / selling
– The costs don’t outweigh the benefit to the gangs
▪ Because the gangs are not licensed by the State, the quality and “safety” of the product cannot be regulated or verified.
DEALERS ALWAYS SELL MORE THAN JUST MARIJUANA
OPIATE AND PRESCRIPTION PILL MARKET
▪ The United States has seen a spike in opiate addiction, which continues to grow at an alarming rate
▪ Street Gangs have moved into the heroin and pill market
▪ Gangs obtain prescription pills, cough syrup, and heroin through various means: – Trafficked into the area from the southern border
– Pill bottles are targeted during residential burglaries
– Pills are stolen from family members and friend’s parents
– Members obtain medication from doctors by faking illness or pain
– Robbery crews conduct takeover style robberies of pharmacies during business hours
STREET PRICES
▪ Adderall / Amphetamine Salt - $15 per pill
▪ Fentanyl - $10 per pill / $150 per patch
▪ Hydrocodone - $10 per pill
▪ Oxycontin - $25 - $30 per pill
▪ Xanax 2mg (Footballs) - $5 - $8 per pill
▪ Xanax 4mg (Bars) - $10 per pill
▪ Promethazine / Codeine (Lean) - $250 - $350 per bottle
SALES TRENDS
▪ Gang members primarily use social media platforms such as SnapChat, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp to advertise drug sales and negotiate transactions – Some of these applications automatically delete the messages after a set
amount of time
– Anyone with Wi-Fi access can use the applications
– You can do your illegal business anonymously
▪ The following photographs were all captured off SnapChat over the course of one day at work and everyone was a local gang member
