Latin Kings Case Adds Federal Charges
--endclickprintexclude--> TAMPA - The man accused of being the statewide leader of the Latin Kings gang has been indicted on federal weapons charges, authorities announced Thursday.
Michael Victor Lugo, 28, already faces charges in Hillsborough Circuit Court of racketeering conspiracy, kidnapping, aggravated battery and aggravated assault. All told, more than 50 defendants are being prosecuted in state court as part of their alleged involvement in the Latin Kings.
Now Lugo, who lives in Ocoee, is charged in a federal indictment originating in Orlando with six counts of illegal possession of firearms, ammunition and body armor by a convicted felon.
The federal charges carry a mandatory minimum prison term of 15 years and as much as 78 years in a federal penitentiary.
Lugo's attorney, Dee Ann Athan, said she didn't know much about the basis for the federal charges. She said all she knew was that other people were with Lugo in the home where the weapons and ammunition were found.
They were legally entitled to have firearms, she said.
In the meantime, Hillsborough Circuit Judge Daniel Sleet expressed concern during a hearing Thursday about some of the prosecution's actions in the state Latin Kings case. But Sleet denied a defense motion that he sanction the state attorney's office.
Dozens of attorneys and defendants crammed Sleet's courtroom as the judge dispensed with numerous motions in the case. Several motions dealt with issues of discovery, the legal requirement that prosecutors share information with defense attorneys.
Attorney Lyann Goudie, who represents defendant Samuel Alvarado, argued that prosecutors flagrantly violated their discovery obligations in the case.
Sleet said he was most concerned with the assertion that on Aug. 16 the prosecution filed a "false pleading" with defense attorneys, saying there were no written or recorded statements by the accused. At the time, according to Goudie's motion, investigators had video and audio of the beating of a gang member in which Lugo and other defendants made statements.
Also in that Aug. 16 pleading, the prosecution said it had no information from a confidential informant, even though an informant, Luis Daniel Agosto, had been cooperating with law enforcement since Dec. 15, 2005, Goudie's motion states.
Assistant State Attorney Christine Brown said she couldn't have disclosed the existence of the informant and the tape recordings on Aug. 16 because such disclosures would have "destroyed" the criminal investigation that then was ongoing. Four days after the pleading, on Aug.
20, about 50 alleged gang members were arrested during what authorities described as a statewide meeting to discuss the organization's leadership. The gathering was at the Caribbean American Club in south Tampa.
"I'm not going to tolerate any false, misleading responses in this case from anybody," Sleet said.
But the judge added, "I'm not going to impose sanctions."
Brown said she has provided the defense four notebooks full of discovery material. As soon as she gets items, she said, she passes them on.
"Although she has provided voluminous amounts of discovery, it's all been late," Goudie countered.
All but four defendants have waived their right to a speedy trial. The four defendants who have not waived that right - William C.
Garcia, Jorge Montalvo Jr., Gabriel Madrigal and Mitchell Bernier - are scheduled for trial next week.
"I'm not going to tolerate any false, misleading
responses in this case from anybody.
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