BOSTON, MA — Luis Mendez, also known as ‘King Primo,’ was sentenced to 100 months in prison for his role in a racketeering conspiracy involving the New Bedford Chapter of the Massachusetts Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (Latin Kings).
Mendez, 41, pleaded guilty on November 3, 2021, to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, also known as RICO conspiracy. This charge carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.
The Latin Kings are a violent criminal enterprise with thousands of members across the United States. The organization uses a sophisticated system of communication to maintain its hierarchy and employs an internal judiciary to govern its members. Members of the Latin Kings use drug distribution to generate revenue and engage in violence against witnesses and rival gangs to further their influence and protect their turf.
Mendez was a member of the New Bedford Chapter of the Latin Kings and participated in the drug distribution activities that took place in multi-unit apartment buildings, known as ‘trap houses,’ controlled by the Latin Kings in the northern section of New Bedford. Multiple search warrants executed by the New Bedford Police Department targeted locations where Mendez resided, and drugs were seized as a result.
Mendez was also present during a group assault in a garage in December 2018, where co-defendant Michael Cotto, also known as ‘King Gordo,’ was captured participating in the assault and observed striking the victim with a baseball bat. Mendez also participated in a shooting of two victims in May 2018, where multiple Latin Kings members chased the victims to a vehicle, surrounded the vehicle, and slashed its tires. Another Latin Kings member then fired gunshots at the victims, striking them. Both victims fled in the vehicle and survived.
Mendez admitted that the victims were targeted because one of them previously objected to Latin Kings members conducting drug transactions in the victim’s driveway. Following the shooting, Mendez discussed the incident on a court-authorized wiretap and advised the shooter that the victims would not be coming to court due to the efforts of the Latin Kings to intimidate them.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Massachusetts Department of Correction, and the New Bedford Police Department made the announcement. Valuable assistance was also provided by the FBI North Shore Gang Task Force and the Bristol County and Suffolk County District Attorney’s Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation, which identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
Related Federal Cases
- Viviane Cazeau, Bank Fraud Scheme, Massachusetts, 2023 · New Hampshire
- Sergio Hernandez, Conspiracy to Distribute Crack Cocaine, Worcester… · Puerto Rico
- George Noonan, Cocaine Distribution Conspiracy, Portland ME, 2023 · Massachusetts
- Cedric Cromwell, Major Drug Trafficking, Massachusetts, 2020 · Massachusetts
- Kenyada Spates, Conspiracy to Make False Claims, Euclid OH, 2023 · Kentucky
Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Category: Organized Crime|Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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