Victor Emmanuel Lopez, Racketeering Conspiracy, Florida 2017
A notorious gang leader has been brought to justice in South Florida after pleading guilty to participating in a racketeering conspiracy.
Victor Emmanuel Lopez, 29, of Miami, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to conduct and participate in the affairs of the Almighty Imperial Gangsters Nation through a pattern of racketeering activity. Sentencing has been scheduled for January 31, 2017.
According to admissions made in connection with his plea, Lopez joined the Chicago-area chapter of the Almighty Imperial Gangsters Nation in approximately 2001 and received authorization to initiate a new chapter in South Florida. Lopez admitted that as the leader of the South Florida Imperial Gangsters, in 2006, he directed a fellow member to shoot into a vehicle, resulting in one person's death; in 2011, he ordered the murder of a witness in a state investigation against him; and in 2007, participated in a drive-by shooting of a suspected rival gang member in which he shot a bystander.
In addition, Lopez admitted that he and other members of the Almighty Imperial Gangsters Nation earned money for members and financed the gang's activities through trafficking in controlled substances, including cocaine, cocaine base, heroin, ecstasy, and marijuana.
The Almighty Imperial Gangsters Nation is a notorious gang with ties to the Chicago area and South Florida.
Lopez's guilty plea was announced by Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Anderson of the FBI's Chicago Division and Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI's Miami Division.
The case was investigated by the FBI's Miami and Chicago Field Offices, along with several local law enforcement agencies, including the Miami-Dade, Florida, Police Department and the City of Miami Police Department.
Victor Emmanuel Lopez will face sentencing on January 31, 2017.
Key Facts
- State: Federal
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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