North Carolina residents might feel a little safer now after the authorities conducted the largest gang sweep ever in the state. Federal indictments named 83 people, and many of them were taken into custody on May 18. The suspects are all alleged members of the United Blood Nation, related to the infamous Bloods from California. The sweep targeted a sect of the UBN known as Nine Trey Gangsters. Some of the crimes listed in the indictment range back to 2010 and include homicides, firearms and drug trafficking, bank fraud and robbery.
Fifty people were detained on May 18, with 25 people found in Charlotte, 14 in Cleveland County and four in Anson County. Suspected gang members were also in South Carolina, Florida and New York. Even small towns like Shelby and Concord can have a big gang presence, and the gang also reportedly exists in Chapel Hill. Hundreds of officers from more than a dozen law enforcement agencies were needed to investigate and catch the suspected gang members.
Some of those charged in the indictment were already in prison. Those behind bars are said to be the people who run gang operations. The UBN formed in 1993 at Riker’s Island and spread south. The group has 31 rules of conduct, member rankings, membership requirements and codes for communication.
Felonies for violent crimes or drug charges could come with serious consequences like prison time, so one suspected of or charged with a crime may need the help of a criminal defense attorney. In some cases, an attorney might be able to plea bargain in order to get some charges dropped. In other cases, it may be best to fight all charges. An attorney might look at the validity of any evidence when determining possible courses of action.
