<![CDATA[Extortion - Law Offices of William W. Bruzzo]]> https://www.bruzzolaw.com/blog/tags/extortion/ Tue, 15 Oct 2024 00:45:39 GMT en-us <![CDATA[Mexican Mafia Operating in Orange County]]> https://www.bruzzolaw.com/blog/mexican-mafia-operating-in-orange-county/ https://www.bruzzolaw.com/blog/mexican-mafia-operating-in-orange-county/ Fri, 06 Dec 2013 22:13:00 GMT In a combined effort with three agencies, several alleged members of the Mexican Mafia and other gangs were arrested and charged in September of 2013 in Orange County according to the Los Angeles Times. A two and a half year long investigation by FBI agents, Orange County Sheriff’s detectives, Santa Ana police department and the Orange…

]]> In a combined effort with three agencies, several alleged members of the Mexican Mafia and other gangs were arrested and charged in September of 2013 in Orange County according to the Los Angeles Times.

A two and a half year long investigation by FBI agents, Orange County Sheriff’s detectives, Santa Ana police department and the Orange County district attorney’s office resulted in federal and state indictments of 129 people.

There were 55 arrests along with seizures of weapons and drugs. The charges were for extortion, racketeering, and drug dealing. Officials released some details regarding the type of criminal activities the gang members were supposedly involved in. Some were said to have been dealing drugs in the jail or involved in beatings of gang member inmates.

The district attorney’s offices explained that these crimes were ordered by the Mexican Mafia. In the streets of Orange County, the Mexican Mafia ordered gangs to be taxed in order to operate in neighborhoods. The investigation, called Operation Smokin’ Aces, uncovered communications dealings with heroin trafficking and orders for beatings.

]]> <![CDATA[Suspect in Natalie Holloway Case Facing Murder Charge in Peru]]> https://www.bruzzolaw.com/blog/suspect-in-natalie-holloway-case-facing-murder-charge-in-peru/ https://www.bruzzolaw.com/blog/suspect-in-natalie-holloway-case-facing-murder-charge-in-peru/ Thu, 31 Mar 2011 20:54:00 GMT The FBI was scheduled to fly to Peru in order to investigate Joran van der Sloot’s laptop. They will be looking for any evidence connected to the Natalee Holloway case from 2005. Ms. Holloway was found murdered on the island of Aruba during her spring break; her killer has never been found but Mr. van…

]]> The FBI was scheduled to fly to Peru in order to investigate Joran van der Sloot’s laptop. They will be looking for any evidence connected to the Natalee Holloway case from 2005. Ms. Holloway was found murdered on the island of Aruba during her spring break; her killer has never been found but Mr. van der Sloot was a suspect. In Peru, van der Sloot is being accused of first degree murder and robbery involving the death of Stephany Flores in 2009. The suspect met Flores in a hotel in Lima at a gambling table. He has confessed to the killing but refuses to plead guilty to first degree murder. His defense attorney Maximo Alvarez explained that there was no premeditation by his client, and that the incident was out of “violent emotion” as quoted by CNN. Under Peruvian law van der Sloot could plead guilty to a lesser charge, similar to a manslaughter charge. The crime of passion type charge carries 3-5 years in prison in Peru. The Dutch national confessed to killing Flores after she was prying online on his laptop and found his connection to the Holloway case. He said she hit him in the head, and during the incident he elbowed her in the eye, strangled her with his hands and in the end used his shirt to cover her face until she stopped breathing. He then fled to Chile where he was captured by authorities. Van der Sloot faces charges in the US for extortion and wire fraud. Authorities explain that he had asked Holloway’s parents for money in exchange for the location of their daughter’s body. That information turned out to be false.

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