Gang Members Face Prison For Racketeering In NC

MS-13 Activities Range From Robbery To Murder, Prosecutors Say

POSTED: 4:54 pm EST March 4, 2011

 

CHARLOTTE -- Seven members of a feared gang with international reach have been sentenced for racketeering activities in Piedmont North Carolina. U.S. Attorney Anne Tompkins announced Friday that the men were sentenced to prison terms ranging from six to nearly 27 years. The seven are members of the gang known as Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13. Originally based in El Salvador, the gang has spread to dozens of U.S. cities and states. Six of the defendants were convicted in 2010 on racketeering charges for criminal activities in Charlotte and Greensboro. A seventh man pleaded guilty to racketeering charges in 2009. Prosecutors said MS-13's activities in North Carolina ranged from robbery and extortion to drug dealing and murder.