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May 12, 2008 4:22 pm US/Central
Three "Texas Syndicate' Members Make Plea Deal
DALLAS (CBS 11 News) ―
Three 'Texas Syndicate' gang members made plea agreements on Monday and avoided going to trial. The men had faced racketeering charges and were also accused of running a drug operation and having a hand in a dozen murders.
David Gutierrez and Marco Medina agreed to having committed one count of conspiracy in a criminal enterprise, which included the performance of a murder. A third defendant, Daniel Arredondo, also agreed to a plea deal. Details of the last agreement haven't been released.
After the plea deals were reached U.S. Attorney Richard Roper said, "The Texas Syndicate has been a well-structured prison gang for the last 30 years. These convictions essentially halt the operations of the senior leadership of this violent prison gang."
Last year 14 members of the Texas Syndicate prison gang were indicted for federal racketeering. According to the indictment the gang members are responsible for murders, attempted murders, conspiracies to commit murder, robbery, drug trafficking, and other crimes in North Texas and other areas.
Security had been increased in anticipation of a trial, since the gang has a history of allegedly intimidating or even killing witnesses.
Daniel Arredondo is the older brother of Roy Arredondo Jr. who the U.S. Attorney's Office identified as the 'boss of bosses' in the conspiracy. Roy Arredondo Jr., who was charged in connection with four murders, has already pled guilty.
Eleven other Texas Syndicate members who have pleaded guilty are implicated in 10 local murders.
Federal officials say the Texas Syndicate is a violent gang that developed behind bars in the 1970's and is a dominant prison gang in the state.
In 2004 an expert on the Texas Syndicate for the prison system's office of inspector general told CBS 11 News that if the prison gang moved into a local city or town it would mean, "That your crime rate is going to go up. You find that although the number of them is small, as a group they are committing or involved in most of the crimes."
That same year 38-year-old Ruben Palacios, an ex-Texas Syndicate gang member, told CBS 11 News that, "To enter you give them your life. To get out you owe them your life. So it's blood in, blood out."
The thousands of Texas Syndicate members can be recognized from their gang tattoo of the block T & S.
According to last year's indictment the conspiracy began in the mid-1990's. Between October of 1999 and September of 2004 the defendants are accused of committing 12 murders and several attempted murders - two in the Rio Grand Valley and the others in the Dallas area.
All of the Texas Syndicate members indicted in 2007 were charged with violation of the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organization (RICO) statute. Officials say the statutes were originally designed to prosecute mafia members but are now being used in pursuit of gang and drug organizations.
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