Detroit One Collaboration Leads To Additional Arrests And Indictments Of Violent Gang Members In Southwest Detroit

Three alleged members of the Latin Counts violent street gang were charged by a federal grand jury today with murder occurring in southwest Detroit, U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade announced today.

Joining McQuade in the announcement were Special Agent in Charge Paul M. Abbate, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division and Chief James Craig, Detroit Police Department. 

The charges were added to a pending indictment charging nine other individuals with crimes including assault, murder, selling illegal narcotics and stolen firearms, breaking and entering into residential homes and businesses and robbery. 

The case was investigated by the Detroit One partnership of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.

The new charges allege that multiple members of Latin Counts shot two men, killing one of the victims in August of 2013.

The gang allegedly operates in southwest Detroit, Lincoln Park and Ecorse.  According to the indictment, the gang actively uses violence to stake out its “turf” and intimidate rival gang members and the residents of southwest Detroit. 

Several incidents of violence were charged in a five-count indictment against seven Latin Count gang members in August.  The most serious of these incidents involved the killing of a man at the Big Apple Market in southwest Detroit on April 18, 2014.  According to that indictment, several Latin Count members jumped out of vehicles and assaulted the victim  until one member shot and killed him. 

Under the Detroit One Initiative, and through the lead efforts of the Detroit Police Department and the FBI Violent Crime Task Force, which consists of representatives of Homeland Security Investigations, Detroit Police Department, Lincoln Park Police Department, Michigan Department of Corrections and Michigan State Police, investigators were able to bring together separate probes into various members of this organization and its activities into one encompassing investigation.  Through this collaborative effort, law enforcement has been able to identify members of this organization and charge a total of fourteen individuals in multiple indictments in federal court. 

"The Detroit One partnership has dealt a strong blow to the Latin Counts," McQuade said. "Removing violent street gangs from our neighborhoods is important to improving public safety."

Among those charged today are:

• Jonathan Estrada, 25, of Lincoln Park, charged with murder in aid of racketeering, use and carry of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence causing death, use and carry of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering;



• Jesus Rodriguez, 21, of Lincoln Park, charged with murder in aid of racketeering, use and carry of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence causing death, use and carry of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering;



• Angel Rodriguez, 21, of Lincoln Park, charged with murder in aid of racketeering, use and carry of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence causing death, use and carry of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering; and



• Kyle Voltz, 25, of Lincoln Park, charged with murder in aid of racketeering, use and carry of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence causing death, use and carry of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  Every defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government's burden to prove guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Detroit One is a collaborative effort between law enforcement and the community to reduce homicide and other violent crime in Detroit.  By working collaboratively, local, state and federal law enforcement officials are striving to maximize their ability to identify and arrest the individuals and groups initiating the violence in Detroit.