Latin Kings Member Sentenced to Life in Prison for
Racketeering Conspiracy, Murder, Robbery and Gun Offenses

WASHINGTON - Chinua Shepperson, aka “Nu,” “NuNu” and “King Nu,” 28, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today in Greenbelt, Md., by U.S. District Judge Alexander Williams to life plus 10 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise known as the Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (Latin Kings), murder in aid of racketeering, robbery, using a gun during a crime of violence and murder resulting from use of a gun during a crime of violence. 

The sentence was announced by Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Theresa R. Stoop of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Baltimore Field Division; Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County, Md., Police Department; Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy; Interim Chief Mark Magaw of the Prince George’s County, Md., Police Department; and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Angela Alsobrooks.

According to court documents, the Latin Kings is a violent street gang with thousands of members across the country and overseas.  The Latin Kings have a detailed and uniform organizational structure, which is outlined – along with various “prayers,” codes of behavior and rituals – in a written “manifesto” widely distributed to members throughout the country.  Members of the Latin Kings are also traditionally given “King Names” or “Queen Names,” which are names other than their legal names by which they are known to members of the gang and to others.  At the local level, groups of Latin Kings are organized into “tribes,” including the Royal Lion Tribe, MOG, Sun Tribe and UTL.   

According to evidence presented during Shepperson’s two-week trial, Shepperson conspired with other Latin Kings members to engage in gang activities from a date unknown until November 2009.  Specifically, according to evidence presented at trial, Shepperson and other gang members participated in the armed robbery of a prostitute at a motel in Laurel, Md., on Dec. 14, 2007.  In addition, evidence at trial showed that on April 25, 2008, Shepperson conspired with other gang members to rob John Realpe Montoya of cocaine and fatally shot him several times in the head, behind the Marylander Condominiums in Langely Park, Md.  Shepperson was convicted at trial on March 14, 2011.    

All 18 co-defendants previously pleaded guilty to the racketeering conspiracy.

The ATF-led Regional Anti-Gang Enforcement (RAGE) Task Force, which includes the Gaithersburg, Md., Police Department; the Montgomery County Department of Police; the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office; the Prince George’s County Police Department; the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office; the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office; the Maryland National Capital Park Police - Prince George’s County Division; and the Maryland State Police; s well as the New York City Police Department , the U.S. Secret Service and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation provided assistance in the investigation and prosecution.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Glatfelter and David Salem, and Trial Attorney Lara M. Peirce with the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section.