ATF / DEA / FBI and Albany (NY) Police Department

From March 29, 2003 through Feb. 28, 2006, Albany Police Department responded to 40 shooting incidents, including 8 gang-related attempted murders. At the shooting scenes, officers collected spent ammunition fired from 6 separate firearms. Subsequently, Albany Police Department arrested one Jungle Junkies Gang member for unlawful possession of a 40 cal pistol and later, another Jungle Junkies Gang member for unlawful possession of a 9mm pistol. Using NIBIN, New York State Police Forensic Lab was able to link the .40 caliber pistol to 4 of the shootings, including the attempted murders of 3 OGK Gang members; and the 9mm pistol to 4 additional shootings, including the attempted murders of 2 OGK Gang members. In response to the violence, ATF, FBI, DEA, Albany Police Department, and the US Attorney’s Office formed a task force and initiated a RICO investigation of the Jungle Junkies Gang, an armed drug trafficking organization that was suspected to have committed several homicides and numerous assaults in Albany and the Capital District Region. Ultimately, task force officers executed 2 search warrants and arrested 30 defendants. In furtherance of the RICO prosecution, and in addition to drug trafficking and firearms crimes, federal prosecutors charged all 8 attempted murders as RICO crimes. From Oct. 2006 to Jan 2009, following guilty pleas, 29 of the 30 defendants pled guilty. The 30^th defendant was convicted by a trial jury. Sentencing for the defendants ranged up to 15 years imprisonment.

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