Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

HAMMOND-Mark Toney, 41, of Schererville, Indiana, and a member of the Chicago-based Latin Kings street gang, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Philip P. Simon to 87 months in prison and 2 years of supervised release following his guilty plea to conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.

According to documents in the case, Toney was a member of the Latin Kings street gang for most of his adult life, including being a local leader of Hammond Latin Kings for a period of time. He possessed firearms, ordered other members to shoot at rivals, and sold cocaine and marijuana as a member of the gang. Factors affecting Toney’s sentence were his leadership role and his involvement in the distribution of between 3.5 and 5 kilograms of cocaine by the Latin Kings.

This case is the result of the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the East Chicago Police Department, the Gary Police Department, the Hammond Police Department, the Lake County, Indiana, Sheriff’s Department and Lake County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area officers and agents. The Lake County Prosecutor’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Illinois, also provided assistance. The Latin King case is being prosecuted by Northern District of Indiana Assistant U.S. Attorneys David J. Nozick and Nicholas J. Padilla.

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