East Bay dragnet:
Gang crackdown nets eight arrests
A 16-month investigation led to the arrests of eight members of a notorious Bay Area gang who are facing a slew of charges, including conspiracy to commit murder, seconddegree burglary, engaging in pimping and intimidating a witness, prosecutors said Wednesday.
Seven members of the Broad Day Klap gang were arrested in the Bay Area and one in Jackson, Miss., on Oct. 27 after investigators conducted 11 simultaneous search warrants and multiple prison searches, Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton said at a news conference in Martinez.
The suspects appeared in a Contra Costa County court Wednesday for arraignment and are being held at the Martinez Detention Facility.
“These gangs need to start looking over their shoulders. We are determined to make sure we bring as much pain as we can to these gangs and make sure they are put out of business permanently,” said Jack Bennett, special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Francisco field office.
While executing the search warrants, investigators recovered several firearms, including a fully automatic Glock pistol, empty gun magazines, ammunition, over 11 pounds marijuana and gang paraphernalia, Becton said.
The Broad Day Klap gang has been in the Bay Area, mostly in Pittsburg, for about two decades and has evolved over the years, said Pittsburg Police Chief Brian Addington. The gang’s name is derived from its preference to commit crimes in broad daylight and the clap a gun makes when fired, officials said.
“We believe this is one of the most violent gangs in our jurisdiction,” Addington said.
One of the defendants, Giovante Boyd, 22, of Pittsburg, is charged with murder stemming from a March 5 drive-by shooting in Pittsburg in which a 45-year-old man was killed, Addington said.
Boyd allegedly hid a gun under his vehicle, but found it missing when he went to retrieve it, Addington said. He confronted an individual he thought had his gun, but that person denied taking it, Addington said. Boyd returned several hours later and shot at the individual’s car, killing his passenger, the chief said.
Boyd, according to authorities, was arrested in Jackson, Miss.
Other arrested were Darnell Keyon Lash, 24; Ezell Tommy Jenkins, 19; Dasheid Keyonta Lash, 21; D’Vance Jaquez Sumblin, 20; Lester Gene Curry, 21; Larry Darnell Goines Jr., 32; and Javell Cooksey, 19. They were all charged with conspiracy to commit murder, pimping and second-degree burglary, street terrorism and possession of a loaded firearm.
Jenkins also faces a charge of dissuading a witness by using force or threats.
“We believe this is one of the most violent gangs in our jurisdiction.” Brian Addington, Pittsburg police chief
The gang had been investigated for 16 months, and authorities said several killings were prevented during the probe. One includes an incident where police intervened before the suspects could kill an individual, who was not identified, in Pittsburg.
“We finally went to that individual and said, ‘Look, this gang is trying to kill you,’ ” Addington said.
The individual relocated out of the county, but rejected recommendations by police to enter a witness protection program.
Officials said the investigation is ongoing and they expect the arrests of 26 additional suspects.
Law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation include the Pittsburg, El Cerrito, San Pablo, Concord and Richmond police departments, the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, the San Francisco Police Department’s SWAT team, the Contra Costa County Probation Department, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the California Highway Patrol.
“We will not stop,” Bennett said. “Our message today is clear: Those who believe they are above the law and participate in this type of behavior and endangers the safety of these communities, they will be stopped, and they will be brought to justice.”