Ex-lowell gang leader guilty of racketeering

Boston » A former leader of the Lowell Chapter of the Massachusetts Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (“Latin Kings”) pleaded guilty Thursday to racketeering charges.

Alfred Nieves, a/k/a “King Alfy,” 33, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conducting enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel scheduled sentencing for July 21.

The Latin Kings are a violent criminal enterprise comprised of thousands of members across the United States. As alleged in court documents, the gang uses drug distribution to generate revenue, and engages in violence against witnesses and rival gangs to further its influence and to protect its turf.

As stated during the plea hearing, Nieves served as the Inca, or leader, of the Lowell Chapter of the Latin Kings. During the course of the conspiracy in June 2019, Nieves requested permission from the state and regional leadership of the gang to assault a relative of a Latin Kings member. Separately, in 2017, Nieves admitted to sending a coded message to a Latin King member in the Massachusetts prison system directing violence to be taken against a certain individual who was also incarcerated. The coded message was intercepted and deciphered by investigators.

In December 2019, a federal grand jury returned an indictment alleging racketeering conspiracy, drug conspiracy and firearms charges against 62 leaders, members and associates of the Latin Kings. Nieves is the 44 th defendant to plead guilty in