complete disregard for the law
There’s a small commmunity in northwest Hillsborough County called Keystone, so it’s completely unfair of you to suggest that Keystone Cops are rampant throughout the entire county.
So we’ll just say that we sure have some really, really stupid law enforcement officers throughout the area. A judge has tossed out charges against the Latin Kings. Sometimes you hear of police officers convincing a bad guy to do something illegal, and then arresting him. That is against the law, and is sometimes known as “entrapment.” It sounds like our local cops tried some sort of Super-Duper Special Forces Entrapment. From the Tribune Story:
In December 2005, [Luis “Danny”] Agosto was in jail, charged with armed burglary and grand theft of a motor vehicle. Agosto had a long record with multiple felony convictions and he was worried about a long prison sentence, according to court testimony and Sleet’s written order.
Tampa police and the FBI investigators asked him to help look into possible drug and gun activity within the Tampa Latin Kings gang. In exchange, they dropped the burglary charge and gave Agosto 10 years’ probation for the theft charge.
He also was given a rent-free apartment, a cell phone, $2,400 a month for living expenses and the promise of a $100,000 bonus upon conviction of Latin King members.
The Tampa division of the Latin Kings gang, however, had been dormant since August 2005, according to Sleet’s order. Therefore, Sleet wrote, Agosto was “employed” by law enforcement to get the gang back together. Agosto started to hold meetings of gang members with required attendance.
On Aug. 20, 2006, Agosto gathered 39 purported members of the Latin Kings at a Tampa meeting hall. All were threatened with beatings if they did not attend.
Six law enforcement agencies raided the meeting and all were arrested…
Now come on. Anyone who has seen even their first cop movie knows that you can get the bad guy to snitch on his peeps to reduce his sentence. But having the guy round up all his buddies for some gimmicky bullsh*t reason dreamed up by the cops? Not allowed.
Your Men In Blue just plodded forward, and soiled themselves bragging to the national media about the 39 gang members arrested. And the judge is pissed. He chastises law enforcement:
“This court finds that law enforcement’s conduct, by and through [the confidential informant], was so outrageous toward those defendants … as to violate the Florida Due Process Clause,” Sleet wrote. “Dismissal is an extreme sanction; however an extreme sanction is warranted to punish extreme conduct.”
Keystone is gonna want their own cops.
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April 8th, 2008 at 10:50 am
I’d like someone to explain how the actions of law enforcement in this matter were not criminal facilitation. It almost appears as though LEA was not only committing entrapment but also complicit in the extortions and other criminal acts perpetrated by Agosto while he was on their payroll and under their protection. RICO anyone?
April 8th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
The Judge didn’t release all the so called Latin Kings and I don’t think that is right.
It was intrapment ALL the way around with all of them.
April 8th, 2008 at 10:44 pm
I know a kid in the hillsborough county jail, that was caught up in this thing. I hate to say it, but he’s a bad kid. Real bad.
April 8th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
Let us be real… all these boys should be home now. I don’t understand how a court of law could trust a man to tell the truth with 19 felonies already under his belt. This is crazy… Good luck to the other six. Hope to see them home soon.
April 9th, 2008 at 8:45 am
My family and my car was involved with the Latin Kings gang inititation several years back, they stole my car. They attempted once got interrupted and came back a week later and got it. Then sent word not to say anything about the gang or they would burn our home. The gang was finally rounded up in that area about 3 weeks later and my car was on a river bank. We did not live in a bad area but they where there. These “kids” may have been wrongfully picked up but I’m sure they are not saints if they where in this gang. Cops sometimes get so frustrated they will try anything. My car was the 50th stolen over a period of 3 months back then, the cops had to “get all the ducks in a row” as they put it before they could charge them and hold them. 50 cars before they got busted and the entire time the cops knew it was them.
April 9th, 2008 at 9:14 am
Frustrating as it may be, law enforcement still must walk what may be a thin, but very definite line. They absolutely must err on the proper side of what is legal. I don’t dispute that these persons may be deserving of prosecution of some crime or another, but justice is now delayed and the actions and reputation of good officers are now tainted by this inappropriate sting. That some crimes possibly go unpunished is the price we must pay to enjoy freedom from an overreaching, oppressive police state.
April 9th, 2008 at 9:34 am
who cares how they got locked up, so long as that scum is out of my neighborhood.
April 9th, 2008 at 10:12 am
Read the article, most of the charges were thrown out. We should definitely care how they got locked up so they stay locked up if they deserve to be.
April 9th, 2008 at 11:48 am
i certainly agree with WP. but i gotta say, the kid i know, i wish he wasnt getting out of jail. worst thing about it, he will be a hero to other neighborhood kids.
April 9th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
maybe some ‘untimely” incedent will befall them during their incarceration like Martin Lee Anderson. Granted the state might have to settle a few lawsuits, but one should look at that as a long term investment that yields returns.