Diamond Bar Man Arrested on Racketeering Charges

A Diamond Bar man was among 10 arrested today following a two-year investigation of alleged gang-related crimes in the city of Montebello.

Samuel Lopez, 28, was one of 13 defendants named in a 68-page, 24-count racketeering indictment that also alleges federal narcotics and weapons crimes, according to a U.S. Department of Justice news release.

Those facing racketeering charges could get a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison if they are convicted, authorities said. Today’s arrests are the result of a joint Operation Sudden Impact task force investigation into alleged gang-related activities and led to state and federal prosecutors filing a series of criminal cases, including the federal racketeering indictment and charges related to six murders.

So far, 38 people have been charged in the investigation, 20 by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office and 18 by federal prosecutors. The investigation was born out of a string of “cold case” murders, including one in which an alleged gang member is accused of fatally shooting a man and his 12-year-old son in June 2008.

During the investigation, law enforcement officers observed around 20 controlled purchases of methamphetamine, drug deals that are the basis for the federal racketeering case. Investigators seized nearly one pound of the drug allegedly purchased from suspected gang members and associates.

The federal indictment also alleges that two suspected gang members sold drugs and fully automatic guns to an undercover operative last November, resulting in the seizure of a non-operational, rocket-propelled grenade launcher, authorities said.

 “Today’s arrests are the result of really good police work and collaboration among federal, state and local agencies,” said Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey in a statement. “They represent a victory for law enforcement. But more importantly they represent a win for the residents of the City of Montebello and adjacent communities who have been terrorized by escalating gang violence.”

The Operation Sudden Impact task force includes the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Montebello Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Special Services Unit.

“These arrests will make a significant impact on a Montebello street gang that has not only terrorized the City of Montebello, but also the surrounding communities,” said Montebello Police Chief Kevin L. McClure.