>>> STEPHANIE BARRY REPORTS ON ORGANIZED CRIME FOR THE
SPRINGFIELD REPUBLICAN NEWSPAPER.
SHE JOINED ME IN THE STUDIO TO DISCUSS THE LATEST NEWS ABOUT AN
INVESTIGATION OF MEMBERS OF THE SPRINGFIELD POLICE DEPARTMENT
AND THE LATIN KINGS GANG, WHICH FEDERAL PROSECUTORS ALLEGE WAS
LED BY A SPRINGFIELD RESIDENT.
>> THE LATIN KINGS HAVE, IT'S ENDED AND FLOWED, BUT THEY'VE
HAD A PRETTY STEADY PRESENCE IN HOLYOKE AND SPRINGFIELD.
THE INDICTMENT ON DECEMBER 5 WAS A CRIPPLING BLOW TO AT LEAST
THIS REGION.
THERE WERE MORE THAN 60 ARRESTS STATEWIDE.
THEY'RE ALL CHARGED WITH RACKETEERING, WHICH IS A VERY
SERIOUS CHARGE.
AND THE HEAD OF THE EAST COAST LATIN KINGS, A SPRINGFIELD MAN,
NAMED MICHAEL CHECKATELLI, 40 YEARS OLD, HE HAS A HISTORY WITH
THE LATIN KINGS AND PREVIOUS CONVICTIONS.
>> SO ARRESTS WERE MADE STATEWIDE.
BUT HERE IN SPRINGFIELD MR.
CHECKATELLI, HOW AND WHY DID THIS HAPPEN NOW?
>> HE PLED GUILTY TO A FIREARMS CHARGE IN 2005, AND WAS
SENTENCED TO THREE YEARS IN 2006 IN FEDERAL COURT IN SPRINGFIELD,
AND PROMISED TO CLEAN UP HIS ACT.
HE GETS OUT OF PRISON IN 2009, I CAN'T SPEAK TO HIS MONTHLY OR
DAILY ACTIVITIES BETWEEN THEN AND NOW, BUT CLEARLY ALL HE'S
DONE IS ASCEND HIGHER UP THE CHAIN FOR THE LATIN KINGS, AND
NOW ACCORDING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT IS THE HEAD OF THE ENTIRE EAST
COAST.
I THINK THEY CALL HIM THE SUPREME EAST COAST REGIONAL
COORDINATOR.
>> AND HIS GANG NAME ACCORDING TO AUTHORITIES AGAIN IS KING
MERLIN, RIGHT?
>> RIGHT.
>> SO IN TERMS OF HIS INVOLVEMENT, HE'S AN ITALIAN
AMERICAN, AND THE LATIN KINGS IS PRIMARILY MADE UP OF LATIN
AMERICAN PEOPLE AND HISPANIC AMERICAN PEOPLE.
HAS LAW ENFORCEMENT SAID WHY THEY BELIEVE HE IS RUNNING,ING
ALLEGEDLY, THIS GANG?
>> THEY HAVE NOT SPOKEN TO THAT, BUT IT IS PUZZLING TO THOSE OF
US BOTH IN THE MEDIA AND LAW ENFORCEMENT.
I DON'T HAVE A CLEAR ANSWER FOR YOU, AND I'M NOT SURE FRANKLY
WHETHER HE IS OF MIXED HERITAGE.
BUT I DO KNOW FROM OUR CLIPS THAT WHEN HE WAS A YOUNG MAN IN
THE 90'S HE WOULD COME OUT TO STANDOUTS OR LATIN KINGS'
RIGHTS, FOR INSTANCE DON'T DISCRIMINATE AGAINST THE LATIN
KINGS AND LATIN PEOPLE.
BUT HE, ACCORDING TO THE F.B.I., IS UNEQUIVOCALLY A SHOT CALLER
FOR THE REGION.
>> WHAT TYPE OF ACTIVITIES WERE THEY INVOLVED IN IN THIS REGION?
WHAT TYPE OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES ARE BEING ALLEGED BY THE
GOVERNMENT?
>> WELL, ALLEGEDLY, IT WAS MURDER, YOU KNOW, HITS ON
RIVALS.
ASSAULTS, DRUG TRAFFICKING, HOL- HOME INVASIONS.
THESE ARE ALL ALLEGATIONS AT THIS POINT, BUT SERIOUS CRIMINAL
ACTIVITY ACCORDING TO THE F.B.I.
>> NOW IN ANOTHER DEVELOPMENT THAT YOU'VE BEEN REPORTING ON,
MAYOR SARNO HAS STEPPED UP AND SAYS HE DOES NOT INTEND TO RENEW
A LICKER AND ENTERTAINMENT LICENSE FOR A CLUB KNOWN AS THE
MOUNT CARMEL SOCIETY, A WELL-KNOWN SOCIAL CLUB IN THE
AREA AND FREQUENTED BY ITALIAN AMERICAN PEOPLE.
BUT AS YOU SAY IN YOUR REPORTING, ALSO WAS A LONG KNOWN
HAUNT OF SOME CRIMINALS.
WHY IS MAYOR SARNO NOW SAYING THAT HE'S GOING TO PULL THIS
LICENSE?
>> I THINK YOU'D HAVE TO ASK HIM THAT QUESTION.
BUT I THINK IT MAY HAVE BEEN A THORN IN HIS SIDE FOR SOME TIME.
AND WHEN HE RELEASED A STATEMENT, HE INDICATED THAT HE
HAD GOTTEN A LOT OF HIS ITALIAN AMERICAN CONSTITUENTS, FAMILY
MEMBERS, FRIENDS, WHO HAD BEEN APPROACHING HIM, HE SAYS, WITH
DISGUST OVER THE KIND OF DOWNFALL, THE DETERIORATION OF
THE CLUB, AND WHAT THE FOUNDERS INTENDED IT TO BE.
>> AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ALLEGES THAT THEY HAVE AUDIO
TIMES OF CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS TAKING PLACE RELATED TO THE
LATIN KINGS AT THAT CLUB RECENTLY, RIGHT?
>> YES, OVER THE PAST YEAR.
ONE IN FEBRUARY AND ONE IN JUNE, AND THEY HAD AN EMBEDDED MEMBER
OF THE LATIN KINGS WHO WAS WIRED UP FOR A LONG TIME.
I THINK IT WAS A REALLY IMPORTANT FACTOR IN THIS
INVESTIGATION.
SO VIA THAT WAY THEY WERE ABLE TO RECORD THESE MEETINGS AT THE
MOUND CARMEL SOCIETY.
>> AND WHAT'S NEXT FOR THIS CASE?
>> THERE HAVE BEEN A SLEW OF DETENTION HEARINGS, A LOT OF
THEM WON'T GET OUT ON BAIL.
IT'S JUST GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE ITS WAY THROUGH THE FEDERAL
SYSTEM.
THERE MAY BE PLEAS, SOME PEOPLE MAY GO TO TRIAL.
TYPICALLY IF SOMETHING IS THIS LARGE, WITH THIS MANY
DEFENDANTS, ULTIMATELY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL TRY TO
REACH WHAT'S CALLED A GLOBAL PLEA, FOR ALL OF THE KEY
DEFENDANTS, AND THAT'S USUALLY A REALLY DIFFICULT ARDUOUS PATH.
>> ANOTHER STORY YOU'VE BEEN FOLLOWING RELATED TO THE
SPRINGFIELD PLACE, YOU RECENTLY REPORTED THAT STEVE VIGNAL, A
FORMER SPRINGFIELD POLICE OFFICER, THAT HIS ATTORNEY HAS
COME BACK TO COURT AND ASKED THE JUDGE TO DISMISS A CHARGE
AGAINST HIM.
WHY?
>> SO, AS THEY NEAR TRIAL, I MEAN THESE FLURRIES OF MOTIONS
WILL KIND OF INTENSIFY.
>> BECAUSE HIS TRIAL IS EXPECTED TO HAPPEN THIS SPRING, ALONG
WITH ANOTHER OFFICER NAMED IN THE CASE.
>> CORRECT.
INITIALLY THEY WERE CHARGED AS CODEFENDANTS, BUT HIS ATTORNEY
FILED A MOTION TO SEVER, WHICH THE JUDGE GRANTED, SO NOW THOSE
TRIALS WILL BE SEPARATE.
THERE'S NOT A DATE YET FOR EITHER.
BUT SO SEAN ALLEN, BIGNALS ATTORNEY, HIS ARGUMENT IS
MULTILAYERED.
HE ARGUES THAT BIGNAL STARTED AS A GOVERNMENT WITNESS AND WAS
TREATED AS SUCH, SO ALLEN ARGUES THE GOVERNMENT DUPED BIGNAL INTO
THINKING HE'S ON TEAM U.S.A., AND THEN SUDDENLY ANOTHER
WITNESS COMES FORWARD AND HE BECOMES A TARGET.
AFTER A COUPLE OF YEARS OF BEING UNDER THE IMFLAKES HE WAS A
WITNESS FOR THE G. ALSO SEAN ALLEN HAS TAKEN A LOT
OF SHOTS AT THE OTHER WITNESSES AGAINST HIM NOW, WITHIN THE
POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND IT'S KIND OF TOO COMPLICATED TO GO OVER
THEM ONE BY ONE.
SO HE'S ARGUING THE GOVERNMENT DID HIM WRONG, AND HIS FORMER
COLLEAGUES TURNED ON HIM AND ARE LYING TO SAVE THEMSELVES.
>> AND IN A RELATED ISSUE TO THIS, YOU'VE ALSO REPORTED
RECENTLY THAT POLICE COMMISSIONER CLAPPROOD HAS, GAVE
TESTIMONY IN A DEPOSITION DURING WHICH SHE SAID OFFICER CORMIER
REMAINED ON THE PAYROLL BECAUSE HE'S A KEY PROSECUTION WITNESS
IN UPCOMING TRIALS.
WHY IS THAT SIGNIFICANT?
>> I READ THAT DEPOSITION TESTIMONY, AND I THINK SHE TRULY
BELIEVED THAT WAS THE CASE.
SECONDLY, SO WHEN THE F.B.I.
CIRCLED BACK WHEN I REPORTED THAT STORY, I DON'T THINK IT
MADE THEM TERRIBLY HAPPY, SO THEY CIRCLED BACK WITH A DEPUTY
CHIEF AND COMMISSIONER CLAPPROOD.
AND SHE SAID THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT NEVER TOLD ME TO KEEP
LUKE ON THE PAYROLL.
THAT'S PROBABLY PERFECTLY LEGITIMATE, BECAUSE WHEN LUKE
KANOYER WAS TRANSFERRED OUT OF NARCOTICS TO THE PROPERTY ROOM,
THAT WAS UNDER COMMISSIONER BARBERRY.
SO I'M QUITE WILLING TO BELIEVE THAT THE F.B.I.
NEVER TOLD CLAPPROOD ANYTHING OF THE SORT
BECAUSE SHE WASN'T IN THAT CONVERSATION.
>> AT THAT POINT IN TIME, RIGHT?
>> RIGHT.
NOW THE FEDS ARE MAKING IT VERY CLEAR, WE NEVER ASK ANYONE TO
SLOW WALK, DISCIPLINE.
I SENSE THERE'S SOME KIND OF DISCONNECT SOMEWHERE AMONG ALL
THESE PLAYERS, OTHER WHAT THAT MESSAGE WAS.