The images leave no doubt the rapper supports norteos. Years earlier, a young Norteo paroled from Pelican Bay had given a Santa Rosa detective a lead into the prison gang. Nuestra Familia prestige is now generational, passed from father to son, uncle to nephew. He recorded From the Barrio with Love, taking his name outside California and into pockets of Chicano markets in places such as Phoenix, Denver, and Albuquerque. But the state prison guards union and correctional officials have argued that to mix inmates now would only bring more violence. In April 2001, FBI agents, along with assistance from 24 local and state agencies, ended Operation Black Widow. One of the gangs living legends had recently been paroled. Gratton knew nothing about the music business, but he had bricks of cash and a simple plan: to produce a rap CD that would work as a recruiting tool for Nuestra Familia and also serve to launder the gangs drug money. Lizard got away with it, and when Big Smiley emerged, he personally sponsored Lizard into Nuestra Familia. Up to that point, Lizard had identified himself as a Sureo, but only when pressed. Californias most fearsome prison is located near the Oregon border, a windswept fortress surrounded by three walls and two barbed-wire fences. In the aftermath of Operation Black Widow, the five highest-ranking leaders of Nuestra Familia, James "Tibbs" Morado, Joseph "Pinky" Hernandez, Gerald "Cuete" Rubalcaba, Cornelio Tristan, and Tex Marin Hernandez, were transferred to the United States Penitentiary, Florence ADX, the federal supermax prison in Colorado. Then, several weeks later, a Pelican Bay investigator intercepted a letter penned by Lizard to one of his superiors. Sir Dynos lawyers argue that a group trial will taint the jurys perception of their client. You could see he was nervous, Holguin said. SAN JOSE - A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging 17 defendants with racketeering conspiracy, including acts involving murder, robbery, drug trafficking, and money laundering, and charging five others with drug trafficking-related crimes. Heres my card.'. The former leaders include James "Tibbs" Morado, Joseph "Pinky" Hernandez, Gerald "Cuete" Rubalcaba, Cornelio Tristan, and Tex Marin Hernandez. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. He wanted to know what assurances could be made for him. Then in late April 2001, more than two years since hed last spoken to Robert Gratton, he was summoned to a meeting with his parole officer. The DA was forced to offer Lizard a six-year deal, which he happily accepted. The former leaders include James "Tibbs" Morado, Joseph "Pinky" Hernandez, Gerald "Cuete" Rubalcaba, Cornelio Tristan, and Tex Marin Hernandez. When you look back, it didnt help us like we thought it would. federal racketeering case, according to court papers. Nuestra Familia is organized in a military-like hierarchy, with generals running the gang from inside prison and paroled regiment captains running the streets outside. Holguin and his team came up empty that night. They were much smaller than the Mexican Mafia, so they used it to their advantage, gang expert Jared Lewis said. The rapper says hed press Gratton for cash, but the label owner always had an excuse. Still Sir Dyno says he wasnt getting paid. Or better yet, two prosecuting attorneys., Cervantes persisted. He crawled into his living room before dying in his familys arms. Following his arrival at the jail, Dyno was interviewed by Thomas Ribota, another Modesto detective. Once the government proves the existence of a criminal organization like Nuestra Familia, evidence establishing beyond a reasonable doubt defendants connection with the conspiracy, even though the connection is slight, is sufficient to convict defendant. If the legal standard is a slight connection, then the CD and videos where Gratton and Sir Dyno appear side by side as brothers in crime may prove overkill. I spoke to a classification officer at the San Joaquin County jail who confirmed that Rocha claimed to be norteo but didnt claim a particular set of a gang.. A local health care fraud enforcement action has resulted in federal charges against of 25 Southern California defendants for their alleged involvement in healthcare fraud schemes that fraudulently sought over $150 million from the Medicare and Medicaid programs, as well as private insurers and union health benefit plans. Like all Latino males incarcerated in California for the past three decades, Lizard was forced to choose a gang allegiance once inside prison. But claiming norteo is at least a step toward gang culture, where the stakes are high. Maybe hed give me one hundred bucks to shut me up, or fifty bucks to shut me up, he says, or gas money or something.. We cut off the head of the snake, but it will grow back, said Special Agent Holguin. At Lizards behest, Crazy Girl opened two bank accounts and made deposits from gang soldiers who were required to remit 25 percent of their profits. Frias, a 22-year-old Salinas native, maintains that Hernandez, the informant, approved the "green light," the execution order, on Sanchez while working for the FBI. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. According to an FBI report, Cuete and his cohorts have continued to manage the gang while awaiting transfer to federal prisons from Alameda Countys Santa Rita Jail. When Lizard arrived in January of 1995, he checked in with the ranking gang member. But life was still rough, he says, and drug deals and violence went down in front of his eyes, even if it was what he calls mostly high school stuff, kid stuff, stupid stuff. He admits to selling pot, but only small-time, just enough to support myself., From those experiences, he says, he extrapolated in his art, and began rapping in that netherworld of myth, that place where facts give way to the cushion of fiction, where arrogance and boasting overtake the narrative. Daniel "Lizard" Hernandez helped Nuestra Familia run a criminal empire from inside state prison. The CD includes Nuestra Familia artwork and a statement that the success of this project has resulted from true Norteo unity we applaud the Carnalismo we would also like to give a special thanks to our family [emphasis theirs] and all the warriors. Trial witness R.G. Gerald Marvin Rubalcaba of Visalia, age 45, was arrested for Possession of Controlled Substance Violation Parole: Felony Reckless Driving Evading P.O. But nowhere on the CD, or in the lyrics, do the words Nuestra Familia appear. After that, he said, I didnt want any speculation coming my way because we still had meetings to take care of. Lizard said he compensated by assisting in unauthorized drug and arms deals. Big Smiley immediately ordered his soldier to enforce gang law back in C-Facility. I had to.. That what I decided to do.. In the weeks leading up to Lizards arrest, Kayln Santiagos apartment had been stormed by FBI agents. Hed proved he had the muscle to ascend within Nuestra Familia. Orders from the generals were arriving on the streets within weeks, if not days. I want to be with my family/but I killed a man yesterday.. Bakersfield was the traditional dividing point, but with the crush of immigration, the numerically superior Sureos pushed the demarcation line further north, first to Fresno and then to Modesto. Sir Dyno had only been to jail once, following his drug arrest. He tested positive, violating a federal policy that informants remain drug-free while working for the government. Lizard recalls Nato asking him why he claimed Sureo, and if hed heard the history of the gang conflict. If he stayed in Corcoran, hed have to watch his back for young Norteos. Lizard himself adamantly denied Zilversmits claims, insisting that he pressed for peace in the case of Sanchez. The risks had Lizard thinking. prison gang are prepared to testify against their top leaders in a Theres nothing to prepare. Whites joined the Aryan Brotherhood or Nazi Low Riders for protection. And then I told him, You know who I am. was drawing the attention its makers craved, and then some. with prosecutors for reduced sentences, The Press Democrat reported You see, this is Norte, he growls on Scrap Killa. X-I-V fourteen, dont ever ask me what I mean/I got the gat that will put you in the dirt/I piss on your grave with your mamas feelings hurt.. And in another case, according to his handlers, Lizard drove to Lodi with Happy Cervantes for a weekend getaway, where he left his wire behind and failed to stay in touch with the FBI. It always does., Even Judge Charles Breyer seemed to question the value of Operation Black Widow. If they come for him, he said, he worries only for them, his enemies. Smiley replied that it was true, but not to worry no one was moving on it. In the aftermath of Operation Black Widow, the five highest-ranking leaders of Nuestra Familia, James "Tibbs" Morado, Joseph "Pinky" Hernandez, Gerald "Cuete" Rubalcaba, Cornelio Tristan, and Tex Marin Hernandez, were transferred to the United States Penitentiary, Florence ADX, the federal supermax prison in Colorado. The five former leaders are James "Tibbs" Morado, 59, whose common-law wife, 20-year-old Salinas resident Crystal Nenque, was found slain on Hecker Pass Road near Watsonville in 2005; Joseph. In May of 2001, Lizard met with Martin Ramirez, a gang member from Salinas. As a kid growing up in this small town, David Rocha was a freestyle BMXer who bounced along on one wheel during Fourth of July parades. In November 1986, Lizard tried out these new skills on another inmate and was transferred to San Quentin. SANTA ROSA Several members of the notorious Nuestra Familia A small minority within the gang has not transferred loyalty to Cervantes, Santa Cruz County's Morales said. They were Gerald "Cuete" Rubalcaba, my pal Lizard Hernandez, and Robert "Huero" Gratton. They taught him to grind down plastic shampoo bottles into shanks for knifing an attacker, and to roll up the pages of National Geographic as makeshift spear handles. This arrest data includes all information on current and previous arrests for . As he awaits his new sentence, Lizard also awaits his new identity. In fact, the 31-year-old gangsta rapper, whose real name is David Rocha, wanted nothing more than to distance himself from his codefendants. In the aftermath of Operation Black Widow, the five highest-ranking leaders of Nuestra Familia, James "Tibbs" Morado, Joseph "Pinky" Hernandez, Gerald "Cuete" Rubalcaba, Cornelio Tristan, and Tex Marin Hernandez, were transferred to the United States Penitentiary, Florence ADX, the federal supermax prison in Colorado. Lizard brushed aside Holguins offer. Not only was there one less Sureo, but Lizard also showed a knack for attacking without detection. of Tulare County. Shes not liking it too much. It was his way or the highway. Symbols and culture One day two months ago, federal agents arrived at her home, and she was swept into the program. This is a combined effort to enlighten the worthy, as the time is now that we must leave old attitudes to the past, and adopt new and more meaningful and fulfilling ideas. Of course, once the hit list is reactivated, Lizard knows that his name will sit at the very top. Lizards government handlers ultimately boasted that their prized informant delivered unprecedented effectiveness as a cooperating witness. According to a memo by prosecutors in the US Attorneys Office, his unshakable undercover effort will forever leave its mark in the history of law enforcement. Based on Lizards grand jury testimony alone, the US Attorneys office estimates that twenty Nuestra Familia members pleaded guilty, and five others were convicted in courts across Northern California. Not long after Gang Stories came out, Gratton released North Stars second title, a compilation called Cuete. He said he knows they may try to find him, but that he will not hide. In December of 2001, Daniel Hernandez became the highest-ranking member of the Nuestra Familia prison gang to cooperate with federal investigators. Sicc OG. In its fifteen years of operation, at least a dozen inmates have been strangled to death inside its walls, according to lawsuits and published reports. It to their advantage, gang expert Jared Lewis said Hernandez became the member... Later, a Pelican Bay investigator intercepted a letter penned by Lizard to one gerald cuete'' rubalcaba the gang conflict help like! 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