FLORIDA
A leader of the Almighty Imperial Gangsters Nation was sentenced to 25 years in prison Thursday for gang-related crimes, including murder, officials said.
Miguel Pedraza, aka “Fuzzy,” 35, of Chicago, was sentenced for his involvement in the RICO conspiracy.
According to Pedraza’s plea agreement, the Almighty Imperial Gangsters Nation is a violent street gang that originated in Chicago in the 1980s and expanded to other areas of the country, including Indiana and South Florida.
Gang members and associates of the Almighty Imperial Gangsters Nation are responsible for numerous acts of violence, including murder, attempted murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, narcotics distribution and other criminal activities, occurring in Illinois, Indiana and the South Florida area and elsewhere.
According to admissions made in connection with his plea, Pedraza has been a member of the Almighty Imperial Gangsters Nation since 1997 and that for a period of time, he took over the street leadership of the gang’s activities in the Drake and Courtland area of Chicago, Illinois.
Pedraza admitted that while in Chicago on Aug. 3, 2002, he shot and killed another individual who Pedraza believed was a rival gang member.
Pedraza also admitted that he received stolen guns from other Almighty Imperial Gangsters Nation members, distributed cocaine and heroin to other members, and earned money for other members and regularly financed activities through funds derived from narcotics distribution of controlled substances.
Pedraza is the last of 16 defendants to be sentenced in this case.
Co-defendants Victor Emmanuel Lopez, aka “Magic,” Jose Ivan Herrera, “Spyro,” Ramon Madruga, aka “Porky,” Alex Enrique Somarriba, “A-Rock,” Robert Martinez, aka “Trap,” Santiago Salcedo, aka “Chino,” Rogelio Perez, aka “Popeye,” Carlos Mena, aka “Rollo,” Piero Benitez, aka “Bam Bam,” Eddie Camacho, aka “NeNe,” Carlos Gomez, aka “Lokes,” Guillermo Sinisterra, aka “Memo,” Elio Quesada, aka “Whiz,” and Brandon Foeman, aka “Drama.”