Robert Messersmith, aka “Stretch”, was the leader of the Rancho San Pedro gang, in the Latino area of San Pedro, in Los Angeles
Photo: Mark Makela / Getty Images
By: EFE
The leader of a Latino gang in Los Angeles was sentenced this Thursday to 10 years in prison for crimes committed following orders from the prison gang The Mexican Mafia (or La Eme), reported in a statement the Attorney General’s Office for the Central District of California.
Robert Messersmith, aka “Stretch”, of 34 years old, was sentenced by District Judge Stephen Wilson.
In September 2020, Messersmith, head of the Latino gang Rancho San Pedro, had pleaded guilty to one count of “conspiracy to possess and distribute controlled substances.”
The gang operated in the Latino area of San Pedro in Los Angeles, following orders from heads of La Eme and env giving money to incarcerated criminals.
Among other crimes committed by the gang, according to the prosecution’s indictment, included the distribution and sale of heroin and other drugs, collection of “taxes” from sellers of Narcotics and use of violence to protect controlled territories.
As part of gang activity, between August of 1200 and May 2018 Messersmith sold dozens of oxycodone pills, negotiated the sale of heroin and methamphetamine, and plotted smuggling into a prison in heroin and other narcotics.
As reported by Ciaran McEvoy, spokesman for the Central District Attorney’s Office California, in a recorded telephone conversation in May 2018 Messersmith boasted of a recent narcotics transaction.
“That was a touchdown c Like Peyton Manning’s, ”Messersmith boasted, referring to the well-known American football player, the spokeswoman said in a statement.
The gang member is the main figure in a federal indictment for 26 charges against 14 members of the Rancho San Pedro organization. The remaining defendants will face trial starting on 27 April, McEvoy reported.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) with special assistance from the Office of Arms, Alcohol, Tobacco and Explosives Control (ATF).
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