Mara Salvatruch, or MS-13 is one of the largest gangs in the United States.

Six members, most in their 20s, were convicted by a federal jury on Tuesday Augist 30, 2011 of racketeering (RICO) conspiracy and murder conspiracy. The conviction was a result of a 5 month intense trial.

The racketeering included murders, attempted murders, assaults, drug dealing, and extortion.

Three of the six were also found guilty of being involved in three gang related murders sin San Francisco in 2008.

Sentencing is scheduled for November 30^th. The racketeering conspiracy conviction carry severe sentencing of up to life in prison and the murder conviction carry a mandatory life in prison sentence.

The prosecutors could have imposed a federal death penalty for the murders but chose not to do so.

These are some very serious convictions that the Federal government does not take lightly. RICO charges, murder charges, conspiracy charges all have severe and harsh penalties that may result in life term prison sentences.

At Hedding Law Firm, our Los Angeles Defense Attorneys are here to be your advocates if you are facing any type of federal offense. We have a combined 75 years of experience and we are very knowledgeable when it comes to the Federal system and how the prosecutors work and think.

If you are facing federal criminal charges, do not hesitate, and contact our federal lawyers in L.A. and set up a free face to face case evaluation.

***MS-13 History:

MS-13 first originated in El Salvador and Southern California and now is one of the largest gangs in California. MS-13 has more than 150,000 members all around the world. The founding members of MS 13 were children of immigrants fleeing the then war torn country of El Salvador.

Their identifying gang is the Surenos, who are identified by the color blue, and their principal rivals are the Nortenos, identified by the color red.

Once a member is brought in to the gang, they are in for life.  They cannot act without the boss's consent, they cannot kill without reason, cannot talk to the police, and cannot skip gang meetings. MS-13 has no tolerance for gang members who drop out.

Ms-13 is one of the most violent, dangerous gangs in the United States - and one of the most organized.  The MS-13 gang has cliques, or factions, located throughout the United States.

Dung Thi, 23, who owned Le Nails, was sentenced on Monday August 29, 2011 for stealing the pin numbers for customers' debit cards and using them to withdraw money from ATM's.

Thi was sentenced to 3 years in federal prison.

Thi's boyfriend, Sang Dahn, played some role in the scheme and will stand trial at a later date. Dahn will be charged with bank fraud charge and obstruction for allegedly demanding Thi to delete data from the storage device and ordering her not to name people in photographs taken in California who may be connected to the case.

The scheme netted $77,309 in withdrawals in Wisconsin and California, but under federal sentencing guidelines the intended loss was calculated to be $413,500 - $500 for each of 827 debit card accounts and passwords that police found on a portable data storage drive found in Thi's purse.

At Hedding Law Firm, our  defense attorneys have handled thousands of federal cases, many of which involve fraud.

Our Los Angeles lawyers are familiar and knowledgeable when it comes to the federal system. We know how to prosecutors work and think and we strategize and contest all the evidence presented against you.

Contact our lawyers in L.A. and set up a free face to face case evaluation.

We will get started no your case immediately!.

Jorge Vinicio Orantes Sosa is accused by U.S. prosecutors of concealing his foreign military service and lying under oath when he applied for U.S. citizenship in March 2008 and said he hadn't committed any crime.

Extradition hearing began on Monday August 29, 2011 to determine whether he should be returned to United States for the alleged immigration offenses. He is now in Canada.  

U.S. authorities say Sosa was a commander in a Guatemalan special forces unit that killed more than 150 civilians, including children, in the so-called Dos Erres massacre in 1982. Members of the unit allegedly beat villagers to death with a sledgehammer. Apparently there are witnesses to testify.

If convicted, Sosa may face up to 15 years in federal prison. He may also be deported and his U.S. citizenship taken away.

After Canadian police took Sosa into custody in January, his daughter, Christina Sosa, accused the U.S. government of using her father as a political scapegoat for acts of violence. She said the man who allegedly ordered the killings - Gen. Efrain Rios Montt, a former president known for his "scorched earth" campaign against the rebels - still was serving in Guatemala's Congress.

A court in Spain also has issued arrest warrants for Sosa.

Sosa faces some serious charges that can change his whole life around. As defense attorneys, it is our jobs to help people like Sosa keep their life and situation under control.

Immigration offenses are serious federal offenses that the Federal government imposes severe penalties upon. Our Los Angeles defense lawyers are here to help you if you are facing immigration offenses.

Our lawyers in L.A. have a combined 75 years of experience and our credentials are unmatched. We put our client's best interest as tip priority.

Contact our  defense lawyers for a free face to face consultation.

Eliott Jay Dresher, 64, a Chatsworth man who allegedly gather in about $13 million by falsely telling friends and relatives they were financing a NASCAR apparel business is set to plead guilty today to federal mail fraud charges.

Dresher was indicted on fraud charges in December 2009 in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles in connection with the scheme, which operated from 1998 to October 2009.

Dresher had solicited money from 26 families, many of whom were his relatives or close friends, with promises that the money would be used to finance a business in which he purchased NASCAR apparel and sold the merchandise to "big box" retailers such as Costco and Ross Stores. He guaranteed monthly returns to all the investors.

In 2008 when his scheme was about to collapse, Dresher silenced his victims by falsely telling them that he had more than $70 million in various bank accounts but was having difficulty accessing the funds, so he had hired two attorneys to get the investors' money back from one of the banks.

The indictment states that Dresher caused his victims to invest at least $10 million with him, most of which was ultimately lost.

Dresher has been held in federal custody without bond since his arrest two years ago.

Fraud is a serious federal offense and can result in prison time and excessive fines. Our federal defense lawyers have handled many federal cases involving fraud. We have the knowledge and experience to effectively defend your case.

The federal system can be intimidating but ourLos Angeles defense lawyers are here to take over your case and fight on your behalf.

If you are facing fraud charges or any other federal offense, contact our  lawyers in L.A. and set up a free face to face consultation.

Stig Dahl , a 37-year-old Norwegian man has been arrested on Wednesday August 24, 2011 in Hermosa Beach on suspicion of using fraudulent bank accounts to buy cars and properties across the country.

That Wednesday afternoon, Dahl was in the process of attempting to buy a 2007 Mercedes with a personal check. The car dealership contacted the police.

When Dahl was contacted by authorities at his Manhattan beach home he was leasing, a stolen 2011 Dodge Charger in the garage that he illegally purchased in Texas was discovered. The owner of the Manhattan Beach home told Detectives that Dahl alsa agreed to purchase his Hermosa Beach home for $3 million.

Detectives believe Dahl has scammed banks, car dealerships and property owners out of more than $200,000.

According to investigators, Dahl created a false development business, S & D Development, which he used to attract potential victims into believing that he was a legitimate businessperson.

Dahl has admitted to using fraudulent checking accounts to purchase cars and properties in different states.

Dahl is being held on $20,000 bail. Dahl faces felony burglary, fraud and theft charges and is at risk of spending a long time in prison.

At Hedding Law Firm, our federal defense lawyers have knowledge, experience, and the qualifications to effectively represent you.

We know how the federal system works and how the prosecutors think. Our Los Angeles defense lawyers are here to defend you and help you get your life under control.

If you have been charged with fraud, theft, or any other crime contact our lawyers in L.A. and set up a free face to face consultation.

On August 11, 2011, Lisa Sackie, 47, of Solvang, California, entered a guilty plea to mail fraud charges arising from her embezzlement of $1.1 million from Santa Barbara Bay Foods (SBBF).

Sackie was serving as the vice president of SBBF from 2004-2010. She supervised the accounts payable activities, signed checks on behalf of SBBF, handled regulatory matters, and was the director of human resources.

Sackie allegedly wrote out business checks for her own personal expenses and personal gain.  She concealed her actions by causing SBBF's accounting system to reflect that checks had been made payable to entities doing legitimate business with SBBF but in actuality the checks had been made payable to Sackie or to other entities for Sackie's benefit.

Sackie also used an employee of SBBF to mail embezzled SBBF checks, that were made payable to American Express, in satisfaction of Sackie's personal credit card obligations.

Sackie's scheme resulted in an embezzlement of $1.1 million and she now faces a maximum statutory sentence of 40 years in federal prison.

Sackie is scheduled to be sentenced on November 7, 2011 by United States District Court.

If you are facing embezzlement charges or any fraud charges, the penalties can be severe. You may pay restitution and face a very long time in prison. These are very serious charges, especially to the Federal government.

Our federal defense lawyers in Los Angeles are here to help you and defend your case.

If you are facing embezzlement charges, fraud charges, or any federal crime, contact our Los Angeles defense attorneys at Hedding Law Firm and set up an immediate free face to face consultation.

Fifteen people - including a physician, a pharmacy manager and gang members - have been arrested in a conspiracy to smuggle prescription drugs into Mexico from Los Angeles by strapping thousands of pills onto human mules on August 20, 2011.

Tyron Reece, an Inglewood physician who admitted to regularly writing fraudulent prescriptions for commonly abused medications - including hydrocodone was arrested last week on charges of conspiracy to distribute drugs by writing out fake prescriptions and charging $60 per prescription.

Along with Reece, 14 people were arrested, including a pharmacy manager and gang members.

Members of the ring allegedly organized by Anthony Wright, 67, filled the prescriptions at Dabney's Pharmacy in South Los Angeles (manager Charles Dabney) and failed to report them to the state attorney general's office, as is required. Then the pills were smuggled into Tijuana that netted more than $400,000 in  a period of six months.


November of 2010, agents arrested a woman transporting 8,200 hydrocodone pills. About a week later, agents stopped a car at the border and found 3,700 hydrocodone tablets strapped to a purported ring member's abdomen. On another occasion, border agents discovered more than 3,200 prescription pills taped to a smuggler's abdomen.

In all, authorities have seized more than 18,000 pills during the operation.

This particular investigation has been an ongoing state-federal investigation. Depending on which level the crimes are charged, if you are facing conspiracy and/or prescription drug fraud charges you will be facing excessive fines and prison time.

It is very important that you contact a defense attorney immediately to get on your case.

Our lawyers in L.A. have the experience and skill to defend you. The federal (as well as state) government takes conspiracy and prescription drug fraud crimes very seriously.

We know how the prosecutors work and think and we are confident that ourdefense attorneys in Los Angeles will effectively represent you.

Chan Duong, age 45 and Phung Ca "Polly" Long, age 41, an Iowa couple, who continued their criminal conduct even after they pleaded guilty to federal charges, were sentenced August 1, 2011 on multiple federal charges including health care fraud, tax evasion and harboring illegal aliens.

 Duong received a 78-month prison term after a guilty plea to harboring illegal aliens and filing a false 2007 federal income tax return.

Long received a 30-month prison term after a guilty plea to harboring illegal aliens and Health Care fraud.

In the plea and sentencing agreements, Long and Duong admitted to criminal activity which included wire fraud, mail fraud, health care fraud, filing false federal income tax returns, hiring illegal aliens, money laundering, and harboring and transporting illegal aliens. 

Long admitted she knowingly made false statements to obtain over $28,000 of Medicaid benefits. Duong filed false federal income tax returns resulting in a tax loss of over $400,000 over a four-year period.

The pair operated the Peony Chinese Restaurants in Vinton and Tama, Iowa and routinely hid their personal income and business earnings from state and federal authorities, paid their employees in cash to avoid taxes, purchased property to house the illegal aliens that worked for them, and hired, harbored and transported illegal aliens as a principle means of operating their restaurant.

Following their 2010 guilty pleas, the couple continued their previous criminal activity, including failure to collect and pay sales tax to the State of Iowa at their restaurants in Vinton and Toledo, Iowa.

A second set of search warrants, issued in May, 2011, for their home and businesses found evidence of money laundering, mail fraud and state sales tax evasion.  During the search federal agents and local police seized seven 1-Troy ounce gold bars, 86 pieces of gold jewelry, 20 designer purses and wallets worth an estimated $8,000, more than $95,000 in cash and a gas electric generator used to harbor aliens at nearby properties

Duong was sentenced to 78 months' imprisonment.  A special assessment of $200 was imposed.  He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. 

Long was sentenced to 30 months' imprisonment.  A special assessment of $200 was imposed, and she was ordered to make $22,695.98 in restitution to Iowa Medicaid.  She must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. 

There is no parole in the federal system.  A person convicted of a criminal tax offense, in addition to whatever sentence is imposed, is also required to pay the tax determined to be due, as well as interest and civil penalties that may be assessed.

Our Federal Criminal Defense Attorneys have unmatched credentials. We have knowledge of the federal system and have the skill and ability to effectively defend your criminal situation.

Our lawyers in L.A. have handled thousands of federal and state cases and have seen great results.

Contact our attorneys in LA. and set up a free face to face absolutely confidential consultation.

State and federal authorities spread out across six Northern California counties in recent weeks in a broad attack on marijuana farms in U.S. forests.
The Mendocino National Forest is under attack by

The latest effort, called Operation Full Court Press, targeted 56 growing sites. Authorities seized 1,500 pounds of marijuana, 27 guns, and 11 vehicles, Haag said.

The 900,000-acre forest - larger than Rhode Island - spans six counties in a region of mountains and forests known as the Emerald Triangle for its high concentration of pot farms. Agents raided more than 50 gardens teeming with trash, irrigation pipes and chemicals that damage forestland and waterways.

The operation also confiscated fertilizers, chemical pesticides and rat poison, and with the aid of the U.S. Forest Service, 23 tons of trash and 22 miles of irrigation pipe were removed; 13 man-made dams remain to be taken apart.

The effort involved more than 300 people working for 25 local and federal agencies.

Illegal drug organizations have grown pot in California forests - from the Cleveland National Forest in Southern California to the Klamath National Forest in the far north - for decades. But local, state and federal authorities have stepped up abolition efforts in recent years.

In 2008, 2.5 million marijuana plants were eradicated from national forests in California, almost five times the number destroyed in 2004, according to the National Center for Drug Intelligence.  

California is the national focus of such efforts; 80% of all plant eradication in U.S. forests occurs in the state.

When a person is arrested for drug trafficking , he/she may be charged with either a misdemeanor or a felony drug offense at the state level, federal level, or both.  The severity and classification of the person's drug charges will usually depend upon:

■the type of drug trafficked

■the amount of drug trafficked

■if the crime was committed domestically

■if the crime was committed internationally

■the person's criminal background

■if the person has had prior drug crime convictions

The penalties for a drug trafficking conviction range from long-term imprisonment to large fines.  For this reason, any person who has been charged with drug trafficking should always consider retaining the services of a knowledgeable drug defense attorney who is familiar with both state and federal drug laws

Our lawyers in L.A. understand the devastating impact a conviction for federal drug trafficking can have on you, your family and your loved ones.  We have handled thousands of federal drug cases for our clients over the many years that we have practiced federal criminal defense.    
We are so confident in our abilities that we want you to schedule a free face to face, absolutely confidential, no obligation consultation with one of our attorneys in L.A.

Contact our drug lawyers in Los Angeles 818-986-2092