Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey announced that he will use the state's organized-crime law to prosecute the gang members

Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey announced that he will use the state's organized-crime law to prosecute the gang members. He said weapons and narcotics charges also would be filed. "This is an organized gang," said Morrissey. "Like any other organized crime group, they were using guns and drugs to generate the money they needed to keep the organization going." With their activities came violence and rip-offs, said the district attorney. Among the narcotics seized today were more than 2,600 Ecstasy pills as well as cocaine, methamphetamine and mushrooms.
During the nine-month investigation, agents seized numerous weapons used by the gang, including four semi-automatic pistols and two assault rifles, said Luke Franey, assistant special agent in charge of the ATF office in Denver. "One of those pistols was stolen from a federally licensed firearms dealer in Wyoming during a burglary of that establishment," said Franey. "I think it is common when you work with groups like this that you recover stolen firearms and assault weapons."
Kevin Paletta, the Lakewood police chief, said that arresting the group has made the streets safer. "This is a very active group, particularly along the Denver-Lakewood border. They are a violent group," said Paletta. "Getting these folks off the street not only prevented future crimes, but I'm confident they prevented future acts of violence."
The officials said that they have increasingly seen taggers develop into violent crime gangs in the metropolitan area. Deputy Denver Police Chief Michael Battista said that investigators have noticed tagging crews that "graduate into the criminal activity of narcotics and then into the more violent crimes." "I think one of the messages with this group — to see a tagger group evolve into violent organized crime like this — is that it is very concerning," said Morrissey.
"I think a lot of people think they can just walk up to a tagger, and it's just going to be a kid who they can stop from tagging their fence. I think they need to understand that there is a potential that a tagger may be armed and that a tagger would get violent," said Morrissey. Morrissey said the investigation nine months ago started as the result of an investigation of another group of taggers, who were rivals. Authorities quickly decided they needed to start an investigation of the first group and were able to "develop the evidence, make the buys, get the guns and recover the narcotics" necessary to make the arrests made today, said Morrissey. Arrested today were Joshua Yarmon, 20; Guadalupe Trujillo, 38; Gabriel Sears, 20; Stephanie Johnson, 23; Jesse Romero, 23; Rodrigo Padilla, 26; alleged ringleader Isaiah Lunas, 22; and Merina Valenzuela, 19. Police are still searching for Anthony Bernard, 32, and Stephen Oliver, 21.
Bail was set for six of those arrested: Four are being held on $1 million bail, two on $250,000 bail.