DOJ: New Bedford Gang Member Faces Federal Gun Charge

A member of the New Bedford Chapter of the Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation was charged on Thursday with illegal firearm possession following an investigation into an armed robbery in New Bedford and a shooting in Boston, U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling announced.

Ramon Martinez, 26, said to be known as “King Razor” among the Latin Kings, was charged in a July 2 criminal complaint with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Martinez, currently in custody in Bristol County, will make his initial appearance in federal court at a later date.

According to charging documents, on April 30 a victim told New Bedford police he had been robbed and punched by two men in a black Ford Fusion. The men put a knife to the victim’s back and stole his wallet and motorized scooter. The victim was allegedly targeted because he beeped his horn at a friend and the men in the Ford Fusion believed the victim was honking at them. During the investigation, Martinez, said to be a known member of the Latin Kings, was identified as one of the robbers and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

On that same day, police in Boston responded to a report of shots-fired in the area of Callender Street where three .45 caliber casings were recovered. Investigators viewed Martinez’s SnapChat account and say they observed postings related to the Boston shooting incident.

On May 7 New Bedford police detectives say they saw Martinez exit a residence on Crapo Street and walk to the rear of a black Ford Fusion. Police allege Martinez opened the trunk and quickly closed it, and then got into a nearby vehicle. Officers stopped the vehicle, placed Martinez under arrest for the April 30 armed robbery, and found a set of keys for the Ford Fusion. In the trunk of the Fusion, officers say they found a Glock Model 30S .45 caliber firearm with four rounds of ammunition. Investigators say preliminary testing linked the Glock to the casings recovered on Callender Street in Boston.

Due to multiple prior convictions, Martinez is prohibited from possessing firearms. Martinez was also known to investigators to be a member of the New Bedford Chapter of the Latin Kings, according to a Department of Justice media release.

The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Kelly D. Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New England Field Division; New Bedford Police Chief Joseph C. Cordeiro; and Boston Police Commissioner William Gross made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was also provided by the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of Lelling’s Organized Crime and Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program linking all levels of law enforcement, the media release stated. The DOJ said Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.