Jeri Williams Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department R. Jason Benites Assistant Chief Scott Whitney Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Leader of Oxnard Street Gang and Mexican Mafia Associate Found Guilty of Federal Drug and Gun Trafficking Charges
DATE/TIME:	September 15, 2014 4:30 P.M.
LOCATION:	United States Federal Court, City of Los Angeles
SUSPECT(S):	Luis Manuel Tapia, 37 Years Old
PREPARED BY:	Commander Eric S. Sonstegard, Investigative Services Bureau (805) 385-7801 Eric.Sonstegard@oxnardpd.org
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO:	Assistant United States Attorney Mack E. Jenkins (213) 894-2091 Assistant United States Attorney Cameron L. Schroeder (213) 894-0596

DETAILS: (OXNARD, Calif) – Earlier today, the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) issued a press release detailing the conviction of Luis Manuel Tapia, 37 years old, identified as a leader of the Oxnard-based Colonia Chiques street gang. The Oxnard Police Department is extremely proud of the investigators that worked tireless hours to bring Tapia to justice. As stated in the narrative below, Tapia was a powerful criminal figure in and around the city of Oxnard. Their hard work brought an end to his criminal enterprise that had such a damaging impact on our community. The narrative of the USAO press release is as follows:
 

LOS ANGELES – Capping the second phase of Operation “Supernova” – which was a multiagency investigation into Ventura County’s largest street gang – the leader of the Oxnard-based Colonia Chiques street gang has been found guilty of a host of criminal charges, including operating a continuing criminal enterprise.

In a verdict that was issued by a federal jury after 9:00 on Friday night, Luis Manuel Tapia, the leader of the Colonia Chiques and a validated associate of the Mexican Mafia prison gang, was found guilty of each of the 26 federal charges filed against him.

As a result of the convictions, Tapia, 37, of Ojai, faces four mandatory life sentences – plus an additional, consecutive 55 years – when he is sentenced by United States District Judge Otis D. Wright II on December 15.

The evidence presented during a two-week trial in federal court in Los Angeles showed that Tapia was deeply involved in the business of running the Colonia Chiques and was personally involved in the sale of firearms and narcotics. During a series of secretly recorded meetings with Tapia, he described himself as the “CEO” of his enterprise, comparing it to Walmart because he supplied a wide array of contraband and always guaranteed his product’s quality. Indeed, one $200,000 drug transaction in October 2011 involved approximately 10 pounds of nearly pure methamphetamine.

During the investigation, authorities conducted an undercover operation in Las Vegas in which an undercover FBI agent posed as a senior member of the Italian mob and negotiated to have Tapia supply the Las Vegas syndicate of the Italian mob with up to 20 pounds of highly pure methamphetamine every month.
The jury also heard Tapia, in a video recording, bragging that his heroin was so strong that it had “killed six people” – and that this was a “good advertisement” for his drug operation. Tapia also explained how his high-quality methamphetamine – which lab results confirmed was often 100 percent pure – was obtained from Mexican drug cartels. In another video recording, Tapia was heard directing a large assembly of younger Colonia Chiques gang members to monopolize their drug selling territory, to seek out and violently expel or attack informants, and to heed the directives of the Mexican Mafia.

At another stage of the investigation, authorities seized 2.5 pounds of heroin, over 9 ounces of cocaine, 9.6 ounces of methamphetamine, cash and two loaded firearms inside a hidden trap in a car owned by Tapia.

Tapia was specifically found guilty of leading a continuing criminal enterprise that distributed at least 1,000 grams of methamphetamine, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license, 10 substantive counts of drug distribution (involving heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine), three counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, seven counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and the illegal transfer of a fully-automatic machinegun. Counting the machinegun, investigators seized 19 firearms from Tapia, including an AR-15 assault rifle, a custom built AK-47 with a bayonet, and a pistol grip sawed-off shotgun.

Four of Tapia’s co-defendants – Diana Zamora, Edgar Aguilar, Roger Armendariz and Jaime Cardenas – have pleaded guilty to conspiring traffic narcotics and/or firearms and have received sentences of up to 10 years in federal prison. An unknown male, known only as “Pancho,” who allegedly supplied narcotics to Tapia, is a fugitive believed to be in Mexico.

In the first part of Operation Supernova (www.justice/gov/usao/cac/Pressroom/2011/018.html), federal prosecutors convicted 11 defendants who have received sentences of up to 25 years in prison.

The Supernova investigation was conducted by the Ventura County Federal Violent Crimes Task Force, which is comprised of agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and officers with the Oxnard Police Department.
 
DATE / TIME PREPARED:  September 15, 2014, 1730 hours

Jeri Williams Chief of Police

Oxnard Police Department R. Jason Benites Assistant Chief Scott Whitney Assistant Chief

OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT

NEWS RELEASE

INCIDENT:	Burglary and Forcible Sexual Assault of an 11-year old female
DATE/TIME:	9/2/2014 0150 hours
LOCATION:	2100 Block of Barnett Street, Oxnard 4900 Block of Rose Avenue, Oxnard
VICTIM(S):	Name Withheld-Victim of Sexual Assault-11 Years
SUSPECT(S):	Luis Contreras, 18 Years, Oxnard Resident
PREPARED BY:	Sergeant Sharon Giles, Investigative Services Bureau (805) 385-7620, Sharon.Giles@oxnardpd.org
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO:	Sr. Detective Dale McAlpine, Investigative Services Bureau (805) 385-3921, Dale.McAlpine@oxnardpd.org

DETAILS:  On September 2, 2014, at approximately 0150 hours, officers from the Oxnard Police Department responded to the 4300 Block of Rose Avenue in the City of Oxnard reference a report of an 11-year old female being sexually assaulted. Upon their arrival, officers learned that a subject gained entry into the residence by cutting the screen to the window. Once inside the residence, the subject placed various pieces of property in a bag and then proceeded upstairs. The subject entered the bedroom belonging to the 11-year old female and her 6-year old brother. The subject approached the 11-year old victim who was sleeping and sexually assaulted her. The subject then fled the residence with the bag of stolen property from the residence.

 
As officers and investigators from the Family Protection Unit were on scene at the Rose Avenue location, another call for service was received from the area of the 2100 Block of Barnett Street. The reporting party on this call told police that a male subject entered their residence through an open window. Once inside, the subject stole a cell phone. The subject was confronted by the resident and fled. 
 
As additional officers responded to the neighborhood to assist, Oxnard Police Officer Rodney Spicer Jr. was checking the area and observed Luis Contreras, an 18-year old Oxnard resident, riding a bicycle in the neighborhood. Contreras matched the description of the subject that entered both residences. Officer Spicer detained Contreras and a subsequent investigation by investigators led to Contreras being arrested and booked at the Ventura County Jail for two counts of residential burglary and forcible sexual assault of a minor under 14 years of age. Contreras’ bail has been set at $500,000.
 
Detectives from the Family Protection Unit are still investigating the case as well as similar incidents that have occurred in south Oxnard in the past 12 months. We believe it is possible that there have been additional incidents such as these that have gone unreported by potential victims. We want to encourage anyone that has information about this incident or any related incidents to call the Oxnard Police at (805) 385-3921.  If you wish to remain anonymous you may call the violent crimes hotline at (805) 982-7070 or Ventura County Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.
 
You can also visit this site http://www.venturacountycrimestoppers.org/contactus.aspx to submit a tip via text or email.
 
DATE / TIME PREPARED:  September 2, 2014, 1100 hours