HOLLAND, MI (WHTC) - One man has turned state’s evidence, while two others are still at large among the 31 alleged members of the Holland Latin Kings who were named on federal grand jury indictments.
Uvaldo Ruiz and Jose Hernandez eluded capture when local officers and federal agents executed arrest warrants last week that collected 25 of the 29 now in custody; four others had been apprehended last summer. Yesterday, one of the 29, regional leader Desidario Amaro, pleaded guilty to a racketeering conspiracy charge at US District Court in Grand Rapids and agreed to testify for the prosecution in exchange for having other charges against him dropped; he could face up to 20 years in prison.
The indictments climaxed a nearly three-year-long intensive investigation by various agencies into the dealings of the gang, which has dominated the Holland crime scene for two decades. Tips to the Holland Department of Public Safety, the Ottawa County Sheriff's Department or Silent Observer (877-88-SILENT, http://mosotips.com) are welcome.