Posted on 10/24/2007 3:22:07 PM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist
CHICAGO (STNG) ―- New federal charges were announced late Tuesday against three brothers allegedly responsible for supervising an international counterfeit identification business on the Southwest Side.
The U.S. Attorney's office announced Wednesday that federal racketeering conspiracy and murder-related charges were added to a previous indictment against Manuel Leija-Sanchez, 40, Pedro Leija-Sanchez, 35, and Julio Leija-Sanchez, 31, as well as alleged hit man Gerardo Salazar-Rodriguez, 34.
Two of the brothers, Manuel Leija-Sanchez, arrested Friday in Mexico, and Pedro Leija-Sanchez, arrested in August in Mexico, are facing extradition to the United States, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney's office. The third brother, Julio Leija-Sanchez, was arrested in Chicago in April.
According to the release, the Mexico-based Leija-Sanchez Organization operated a fraudulent ID document business in Little Village since at least 1993. The business allegedly sold Social Security cards, immigration "green cards" and state drivers' licenses and took in as much as $3 million a year in profits.
Each of the three brothers and Salazar-Rodriguez were charged Tuesday with one count of racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to murder, and two counts of conspiracy to commit murder outside the United States, the release said. Julio Leija-Sanchez and Salazar-Rodriguez were also charged with one count of murder for hire, according to the release.
The three brothers also face added charges of alien smuggling conspiracy along with Elias Marquez, 52, and currency smuggling along with Marquez and fugitive Raul Gonzales-Martinez, 58.
Each brother, if convicted on the murder related charges, faces the death penalty.
The brothers are among a total of 23 defendants facing charges in Chicago related to the counterfeit identification operation, which operated out of the Little Village Discount Mall at 26th and Albany.
Damn Norwegians, you gotta watch 'em all the time! They're takin' over the country, I tell ya!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.