Leaders Of Violent Street Gang Convicted Of Organized Crime
GOLDEN, Colo. (CBS4)- Three high-ranking members of a violent gang have been convicted by a Jefferson County jury for operating an organized crime ring.
Jimmy George Valanzuela, Timmy Dino Valanzuela and Michael Danny Valanzuela were indictted by a Jefferson County jury in March. They were identified as leaders of the Gallant Knights Insane street gang and were among the founding members of the gang.
The three were convicted of organized crime on Oct. 22 for running the crime ring in the Denver metro area and Jefferson County between January 2004 and March of this year.
The brothers were convicted of numerous charges including violation of the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder and solicitation to commit murder.
"We are very pleased with this verdict," said District Attorney Pete Weir in a statement. "This was a very violent and highly organized street gang whose members had targeted witnesses for death in Jefferson County. Other members of the GKI are known to have killed witnesses they believed to have cooperated with police."
The investigation began when Jimmy and Timmy Valanazuela were arrested for attempted murder of a man at a bar in Lakewood in February 2014. The victim they believed was a snitch was shot in the neck but survived.
According to the Jeffco DA, the GKI is one of the largest and most violent street gangs in Colorado and operate in essentially all Department of Corrections' facilities.
Sentencing has been scheduled for Dec. 2.
