Julia Keefe This Week I Found A Great Website That Provides

Julia Keefethis Week I Found A Great Website That Provides Information

Julia Keefethis Week I Found A Great Website That Provides Information

Julia Keefe This week I found a great website that provides information about gangs in Virginia. Virginia Gang Investigators Association (vgia.org) lists over 170 articles about different cases involving gangs that are either ongoing or were recently prosecuted. I read about a Bedford County case where a MS-13 gang member was charged with brutally murdering a Lynchburg teenager. He was found guilty of capital murder. Kevin Soto-Bonilla (offender) was also charged with participation in a criminal act in association with a criminal street gang (VGIA).

The article stated Soto-Bonilla helped cut the victims hand off and also helped abduct the victim from his home. The article doesn’t go into much detail about why this was done, other than just saying it was gang activity. MS-13 is short for Mara Salvatrucha, but the criminal organization is better known by its abbreviation. Most members are from El Salvador or are first-generation Salvadoran-Americans (VGIA). MS-13 started in Los Angeles in the late 1980s, but the group has spread toward the East Coast since then (VGIA).

The MS-13 motto is to “kill, rape and control,” according to the article. This is different than Mafia groups out of New York City. Mafia groups seem to be more profit-driven and the family relations are a big characteristic in the group. MS-13 seems to have more random violent acts, which aren’t linked to a crime being committed for money. I also read an article about Shannon Sanchez, who had gotten away from the MS-13 gang.

After hanging around with the gang in high school, she married and had several children. But as an adult, she became involved again with MS-13 and helped cover up a brutal gang murder (VGIA). Sanchez was sentenced in federal court in Alexandria to 70 months in prison. Sanchez burned the other offender’s clothes and gave the gang bleach to clean the murder weapon (VGIA). Heather Payton The Triads are an Transnational Organized Crime Group based out of Asia.

Hong Kong is their home base but have several small bases throughout the world, including America, Spain, and Taiwan. The Triads have been a developed organized crime group for over one hundred years. I have not read anything that a member of the Triads must be Chinese, but from what I read, they get members from Hong Kong. Those who are young and impressionable who have dropped out of school or are seeking asylum. They are known for human trafficking in New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

I have not read anything about high members being arrested but the younger recruits usually are. The Triads put the younger ones in danger because if they get caught they will have a lesser sentence and are more disposable than the leaders. Not only is human trafficking a profit for them but more recently they are in the business of black market smuggling endangered fish and high-end seafood. I would say they are like the Mafia with a hierarchal rank structure, but more like gangs in how they recruit their members. Another Transnational crime group is the Russian Mafia.

They are of Soviet ethnic descent and much like the US Mafia but less structured. They follow their own laws that can be read in the link provided below. In the U.S, a high-ranking leader, Ivanov, was arrested in Brooklyn, New York, on June 8, 1995, for trying to extort $3.5 million from a Wall Street investment firm. Not many high leaders ever get arrested and charged. They are linked to human trafficking, using Ukrainian and Romanian girls.

They are promised more money, education, and employment in the U.S. and then kidnap and force methamphetamines and heroin into their systems to make them obey their laws. Saint Leo University CRM 330 Organized Crime Course Description: This course presents a comprehensive overview of the history and current activities of organized crime groups in the United States. An international perspective is taken, and there is strong emphasis on law enforcement, prosecution, and public policy considerations. Prerequisite: POL 123 and CRM 220 Textbooks: The textbook information which appears on our Saint Leo Bookstore ordering site is as follows: Abadinsky (2017). Organized Crime 11th Edition.

Loose-leaf (Custom) ISBN-13: Your custom textbook was created from the following National text(s): Abadinsky (2017). Organized Crime 11th Edition. ISBN-13: Course Goals/Objectives As a result of this course, students will: 1. Demonstrate an understanding of the Saint Leo University core value of community as it relates to approaching organized crime. 2. Demonstrate awareness of the major patterns of organized crime (both current and historical) in the United States. 3. Locate, analyze, and explain the sources, values, and limitations of organized crime information and weaknesses with the security measures of the day. 4. Describe and evaluate the Lawmaking and Law Enforcement approach to countering organized criminal activity. 5. Demonstrate awareness of the growing international dimensions of organized crime. Saint Leo University Core Value: Community: Saint Leo University develops hospitable Christian learning communities everywhere we serve. We foster a spirit of belonging, unity, and interdependence based on mutual trust and respect to create socially responsible environments that challenge all of us to listen, to learn, to change, and to serve. Evaluation: Discussions 5% Reaction Papers (5) 20% Midterm Exam 25% Final Exam 25% Research Paper 25% Total 100% Grading Scale: Grade A Score (%) 94-100 A- 90-93 B+ 87-89 B 84-86 B- 80-83 C+ 77-79 C 74-76 C- 70-73 D+ 67-69 D 60-66 F 0-59 Discussions Each module will include a discussion assignment in which you are required to participate. This includes posting an initial response (minimum of 300 words) to the discussion question, as well as substantial replies to at least two classmates. You are encouraged to cite sources to back up your assertions. See the Discussion Guidelines in the Start Here menu for further information, including the requirements for what constitutes a substantial discussion post. Midterm & Final Exam The 75-minute Midterm will consist of 40 true/false questions. The 90-minute Final Exam will consist of five short-essay questions that must be answered in at least 250 words each. Reaction Paper A Reaction Paper is designed to “develop and sharpen your critical thinking and writing skills. Your objective in writing this assignment is to define an issue clearly and to formulate and clarify your position on that issue by reacting to a controversial statement.” Each of the five papers is worth 4% of the course grade. The paper must be at least words, excluding the title page, abstract page, and reference in the Resources section. If your paper does not fully comply with this format you will lose points. Research Paper Students will write a research paper based on one of the topics below. The paper should include an overview of the subject and major relevant points relative to economic, social, and/or legal implications or impacts. Moreover, the paper should incorporate the role of the Saint Leo University core value of community as it relates to local response to terrorism (e.g., task forces, law enforcement/intelligence networks, law enforcement/intelligence gathering centers, collaborative law enforcement efforts, Interpol, ILEA, etc). Possible topics: Organized Crime and Theories of Deviance Organized Crime and Firearms Trafficking Organized Crime and Street Gangs Organized Crime and Connections to Terrorism Organized Crime and Human Trafficking Organized Crime and Gambling (Casinos) Fighting Organized Crime Globally Russian Organized Crime Drug Trafficking Organizations Juvenile Gang Activity Outlaw Motorcycle Club Activity Organized Crime and Its Effects on Society and the Individual Organized Crime and Labor Unions Organized Crime and RICO Organized Crime and Money Laundering Organized Crime and Witness Protection Organized Crime and Asset Forfeiture Organized Crime and Public Corruption Military Gangs Prison Gangs Transnational Organized Crime Penetration of Governments Transnational Organized Crime Subversion of Legitimate Financial and Commercial Markets Transnational Organized Crime Involvement in Cyber Crimes The paper must be at least 2500 words, excluding the title page and reference page, and must adhere to the APA sixth edition writing format. Please reference the APA Guide link under Resources. If your paper does not comply with this format you will lose points. Please cite at least five scholarly references for your paper with no more than two from an Internet source. Please be aware that websites such as Wikipedia are not scholarly sources. Access the University’s online library resources to find scholarly journal articles, etc. Proquest and EBSCO may be helpful, but remember to limit your search to scholarly journal articles. Please remember to review the information available for locating and citing proper sources in your syllabus. Additional grading criteria will include clarity of presentation, quality of content, mastery of content, care and attention to detail, organization, originality of presentation, and the value and interest of the presentation, as well as proper grammar and punctuation. The Research Paper also needs to incorporate at some place in the paper a discussion of the Saint Leo Core Value of community as it relates to the topic. The assignment must be your original work. You are required to use no more than 15% of others quoted work when completing any assignments within this course of study. Your research paper must therefore be 85% original. No previously submitted papers, articles, reports or project, in whole or in part, to any university or college will be accepted. Submit the Research Paper to your instructor via the course Assignment box by no later than Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT in Module 6. (This Assignment box may be linked to Turnitin.) Grading Rubric for Research & Reaction Papers Criteria Ratings Null Novice Basic Proficient Exceptional The paper extensively develops the issue and ideas are presented in a clear, concise manner The paper provides a fundamental overview of the topic as it relates to the criminal justice system. Shows depth and understanding of the subject matter with appropriate analysis of the topic selected (this includes Saint Leo core value requirement in the Research Paper). Meets acceptable college level standards with respect to form and substance; meets APA style requirements. Free of typographical errors; typed in a double-spaced format with bibliographic references; free of plagiarism. Total 100 Written Assignments and the APA Format: The Department of Criminal Justice recognizes the value of excellence in writing for students in Criminal Justice. In part, each professor is expected to provide guidance on improving a student’s writing skills. Students are required to use only the APA (American Psychological Association) format to write and develop a scholarly paper for submission in the Social Sciences. APA has been adopted by the Department as its writing standard for all academic written assignments. No other writing style is acceptable. APA is the American Psychological Association, and the style is one of many in the academic world used to regulate the language, citations, procedure, and formatting of manuscripts and other examples of writing in the social sciences. Please be consistent throughout each written paper. Refer to APA Guide under Resources on the Course Menu for APA specifics. All projects, assignments, or papers submitted for grading will be required to include a separate cover American Psychology Association (APA) format (6th edition). Other formats will not be accepted. For each scholarly paper and group assignment(s), the work will be assessed using an individual grading rubric for each assignment. This tool and process helps the students identify and professor measure the key points necessary to successfully complete written or group assignments. Wikipedia is not an appropriate source for any scholarly writing and is not permitted for any assignment in this program. Modules 1 Defining and Explaining Organized Crime Objectives At the conclusion of this module, students will be able to: Provide an operational definition of organized crime. Provide a comparative and contrasting view of organized crime and terrorism. Examine general organized crime structures. Examine the relevant sociological and psychological theories of organized crime. Assignments: Items to be Completed: Due No Later Than: Post Introduction to the Discussion Board Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EDT Read the assigned materials Explore Assigned website Post Initial response to the discussion question Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EDT Post Responses to at least two classmates Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT Submit Reaction Paper Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT Modules: All assignments related to these modules involve engaging with the assigned materials, websites, and discussions, culminating in submission of reaction papers, which develop critical thinking and understanding of organized crime topics.