Wiretaps Lead to Nearly 2 Dozen Richmond Gang Arrests
RICHMOND (KCBS) — Police in Richmond announced Wednesday that a months-long operation involving wiretaps has led to the arrests of nearly two dozen alleged members of one of the city's most violent gangs.
During a briefing at police headquarters, Chief Chris Magnus said that the use of wiretaps contributed to getting the young men in custody. Operation Exodus began in April to target alleged members of Central Richmond's Deep-C Gang, which was connected to an uptick in gun violence this past spring.
Wire Taps Lead to Nearly 2 Dozen Richmond Gang Arrests
"These shootings are retaliatory, they're often random, and they're often over things as small as somebody feeling they were slighted on Facebook or somebody looked at someone the wrong way," Magnus explained.
With the help of the Contra Costa County District Attorney's office, Magnus said they used court-approved wiretaps to intercept suspects who at times were in the act of going out to commit murder.
"Through the wire, we heard chilling directives to take people out as well as calculated plans to commit other heinous crimes," Magnus said.
Contra Costa County District Attorney Mark Peterson said 23 Deep-C members were arrested over the past month, with 12 of them charged with conspiracy to commit murder. He said 17 handguns were also confiscated in the operation.
"We've actually prevented people from being killed and shot," he said.
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