Opinion ID: 166091
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Existence Apart From the Pattern of Racketeering Activity

Text: 23 The third element the Government must prove to establish that KMD was a RICO enterprise is that the gang existed as an entity separate and apart from the pattern of activity in which it engages. Turkette, 452 U.S. at 583, 101 S.Ct. 2524. In other words, the enterprise must not be just a name for the crimes KMD members committed. See United States v. Rogers, 89 F.3d 1326, 1337 (7th Cir.1996). Therefore, to satisfy this element, it is not necessary to show that the enterprise has some function wholly unrelated to the racketeering activity, but rather that it has an existence beyond that which is necessary merely to commit each of the acts charged as predicate racketeering offenses. Riccobene, 709 F.2d at 223-24. 24 The Government presented substantial evidence to the jury on this point. In 1992, when Mr. Smith was incarcerated at the Decker Lake Youth Detention Center, he formed KMD. Seeking to keep the gang organized and tight-knit, Mr. Smith modeled KMD after the Gangster Disciples, one of the largest and most powerful street gangs in the United States. Mr. Smith adopted many of the Gangster Disciples' symbols for KMD. Both, for example, use the name Disciples; and both use a six-pointed star, a pitchfork, and a crown to represent membership. In addition, the two founders of the Gangster Disciples were known as King Barksdale and King Hoover, and, after founding KMD, Mr. Smith adopted the name King Seagram. 25 There were five original members of KMD besides Mr. Smith: Mr. Land, Mr. Flores, Mr. Pantelakis, Mr. Edwards, and Jeremy Hayes. Other members were brought into the gang by a formalized process. First, a current KMD member called a guardian angel would vouch for and sponsor a new recruit. The guardian angel would teach the potential member about KMD and set an example of how to behave. Then, during a 67-day testing period, the recruit would be assigned a mission in order to prove himself. Missions were usually criminal acts of retaliation against rival gang members. Missions often included robberies, assaults, and drive-by shootings. If the potential member was either successful in his mission or silent if he was caught, he would be given a loyalty oath and then jumped in (i.e., beaten by other KMD members). After the physical initiation, he would be a member of KMD—subject to Mr. Smith's final approval. 26 KMD held weekly meetings, even when some members were incarcerated. When Mr. Smith was not incarcerated, he personally conducted the meetings outside prison. When Mr. Smith was incarcerated, he conducted meetings inside prison and the highest-ranking non-incarcerated KMD member would conduct the meetings outside prison. KMD members were required to attend these meetings. Roll call was taken at each meeting and a member who missed a meeting was deemed to have committed a violation. Mr. Smith decided the appropriate punishment for a violation, which would often require the member to be beaten by other KMD members. Mr. Smith also established rules for conducting the meetings, such as requiring a secretary to take notes. Mr. Smith's girlfriend, Melissa Chacon, often acted as secretary. Meetings centered on the status of KMD, concerns of KMD members in prison, financial problems of KMD members, conflicts with rival gangs, and plans to obtain money for the benefit of members and their families. Mr. Smith often issued directives at meetings. 27 Even during the time Mr. Smith was incarcerated, he remained the leader of KMD. While in prison, he would call Ms. Chacon regularly and give her orders such as when to call a meeting, what issues needed to be discussed, and what he wanted members to do. Ms. Chacon would then relay these orders to other KMD members, who followed them without question. 28 Given this wealth of evidence, coupled with the evidence of the KMD bible, we easily conclude that there was sufficient evidence to prove that KMD had an existence as an entity separate and apart from the pattern of activity in which it engages. Turkette, 452 U.S. at 583, 101 S.Ct. 2524.