People v. Sanchez CA6

FACTS

Defendant was a regimental commander in the Norteño criminal street gang in the Santa Clara Valley. Santa Clara County has at least six Norteño regiments. His rank required that he oversee the drug sales of his gang subalterns. The gang members would receive drugs on credit from various suppliers and settle their accounts from the proceeds of their sales. They would also pay dues to the Norteño organization, either out of the sale proceeds or by any other means available to them, such as a legitimate job. One drug seller, Steven Enriquez, also known as “Aware” or “Orlando,” had received drugs on credit and fell behind in paying for them. He had further transgressed by failing to collect amounts that another drug seller, Matthew Cintas, also known as “Taboo,” owed to the gang.

2 Feeling that the gang’s normally ruthless debt collection protocols were being inadequately enforced, defendant ordered his second-in-command, Justin Wallace, also known as “Trigger” or “Sapo” (Spanish for toad), to make an example of Enriquez by having him kidnapped and beaten. This punishment was to be meted out even if Enriquez paid his outstanding debt. In an effort to locate and punish…