TAMPA, Fla. — Six Tampa street gang members are each facing numerous felony charges that could have them spending life in federal prison if convicted.
Christian Andujar Rivera, 26; Irving Diego Bruzon, 28; Xavier Chase Gardner, 31; Mohamed Nidal Jaber, 32; Julissa Collazo, 27 and Kyle Miller, 33 were involved in a criminal organization operating in Hillsborough County known as "AP," short for Alexander Park, according to the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida Roger B. Handburg. They named themselves after the park on Lois Avenue in Tampa.
The gang was allegedly engaged in narcotics, distribution, bank fraud, obstruction of justice, murder, aggravated assault, robbery and arson, according to the indictment. Court documents detail the crimes they allegedly committed from March 2020 until October 2023.
"This pattern of racketeering activity was so extensive that the indictment in this case takes 39 pages to set out the 12 counts and 32 separate acts that are charged as part of the conspiracy in this case," Handburg said at a news conference Tuesday morning.
Members used residences in Tampa to acquire, maintain and distribute drugs, store firearms, and divide stolen property and narcotics from burglaries and robberies. They also used these locations to plan attacks against rivals and find subjects for murder, the document reads.
One of the crimes included a shooting at Scores Gentleman's Club in April 2022. A person was shot and killed after an argument occurred in the parking lot. Handburg said a rival gang member from "Latin Kings" shot and killed a member of AP that night. That shooting led to retaliation when AP murdered a member of the Latin Kings in a strip mall parking lot, he said.
This happened when a person in a Jeep Grand Cherokee got out of his car and shot the victim. The person would be later identified as Rivera, who was the leader of the gang. He was also accused of buying a Jeep Grand Cherokee by providing false information to a bank to secure a loan. Bruzon and Collazo were also accused of the same crime. Rivera was later accused of burning the Jeep and committing arson to get rid of the evidence, Handburg said.
Investigators found 70 shell casings where the murder took place and were able to use evidence from different crime scenes to find their suspects. They were able to use a database to match one of the casings to another casing that was found in one of AP members' car that was impounded as evidence earlier during the shooting at Scores Gentleman's Club, Handburg said.
"It's with that same zeal, focus and attention to detail that these investigators worked on this investigation," Handburg said.
Investigators also used tools to find out where guns were manufactured and who the initial purchaser was. Touch DNA also traced DNA left on evidence such as clothing and firearms, Special Agent Kirk Howard said at the conference.
Members also committed crimes in Oregon, California and Michigan, according to a news release. Handburg said the indictment lists six different instances in four different states where marijuana was stolen. In one instance, Rivera, Burzon and Jaber burglarized a marijuana warehouse and stole at least 300 pounds of marijuana.
Rivera, Gardner and Bruzon were also accused of killing a victim in April 2022.
Howard called the gang "a sophisticated, well-financed and ruthless enterprise that until recently fueled violent crimes and terrorized communities across the United States for shared profit."
Crimes also spanned the state with Rivera, Burzon, Gardner and Jaber being accused of stalking people in Palm Beach County with the intent to rob them in January and February of 2022. Five victims were stalked with one being abducted, Handburg said at a news conference. AP members also allegedly used tracking devices to keep tabs on the victims.
Handburg said one of the men is facing charges in the Southern District of Florida and two are facing charges in Michigan.
Howard said it's too early to tell whether the six indicted will face additional charges or if they will charge additional members of AP. Handburg said they think there are other members but they think they have dismantled the organization.
"The Alexander Park gang is no longer in business," Howard said. "The public is much safer today with them in jail."