The leader of the Latin Kings in Northwest Indiana has agreed to plead guilty to a racketeering charge in exchange for 30 years in prison.
An agreement filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court in Hammond is separate from another racketeering case charging more than a dozen Latin Kings members in Northwest Indiana.
John Joseph Castillo had not been charged as part of that case but was arrested earlier this month on federal charges of possessing ammunition as a felon.
The agreement was filed the same day as an indictment charging Castillo with racketeering. According to the indictment, Castillo served as Inca of the Indiana chapter of the Latin Kings and supplied gang members with guns and drugs. He also mediated disputes between the various chapters in Northwest Indiana and delivered dues to the Chicago branch of the Latin Kings, which oversaw the Indiana branch.
The charging information says he also took part in a conspiracy to traffic more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and 1,000 kilograms of marijuana since 2003.
The agreement includes a binding recommendation for a sentence of 30 years in prison, meaning Castillo can withdraw his plea if a judge rejects the sentence.
