Jun 20, 2008 1:33 pm US/Pacific
Oakland Drug Gang Suspects Appear In Court
OAKLAND (BCN) ―
Members of the West Oakland's Acorn drug gang, which police
say is the worst gang they've seen in many years, appeared in Alameda County Superior Court Friday on charges of attempted murder, possession of drugs for sale, illegal possession of guns and other charges.
Alameda County Deputy District Attorney John Brouhard said 20
suspected gang members were charged Thursday and more suspected members will be charged Friday.
The charges follow a raid early Tuesday morning by 400 officers from 17 different law enforcement agencies at 34 locations in Oakland and other East Bay cities.
Oakland police Lt. Ersie Joyner said the raids were the culmination of a three-month-long effort called "Operation Nutcracker" that resulted in the arrest of 54 suspected gang members and the confiscation of 41 guns.
Brouhard said among those charged Thursday was 34-year-old Marc Anthony Candler, of Castro Valley, the reputed leader of the Acorn gang,
whose base of operations is the Acorn Housing complex in West Oakland.
Brouhard said Candler is charged with attempted murder and illegal gun charges as well as a gang enhancement clause.
Another alleged gang member who has been charged is William Lovan, a 27-year-old meter repairman for the city of Oakland who is the nephew of
City Administrator Deborah Edgerly.
Edgerly is under fire for allegedly attempting to interfere with Oakland police on June 7 when they towed Lovan's car from a spot next to a West Oakland liquor store because he had a gun inside.
A police report on that incident describes a conversation between Lovan and Candler.
(© CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Bay City News contributed to this report.)
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