Sunday 22 September 2013

Gangland - The Hidden Valley Kings

This neighbourhood gang operates in Charlotte, North Carolina.  Their neighbourhood lies between Sugar Creek Road, North Tryon Street &  Interstate 85.  The gang was first formed in the 1980`s by a former member of the Vice Lords, and was known at first, as the Kings, but gradually their influence spread through the area, so they took the name of the neighbourhood, Hidden Valley and became the HVK.  Their criminal activities covered the usual sphere, drugs, firearms, prostitution, robbery and murder.  They wore the colour green to symbolise their mob, and some grew their hair and had it turned into dreadlocks.  Again, a visual look to identify themselves.  They did accept some other gangs as allies but did clash on occasions with a Bloods group and some MS-13.

    They showed how ruthless they were when in November 2005, a rival drug pusher refused to pay a "street tax" to the HVK, so it was decided to take him out.  It resulted in a shootout at a mall but the intended target managed to escape.  They next laid an ambush at a motel but again, he escaped.  But now they gave chase in cars, and both parties shot at each other racing through the streets.  The target crashed and ran off into a neighbourhood but they still gave chase and managed to corner him.  He was mercilessly cut down with an AK-47.  This public outrage forced the Charlotte- Meckleburg  Police into action, and so a special unit was formed with the sole intention of bringing them down.  Over a two year period, they gathered intelligence, evidence, cultivated informants, and eventually, a huge crackdown resulted in around two dozen arrests, including leaders on numerous and serious charges.  After this, the gang laid low, not doing things openly and slowly worked their way back into a position of power & fear.

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