UN Gang founder Clay Roueche should do 30 years: U.S. Attorney Facebook

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UN Gang founder Clay Roueche should do 30 years: U.S. Attorney
With Clay Roueche's new hearing set for next week, his Facebook page marks 13th anniversary of criminal group



United Nations Gang founder Clay Roueche should not get any reduction in his 30-year U.S. sentence because of new evidence of his gang's links to violence, the U.S. Attorney argues in court documents filed Wednesday.

Roueche is due back in U.S. District Court next week after he won a partial victory in the U.S. Court of Appeal last fall.

That court ordered Judge Robert Lasnik to re-sentence Roueche, and to clarify whether Lasnik relied on any disputed evidence when he handed the Fraser Valley man the three-decade term in December 2009.

Because of the new hearing, the U.S. Attorney's office filed a second sentencing memo this week, claiming there is even more evidence now of the UN Gang's links to violence than there was 14 months ago when he was convicted of running a drug-smuggling operation.

"There is ample evidence of the UN Gang's penchant for violence as well as Roueche's knowledge of it. Although he had minimal criminal history prior to this conviction, Roueche possessed firearms both at his condominium and in his armoured car," says the memo, signed by assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Roe.

"It is clear that firearms and violence were part of Roueche and his cohorts' lives during the conspiracy."

Roe also points to a Facebook page set up in Roueche's name that includes photos of him in jail, as well as some of his writings and drawings.

One of the images shows Roueche in a group photo with two UN gangsters who have since been assassinated, Roe says in the memo.

On Facebook, "Roueche celebrates the anniversary of the UN Gang founding and reaffirms his tie with the gang. He invokes the UN motto, 'Honour, Loyalty, Respect,' wishes his 'bros' a Happy 13th Anniversary," the memo says.

"Roueche thanks the gang members who remained loyal to him, said he never feels alone with their love and support, assured them he is home in spirit and advised them that 'a man's actions speak for themselves.'"

The new sentencing documents also note that several people linked to the United Nations Gang have just been charged in B.C. in two murder cases. Others face attempted murder charges.

"Other evidence of the UN Gang violence is contained in the Canadian indictments of June 2009 and January 2011 in which Roueche is a named but unindicted co-conspirator," the U.S. memo says.

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"The murders and attempted murders occurred both before Roueche's arrest and after his arrest."

The U.S. Attorney filed the Canadian indictments, as well as news stories, as exhibits for the sentencing hearing.

The memo quotes from a Province news article in which Roueche's dad said he was proud of his son, despite the convictions.

"His family admits, with pride, his drug smuggling empire and the violence used to enforce the rules. Those sentiments constitute further evidence supporting a finding that Roueche operated in, and encouraged, a culture of violence," the sentencing memo says.

"The embracing of violence, clear in the attachments, are relevant to the court's determination of the nature and circumstances of Roueche's offence, his personal history and characteristics and the seriousness of his crimes."

The memo says evidence of Roueche's crimes and that of his UN Gang came to light through three separate drug and money laundering investigations in 2005 and 2006.

"He organized a sophisticated, quasi-corporate, multinational drug trafficking group which was, and in Canada continues to be, a significant danger to the safety, peace and security of civilians," the memo says.

"The culture of violence is relevant to the court's fashioning of a just punishment, to the court's attempt to promote deterrence to others, and - in light of the ongoing violence of his group - of the need to protect the public. Rarely has the court had such a successful and admired crime leader before it. Roueche has attained a near cult status."

The U.S. Attorney agreed to strike some of the disputed evidence filed for the 2009 sentencing hearing. Roueche has not yet filed his new sentencing memo on why he believes he should get his sentence reduced. The hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.

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UN Gang leader Clay Roueche as a young child in a photo on Facebook.