San Bernardino County prosecutor to work with feds targeting serious criminals Read more: http://www.sbsun.com/ci_20100482#ixzz1oGq7uEDX

Gang leaders, major drug dealers and people involved in gun crimes could face longer prison sentences and find themselves behind bars in another state in the near future.

That's because the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office has assigned a Victorville prosecutor to the U.S. Attorney's Office to prosecute serious criminals on the federal level.

"We're really going to go after the worst of the worst," said District Attorney Michael A. Ramos.

The U.S. Attorney's Office is conducting a background check on Deputy District Attorney Robert Brown, who will soon be working alongside federal prosecutors on serious local cases.

Brown will have a new title of Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, though he will still be employed by the District Attorney's Office.

It's an idea that arose months ago as part of a plan to focus on gangs, drug trafficking and gun violations in the county. The District Attorney's Office has worked together with federal prosecutors on previous cases, but this will be the first time they will be working together under one roof.

Brown, who works for the district attorney's major crime unit, will bring with him vast knowledge of local cases and gang structure.

In addition to opening the door to higher sentences, local criminals could find
Advertisement
themselves in unfamiliar territory once they are sentenced and shipped off to prison.

"Gang members like to continue narcotics trades and continue to associate with prison gangs when they're in our state. What they hate is when they're put in a prison system in another state," Ramos said.

Ramos said his office didn't assign a prosecutor to the U.S. Attorney's Office in response to the state's realignment program. But having the ability to add on years to prison sentences will help to ease some of the burdens related to the program.

County prosecutors will be able to focus on local cases while serious repeat offenders can be prosecuted federally.

The new approach to prosecuting repeat offenders should help cities like San Bernardino, where there are hundreds more convicted felons on the streets due to realignment.

The San Bernardino Police Department, which launched its Violent Crimes Task Force this past week, will be focusing on the types of felons that could be charged on the federal level. About eight officers will be assigned full time to the task force.

Police Chief Robert Handy said a person with multiple felony convictions could be imprisoned a lot longer if convicted in federal court on a new charge.

"They can be sentenced for a minimum of five years and be shipped out of state, whereas they'd do less than a year in the state system," Handy said.

Meanwhile, the city has experienced six shooting deaths in the first two months of the year.

Police don't know if this is a sign that homicides will continue to outnumber those from a year before, but they're keeping an eye on it.

"I don't think there's a surge," Handy said. "That doesn't means it's acceptable. We've had several young people killed already this year and that's always a concern."

Read more: http://www.sbsun.com/ci_20100482#ixzz1oGq0toua