'Gilbert Goons' officially classified as a criminal street gang, police say

GILBERT, Ariz. - The "Gilbert Goons" have been formally declared a "criminal street gang."

The Gilbert Police Department confirmed the classification on May 2 after a months-long investigation into whether charges can be enhanced against several people involved in east Valley teen violence, including the death of 16-year-old Preston Lord.

"If they are doing this through an organized street gang type of situation, we will look at the enhancement of gang charges or whether it was a furtherance of a street gang. We're not at that point yet to say that we've made a decision on that. Nothing is off the table," Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said previously.

The "Gilbert Goons" have been accused of several violent crimes. Some of the alleged members are teenagers.

In a press conference Thursday held by Gilbert Police, they started the announcement by saying, "Per Arizona revised statute, a criminal street gang member means an individual to whom at least two of the following seven criteria that indicates a criminal street gang membership. Apply a self-proclamation, be it a witness testimony or official statement, see written or electronic correspondence, paraphernalia or photographs, tattoos, clothing or colors and any other indication of street gang membership, such as extensive knowledge of other gang rivals or specific members' territories, or jump in process."

However, police say that after a multi-agency investigation, sufficient evidence hasn't been found to submit additional charges against the suspects for participating in a street gang.

"Although the Gilbert Goons now have been designated as a gang, they are classified as a hybrid gang," police said. "As with any investigation, if further information or evidence is discovered, it will be reviewed and to determine if additional charges are warranted."

What's this mean?

Investigators went over the difference between a hybrid gang and a traditional gang:

"Hybrid gangs are very hard to document as a street gang. As you know, your traditional gang usually has one race or one ethnicity and they have a territory that they claim. Hybrid gangs are usually mixed gender, mixed races and all various ages. Also, your traditional gang has a code of conduct typically. Hybrid gangs are mostly juvenile gangs and they have no code of conduct or no hierarchy. The members also claim and participate in multiple gangs and your hybrid gangs. This is done just for law enforcement in a documentation process. Where traditional gangs, they stick to their territory or their bios or whatever they have and they are proud of their gang. The hybrid gangs also work with other criminal gangs that you may not see. You may see a car full of different gang members together in a hybrid gang where, traditionally, you wouldn't see that. There are no specific colors, symbols, hand signs, territories or anything, such as that. In a hybrid gang where traditional gangs usually have a standard color, a gang sign or something to that, the hybrid gang is always evolving and the names are changing."

As for those involved, police say members primarily attended east Valley schools, drank underage and used illegal drugs. The gang also ranges in size and reportedly "participated in a fight club type of agreement."

"These Valley agencies have prior knowledge of another group of individuals from various East Valley cities identifying themselves as Jack Boy Mafia or JB," police said.

Although gang charges aren't being submitted at this time, that can change.

"It is important to note that although the criteria has not been met at this time, the gang intelligence information is available to the county attorneys as supplemental information that may assist with their prosecutions or sentencing upon conviction," police said.