‘Violent' Denver street gang dismantled after leader, 10 members plead guilty: DA
DENVER (KDVR) — The leader of a Denver street gang faces 33 years in prison after pleading guilty to crimes related to 'dozens of drive-by shootings' he encouraged and ordered, the Denver District Attorney's Office announced Monday.
Phillip Baca Sr., the leader of the 'Few But Plenty' gang, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder and violating the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act after being indicted in 2022. Baca joins 10 other Few But Plenty gang members who were also indicted in 2022 and have all already pleaded guilty, according to the DA's office.
FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox
Denver DA John Walsh in a press release said his office's Organized Crime Unit and members of the Regional Anti-Violence Enforcement Network worked this multi-year, multi-case investigation to take down the gang.
'Phillip Baca was the leader of a ruthless criminal organization that terrorized west Denver neighborhoods. This guilty plea and sentence – and the sentences of other Few But Plenty gang members – are powerful steps toward fighting organized crime and improving public safety for all Denver residents. I want to acknowledge the Denver DA's Organized Crime Unit and its prosecutors, investigators and victim advocates, as well as the members of the Regional Anti-Violence Enforcement Network (RAVEN). Their outstanding, collaborative work during a multi-year investigation led to the dismantling of this violent gang and the successful resolution of all 11 cases.'
Denver DA John Walsh
The shootings Baca ordered and encouraged targeted gang rivals in west Denver, according to the DA's office, and 'innocent bystanders who had nothing to do with the inter-gang feuds were the victims of this violence' in several instances. Previous Denver DA Beth McCann in 2022 when the 10 gang members were indicted said those members were believed to be responsible for '14 separate incidents totaling 47 victims in the Denver metropolitan area.'
As the leader of the gang, Baca 'not only encouraged the young men of FBP (most of whom were his sons and nephews) to commit these violent crimes, he often expressly ordered them to do so,' according to the DA's office on Monday.
Baca joined his co-defendants at least once as they shot the home of a rival gang member more than 20 times.
Baca will be sentenced on June 27 and, per his plea agreement, faces 33 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News24
17 hours ago
- News24
DA proposes anti-corruption commission amid NPA criticism on botched cases
Our_DA / Twitter The DA has proposed an independent anti-corruption commission and constitutional reforms to strengthen the NPA. NPA head Shamila Batohi admitted setbacks in Timothy Omotoso and the Gupta brothers' extradition cases but defended the progress, blaming underfunding. Batohi insists the NPA is recovering from state capture's damage. The DA has called for sweeping reforms to the country's criminal justice system, including the establishment of an independent anti-corruption commission. The party accused the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) of systemic failures in the handling of high-profile corruption cases. Briefing the media on Friday, DA MPs Glynnis Breytenbach, Damien Klopper and Nicholas Gotsell outlined concerns over the NPA's inability to secure convictions in state capture cases. They cited recent blunders such as the botched extradition from the US of Moroadi Cholota, the ex-personal assistant of former Free State premier Ace Magashule. 'Monotonous' failures Breytenbach criticised the NPA for 'failing to prosecute with any kind of conviction', pointing to procedural errors in high-stakes cases. She highlighted the Cholota matter, where the Free State director of public prosecutions, rather than the justice minister, incorrectly applied for her extradition, a misstep that derailed the case. On Tuesday, the Bloemfontein High Court overturned Cholota's extradition from the US to face corruption charges in the ongoing R250 million Free State asbestos corruption case involving her former boss Magashule, businessperson Edwin Sodi and others. The court upheld a special plea Cholota raised on the NPA's decision to haul her back to SA. Cholota will no longer appear as a co-accused in the case. These mistakes keep happening with monotonous regularity. Glynnis Breytenbach Breytenbach added that not a single politically connected individual had been imprisoned for state capture. She cited other failures, including the Thales corruption case and the withdrawal of charges in the Phala Phala matter due to procedural errors. Klopper expanded on these concerns, referencing the high-profile case of Nigerian televangelist Timothy Omotoso, in which the NPA's mishandling led to a 'disastrous acquittal'. He also noted the DA's recent private prosecution of a common assault case after the NPA declined to pursue it, questioning the institution's capacity to handle even basic prosecutions. Omotoso was acquitted last month and later deported to Nigeria. Calls for structural reform The DA proposed three key interventions: An anti-corruption commission – A chapter 9 body independent of executive control, with its budget determined by National Treasury rather than the justice minister Strengthening NPA independence – Constitutional amendments to remove the president's sole power to appoint and dismiss the National Director of Public Prosecutions Capacitating the NPA – Urgent budget increases to fill vacancies and attract skilled prosecutors, alongside performance audits by the Auditor-General. Gotsell added that a 'watching brief' programme, piloted in the Western Cape, could improve the coordination between the NPA, the SA Police Service and the victims of crime. He also suggested employing final-year law students to assist the prosecutors with administrative tasks. Batohi defends NPA's record Meanwhile, NPA head Shamila Batohi, speaking on SABC News earlier in the day, acknowledged the setbacks but denied a crisis within the institution. Batohi admitted that the Omotoso case was 'devastating' but said the NPA was appealing the court judgment and it was also investigating prosecutors' conduct. On state capture, Batohi defended the NPA's progress in the cases, noting that the Investigating Directorate had enrolled 33 cases. However, she conceded that there were challenges, including underfunding and salary disparities that were driving skilled prosecutors to other agencies, and 'internal chaos' caused by some staff allegedly undermining the NPA's mission. There has been no political interference during my tenure, Shamila Batohi She admitted she could not guarantee that individual prosecutors were not influenced. She also expressed frustration over the delays in extraditing the Gupta brothers, blaming the United Arab Emirates (UAE) court's refusal and pledging to reapply with additional evidence. In 2023, the UAE dismissed SA's request to extradite the Guptas, and government's attempts have yielded no fruit since then. With her term ending in January next year, Batohi vowed to intensify efforts in the remaining months of her contract. The DA, however, remained sceptical, arguing that only bold reforms, not 'slapdash legislation', could restore public trust in the NPA.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
DA: SF felon shot self, then victim during search for gang members
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — A felon has been charged in a late-May Tenderloin shooting where he accidentally shot himself while firing from his car at a suspected gang member, prosecutors announced on Friday. Hit-and-run driver who ran over, seriously injured 5-year-old charged: SF DA At a Thursday arraignment hearing, Jonathan Contreras, 33, pleaded not guilty and denied all allegations involving the May 24 incident on the 500 block of Ellis St., said San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins' Office. 'Allegedly, he was in a vehicle and asked the victim, who had just exited from a business on the block, if he was a member of a gang,' said the DA's office in a news release. 'Mr. Contreras allegedly then pulled out a firearm, accidentally shot himself in the leg and then shot the victim causing great bodily injury.' He was charged with several crimes, including discharging a firearm from a motor vehicle, unlawful possession of a loaded firearm and having a concealed firearm in a vehicle. Contreras remains in custody with no set bail. 'The District Attorney's Office moved to have him detained pending trial due to the public safety risk he poses,' confirmed the DA's office. Despite charges being filed, this remains an active investigation. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the SFPD tip line at (415) 575-4444 or text TIP411, starting the message with 'SFPD.' Anonymous tips are welcome. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Laceyville man sentenced for possessing child sex abuse materials
LACEYVILLE, Pa. (WETM) – A Laceyville man has been sentenced to serve time in a county correctional facility after officials say he was found with child sex abuse materials. Blake A. Manning, 19, was sentenced to a minimum of six months to a maximum of two years in the Bradford County Correctional Facility, along with five years of probation, for the crime of possession of child sexual abuse material, as stated in a release from the Bradford County District Attorney's Office. Painted Post woman arrested on child sex abuse material charge Officials say Manning was charged with the crime by Pennsylvania State Police in October of 2024 following an investigation where troopers found pictures of two 14-year-old girls on Manning's cell phone. As a result, Manning will be placed on monitoring with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, SORNA and Pennsylvania's version of Megan's Law for 15 years, which will require him to report to state police regularly, said the DA. Police: Syracuse man arrested in Bath for driving without a license In addition, the DA noted that if Manning receives any additional charges or fails to complete the terms of his probation when he is released from the correctional facility, his probation could be revoked, and he could face a harsher sentence, including time in state prison. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
