Hammond gang member sentenced to 28 years in prison

HAMMOND, Ind. (AP) - A northwestern Indiana man has been sentenced in federal court to 28 years in prison for crimes that included a slaying prosecutors say was committed to further his standing in the Latin Kings street gang.

The U.S. Attorney's office says 22-year-old Anton James Jr. of Hammond, Indiana, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy.

Martin Hurtado Sr. was shot to death outside his home in 2014 while working on his car. Hurtado was not a gang member. James also was accused of conspiring to distribute cocaine and firing shots at members of rival gangs.

Thomas Kirsch II, U.S. Attorney for Indiana's Northern District says that through his gang activities, James "terrorized the streets of northwest Indiana" and the length of his prison sentence "reflects the seriousness of these crimes."