Man gets two years for role in Roxbury chapter of Latin Kings gang

A federal judge today sentenced Dante "King Nasty" Lara, a member of the Devon Street Kings branch of the national Latin Kings gang, to two years in federal prison on a RICO charge, the US Attorney's office reports.

The most infamous member of the Devon Street gang is Shaun Harrison, a onetime English High School counselor who is already serving a lengthy state prison sentence for shooting one of his students over marijuana sales. Lara, his two older brothers, Harrison and 58 other alleged Latin Kings members were arrested in a 2019 federal and local crackdown.

In November, Lara, 30 and now a Rhode Island resident, pleaded guilty, admitting "to participating in the drug distribution activities of the gang and to possessing a loaded firearm and cocaine that were located in his apartment during the execution of a warrant," the US Attorney's office says.

Prosecutors asked for a sentence of 36 months.

Lara's attorney had asked for a sentence of 18 months, arguing that Lara had long ago separated himself from the Latin Kings, in part by moving to Rhode Island, that he has a steady job as a house painter, working for a man who has agreed to rehire him after he gets out and that he is a loving "papi" to his five children, one of whom has significant medical issues.

One week ago, Mr. Lara celebrated his thirtieth birthday at home with his family. He knows that this time next year he will be in federal prison. But,the Mr. Lara before the court today is not "King Nasty" from the Latin Kings or this indictment. He is a man, a partner, and "Papi" to his five children. Mr. Lara carries the weight of again leaving his children to live behind bars, but he will not allow incarceration to derail his forward progress. ...

While Mr. Lara recognizes that there is still work to be done, Mr. Lara enters his thirties as a hardworking and devoted father, not the criminal of his twenties.