Native Mob member sentenced for murder

A member of the Native Mob street gang has been sentenced to 43 years in federal prison for killing a possible informant, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Minnesota.

The U.S. Attorney's Office says Shawn Michael Martinez fatally shot a fellow gang member. Martinez pleaded guilty in December to one count of murder resulting from using a firearm in a violent crime.

As part of his plea agreement, Martinez acknowledged he killed Jeremee Kraskey to keep Kraskey from talking to law enforcement about Native Mob activities. Martinez said he drove Kraskey to a home near Powderhorn Park in Minneapolis and shot him three times.

The long-term investigation is a collaboration of state, federal, and tribal law enforcement officers, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. Authorities say the Native Mob is a group of about 200 people who engage in drug trafficking, assault, robbery and murder. Earlier this year, a federal jury in Minneapolis found three men guilty of multiple racketeering charges for their affiliation with the Native Mob.

Defense attorneys said their clients were not part of an organized gang. They said the men formed an alliance for protection against rivals.

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