Southwest Side cocaine crew member sentenced to 60 years
BY KIM JANSSEN Federal Courts Reporter kjanssen@suntimes.com November 27, 2012 2:18PM
Updated: December 29, 2012 6:19AM
A member of a brutal Southwest Side cocaine crew that murdered rivals and teamed up with a corrupt cop was sentenced to 60 years in prison Tuesday.
Jorge Uriarte — one of three brothers who prosecutors said worked for admitted drug kingpin Saul Rodriguez — was handed the sentence by federal Judge Joan Gotschall, almost a year after he was convicted on racketeering, gun and drug charges alongside five co-defendants.
The crew kidnapped, robbed and killed rivals as well as sold drugs. Former Chicago narcotics cop Glen Lewellen was part of their drug conspiracy, a jury found.
Uriarte is the third member of Rodriguez’s crew to be sentenced. His brother Hector and Lewellen are to be sentenced in January. Rodriguez, who pleaded guilty and testified against his former buddies to avoid the death penalty, faces 40 years behind bars under a plea deal.
