By trimming the tail off the 'Y,' the famous Major League Baseball trademark is turned into an interwoven VN, standing for Van Nuys. The gang is touting its Yankee-esque symbol on social networking Web sites and YouTube.
It's just one example of what law enforcement say is an increasing trend among gangs to use cyberspace to broaden their appeal, boast of illegal exploits, pose threats and recruit new members.
And more than ever, prosecutors are scouring sites like MySpace, Facebook and Twitter for potential evidence in gang-related criminal cases.
"Five years ago we would find evidence in a gang case on the Internet and say, 'Wow.' Well, there's no more 'Wow' any more. Sadly, it's much more routine," said Bruce Riordan, director of anti-gang operations for the Los Angeles City Attorney's office.
Cyberbanging, as authorities call it, can provide prosecutors with the proof they need in criminal cases to demonstrate affiliation in a street gang - something typically denied by defendants at trial.
"When the gang member has basically put his or her admission of gang membership up on the Internet, it can not only help prosecutors prove a case, it can also help us disprove a false defense," said Riordan.
Links: http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_13931149
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