Philip "Sparky" Sparks, 33, a Nuestra gang leader, was arrested this week after a statewide sweep. He lived on Fremont Way in Hollister.

Sparks lived on Fremont Way and was arrested during statewide
sweep
A man who had been the top Norteno leader on the Central
Coast
– living outside of California prisons – was residing in
Hollister before his arrest Tuesday as part of a statewide
operation to catch many of the most dangerous and influential gang
members on the streets.
Sparks lived on Fremont Way and was arrested during statewide sweep

A man who had been the top Norteno leader on the Central Coast – living outside of California prisons – was residing in Hollister before his arrest Tuesday as part of a statewide operation to catch many of the most dangerous and influential gang members on the streets.

Philip “Sharky” Sparks, 33, was living on Fremont Way in Hollister and was arrested at a store he owned in Salinas called Forbidden XTC, which sells adult novelty items. It was part of “Operation Street Sweeper” – a six-month effort by several local, state and federal agencies, according to an announcement from the state attorney general’s office.

It is unclear how long Sparks lived in Hollister before his arrest, while he had taken on the lead role for the Salinas-area Nuestra Familia gang – the biggest in Northern California – about eight months ago. He was among 40 people arrested as of Tuesday, while Visalila Police Department Sgt. Steve Philips noted how there were additional arrests Wednesday. Authorities did not have an official count before Pinnacle press time.

It was part of an operation that started in March and was headed by the Visalia department, along with state and federal drug units. It targeted members of Northern California’s biggest and criminally active gangs, whose top-tier members run the organization from within seven prisons, largely using cell phones smuggled into the facilities, according to the attorney general’s office.

Sparks was among the most notable arrests during the sweep involving 250 police officers. He faces charges of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine, according to authorities. He could spend up to 10 years in prison.

Though Hollister police were not involved in the operation, Sgt. David Westrick confirmed, local authorities were aware of Sparks taking up residence here, he said.

His arrest comes months after a San Benito County sheriff’s candidate, Watsonville police Lt. Darren Thompson, stressed during his early campaign how several top-level gang members in the region live in Hollister.

Westrick noted how local authorities are part of a consortium of departments throughout the area that “actively works throughout the area that “actively works together to track and assist each other’s agencies in investigations of this type.” He surmised that it is possible Sparks had “less exposure” living in Hollister because he had a business in Salinas as well.

“The reality is, everybody lives everywhere,” Westrick said. “The fact is, here in Hollister we have a diverse community.”

While he confirmed police knew of Sparks’ presence here, he noted how authorities deal with known gang members “how you’d deal with anybody else.”

“If there’s a cause to take action in a particular residence or address, we deal with it,” he said.

In the case of Sparks, Salinas officers before taking him into custody had driven him to his store on Market Street and searched it after he gave consent, Officer Lalo Villegas said.

Officers didn’t find anything relevant in the store. They are trying to determine whether Sparks used the store as a front to conceal criminal activity.

In his position within the gang’s hierarchy, Sparks was allegedly in charge of overseeing the distribution of drugs and guns down the ranks to street level Norteño members and collected “taxes” to benefit the gang leadership, Villegas said.

Any orders directing acts of violence from gang leadership also would have been given through Sparks, but Villegas didn’t know if any were carried out.

McClatchy News Wire contributed to this reporter

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