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It took 12 years, a mistrial, and two grand jury indictments before the trial of Wade Simpson could begin in September 2016, following the Irish-American's 2005 arrest for federal drug crimes. The case charged Simpson with murder, attempted murder, and conspiracy to distribute narcotics as part of the Family Affiliated Irish Mafia street gang, or FAIM. Grand jury witnesses took the stand to describe how the gang spreads fear through the San Fierro Bay Area.
FAIM is believed to be mostly composed of self-professed Irish-Americans. Members are easily recognizable by their shamrock tattoos. Simpson has stated he is "proud to be Irish" and "very much about my race." Prosecutors and witnesses state that FAIM started in the mid-1990s as a drug dealing clique with the aim to expand operations and offer protection from rival groups in the area. Wade Simpson and Ronald Boyle, along with a group of close friends, founded the gang together with Simpson quickly taking the reigns and acting as "shotcaller" on the streets and in prison. The two co-founders of the gang had a falling out, which resulted in Simpson, who was incarcerated at the time, putting a hit out on Boyle later in the year.
Michael Iadanza, a foot soldier for FAIM, attempted to carry out the order by targeting Boyle in a shooting outside of a bar in Garcia.
The murder attempt was botched and resulted in the death of local bar patron Henry Aponte, who was fatally struck in the head by one of the bullets. Boyle survived and soon began to cooperate with law enforcement, acting as the main witness in the case. Boyle was sent into witness protection in exchange for his testimony. Iadanza was found guilty of murder in 2013 and sentenced to life in prison.
Albert Silva is another FAIM member to make the headlines in 2010. While incarcerated, Silva stabbed a fellow inmate to death. Investigators believe the attack was due to the victim's conviction for the vehicular killing of a 9-year-old girl, something which the investigators say is against the prison code among convicts. This was not the only time that FAIM was involved with criminal activity behind bars. The gang has presence in the prison system, where they actively recruit members and further their own criminal influence.
Simpson and his associates became well known for their involvement in distributing methamphetamine throughout the early 2000s. David Loggia, a State Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement special agent, said that FAIM sold enough drugs to allow its members to buy Lamborghinis and multiple houses as well as to bribe police officers. Simpson, who received his drugs from Juan and Eladio Carmona, two Mexican brothers connected to the Sinaloa drug cartel, sold drugs in the Bay Area with the help of his gang.
Eladio Carmona agreed to testify against Simpson after he, Simpson and others were indicted on federal drug trafficking charges in 2005. During court hearings, Carmona testified that Simpson confessed to him that he participated in the killing of Christopher Munson, an Aryan Brotherhood drug dealer, who was found shot to death outside of Bayside in October of 2004.
Judge Gregory Whatley sentenced Simpson to 100 years to life in prison. When asked to address the ruling, Simpson replied, "Ya win some, ya lose some" as he shrugged it off. "It has been far and away the most sprawling case I've ever been involved with, and it took a lot of determination on a lot of people for staying with it," prosecutor Kyle Bagwell said, crediting all involved law enforcement agencies for being part of the investigation process.
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