The Hidden Valley Kings is a neighborhood-based gang in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was formed in Hidden Valley, a neighborhood located between Sugar Creek Rd., Interstate 85, and North Tryon St. A street gang known to take brutal force to get what they desire, they are considered one of the most violent gangs on the east coast.
When Crack Cocaine hit Charlotte in the early 1980s, trouble started. Hidden Valley had numerous neighborhood drug dealers and troubles intensified when a former Crip moved in. With no interest in expanding, he started the "Krucial Islamic Nubian God'S", or "KINGS" for short. With plenty of willing recruits from Hidden Valley, the KINGS grew. Eventually, the neighborhood gained independence as a gang, and called themselves the "Hidden Valley Kings", or "HVK" for short. They represented themselves with dreadlocks and the color Green. They mocked the police by using the same codes and carrying the same weapons. They organized the neighborhood much like a city would be organized, splitting it into three zones.
By the 1990s, the HVKs were doing well as a gang. The Kings had all the cash flow they needed in the neighborhood, keeping other gangs at bay. They made millions of dollars over the years, but in the 2000s, the Kings started drawing a large amount of unwanted attention to themselves. After a series of high-profile murders, the police began trying to discover the Kings' identities. With no previous knowledge of the gang, or even recognition of the Kings as a gang, they soon discovered how extensive and organized the gang's operations really were.
On November 28, 2005 a shooting erupted at Eastland Mall between the Hidden Valley Kings and Juan Lawrence, a drug dealer who allegedly refused to pay taxes. The 22 year-old escaped unharmed but it wasn't over. He was ambushed later that night in a hotel parking lot. After managing to escape a second time, a jeep full of Hidden Valley Kings caught up with him. The Kings began firing assault rifles and handguns. Shooting ensued between the two vehicles going down North Tryon St. Eventually, both cars wrecked and it turned into a foot pursuit. The Kings conducted a thorough search, determined to find the 22 year-old. Running through houses and yards, the Kings caught up with the drug dealer and killed him point-blank with an AK-47 Assault Rifle.[1]
The brutal murder the trigger for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department to begin taking action against the gang. The department was quick to form a special operations unit designed to take down the Kings. They developed a plan and followed the Kings for almost two years. With surveillance tapes and recordings obtained through informants, they had all the evidence needed to take the Kings down. On March 30, 2007, more than one hundred task force agents cracked down on the Kings. They arrested 20 Hidden Valley King members and associates, including the leaders, on multiple drug charges.
Though the Hidden Valley Kings are still active today, they were sure to slow things down and keep more of a low profile.[2] They received various charges from 10 years to life.