Gang member sentenced to 30 years

A core member of one of Utah's most violent gangs will spend 30 years in a federal prison for racketeering.

As a member of the Tiny Oriental Posse, William Mathipannha was involved with a number of violent crimes, including the drive-by shooting death of a rival gang member, according to court documents.

U.S. District Court Judge Tena Campbell sentenced Mathipannha on Monday and recommended he serve his time at a federal facility in Phoenix.

Mathipannha was one of about 15 members of the Tiny Oriental Posse to strike a plea agreement with prosecutors earlier this year.

Gang members were charged with taking part in a series of assaults, home-invasion robberies, drug trafficking and slayings. Among those acts was the November 1998 shooting of Bethany Hyde, who was killed when TOP members mistook Hyde's car for that of a rival gang member, prosecutors said.