Gang Leader Sentenced For Branding Members

A judge on Wednesday sentenced a 20-year-old man to 21 days in jail and placed him on probation for 30 months for branding the chests of teenage boys with a white-hot tool as part of a gang ritual.

Prosecutors said James P. Allen of Clarendon Hills last year started “The Wolf Pack” and drafted a list of gang bylaws on his home computer.

An investigation revealed that on May 5, 1994, Allen took five boys aged 14 to 18 to a bonfire behind his home and forced them to be burned with a white-hot tool used to stir paint, officials said.

On Wednesday, Allen pleaded guilty to compelling membership in an organization, which is a felony.