Ozark Profile : Former drug-dealing gang member uses experiences to mentor at-risk youth
Posted on Monday, October 13, 2008
BROOKE McNEELY Northwest Arkansas Times Freddy Montoya is father of three and an aspiring religious rapper in Johnson. A reformed drug dealer and gang member, Montoya is now a professional boxer and empathizes with at-risk youth he mentors in Northwest Arkansas.
Freddy Montoya has seen rock bottom. "It was April 2004, " he recalled. "My wife and I were separated, and I was sleeping on my mother-inlaw's porch. I remember staring up at the moon, and all of a sudden, I started crying like a baby."
His reflection on the past served as a wake-up call that changed Montoya's life forever.
The Monte Bella, Calif., native grew up in a broken family with two siblings. He was raised, for the most part, in Albuquerque, N. M., by his mom and stepfather. His parents split when he was 13, got back together, but later separated again.
Throughout his childhood, Montoya thought of his stepfather as his biological father.
The two shared a strained relationship from the beginning, despite Montoya's yearn for a closer bond.
"My dad always treated me more like a buddy than a son," he said. "He didn't do the things with me that most dads do with their sons, like take me hunting or fishing. "It wasn't until the age of 9 that Montoya learned of his biological father's true identity. The news took him by surprise. Though he loved his stepfather, he couldn't help but wonder about his biological roots.
"I wondered if I was really Mexican," Montoya said. "My mom was Hispanic American, but for some reason, I always felt pulled toward the Mexican culture, particularly the music."
The struggle with his identity, coupled with weak family ties, eventually paved a path of self-destruction.
At 18, Montoya and his friends started their own gang.
Movies like," Menace to Society," and "Boyz N the Hood," influenced the teens' behavior.
"We were really risky, which made us cool in other people's eyes," Montoya said. "We were into fear, power and respect, but mainly fear."
Prior to his gang involvement, Montoya was a selfdescribed "jock. "The reputation transcended his gang membership, earning him the nickname," muscle."
Alcohol, parties and drug use became part of the group's lifestyle. By 11 th grade, the teens were trafficking cocaine for a highpowered drug dealer.
"My friend's uncle was part of the Mexican Mafia," Montoya said. "He'd have me and my friends get on a go-cart to get a (kilo ) for his uncle. We'd take it back to my friend's house and bury it. His uncle would pick it up and leave a big chunk of coke behind, as payment."
Montoya and his friends began throwing "cocaine parties," which often spiraled out of control.
Soon, they were stealing cars and stripping parts for drug money. Montoya described the routine crime as a "personal hobby. "Then one day, he got caught.
Police questioned him, but Montoya denied any involvement. Despite his best efforts, Montoya's lies didn't keep him out of trouble. While awaiting his court date, police caught him stealing another car. He was charged with a felony.
Montoya's battle with drug addiction remained steady until the age of 19, when he met Janeth - his future wife. The two met through mutual friends and fell in love almost immediately. The relationship prompted Montoya to scale back his drug use significantly, though he never completely quit.
At about the same time, Montoya's biological father came into his life. His mom made the connection through an Internet search. Much to her surprise, Montoya's dad seemed interested in meeting the son he never knew. After a few phone conversations, Montoya received a plane ticket in the mail. Before he knew it, he was off to California.
"We embraced right away," Montoya said of his initial encounter with his dad. "He said he always felt like he had another son somewhere."
The union with his dad confirmed Montoya's Mexican heritage. It also paved the way for relationships with other relatives and siblings he never knew about.
"They acted like they had known me all my life," Montoya said. "It was like God had given me a new family."
In addition to forming a bond with his father, Montoya's love for Janeth continued to grow. About a year into their relationship, the couple married. "The day we got married, I decided to get high," Montoya said. "That was the day I threw my life away. "In 2000, the couple had their first daughter, Iris. Though Montoya adored his daughter, the role of father didn't curb his drug addiction. His "occasional"habit quickly evolved into a $ 200- $ 300 daily crack addiction. While Janeth worked part time making $ 5. 25 an hour, Montoya raided the home for drug money. "I would steal her last $ 10 for baby milk to buy drugs," he admitted. "I stole from my brother, my mom, my friends - I didn't care who I hurt as long as I could find more drugs. "After about a year and a half, Janeth had had enough. She packed her things and moved to Northwest Arkansas. Before leaving, she gave her husband an ultimatum. He could change his ways and join her in Arkansas or he could stay behind. A week later, Montoya headed south to be with his family. He began working odd jobs for labor companies and was later offered $ 400 a week to work as an interpreter. Six months later, his boss got in trouble with the law and was deported. The company fell into Montoya's hands..
"I thought to myself, ' I'm finally doing good; I can start to smoke weed now, '"he said. "I was wrong. God took everything away from me as fast as I got it in the first place. " The loss of his company sent Montoya back to doing what he knew best - getting high. He was later introduced to methamphetamine - a substance that quickly became his drug of choice. The side effects turned him into a person he didn't know, oftentimes, prompting him to leave his family for days at a time. "As evil as I was, my wife never got rid of me," he said. "She always took me back. "Five-day benders and no sleep made Montoya violent toward those he loved. A fight with his cousin left him with a broken jaw that had to be wired shut for six weeks. Meanwhile, Montoya's family struggled to make ends meet. After working various jobs that didn't pay the family's bills, Montoya went to work at a Springdale night club. He became friends with the security manager and began working the door. "We started ruling the place like we were the Mafia," Montoya said. "We controlled all the drug sales that went on inside. In 2004, we formed our own gang. "Montoya later began selling methamphetamine - a job he perfected over the next two years. His family was grateful for the extra cash and didn't question where it came from.
"I had 10 to 15 grand passing through my hands on a daily basis," he said. "Where that money went, I'll never know. I ended up meeting a lot of people though."
Montoya's gang quickly became one of many in Springdale. The groups gained power through violence and intimidation. At about the same time, the area's crime rate skyrocketed, prompting a crackdown by police.
"When the feds came to town, all kinds of people started getting busted," Montoya said. "The only people who didn't get in trouble, were me and another guy. I was really careful. I knew what cops looked for."
The police sweep wiped out most of Montoya's drug business. Almost everyone he knew was serving time in jail. As his business and his family continued to crumble so did Montoya.
Relief later came from an unexpected source - the Bible. The words of a specific verse seemed to reflect Montoya's own life. He turned to a Catholic priest for guidance.
"The priest asked me, ' If you died tonight, would you go to heaven or hell ? ' Montoya said. "I started freaking out because I knew I would go to hell."
While sleeping on his mother-in-law's porch one night, Montoya thought about his past. Feelings of shame and guilt washed over him at once, prompting a dramatic transformation. Montoya said he felt the presence of God. He wanted to go straight to church, but before he could move forward, he knew he had to confess all of his past mistakes to his wife - even if it meant losing her.
Though it took time for their marriage to heal, Montoya and his wife have since grown closer than ever. The couple celebrated their eighth anniversary earlier this year.
"When you go through something as hard as that, you realize how much it's worth," he said of his past. "I haven't looked back once. God has recreated me and taught me not to live in condemnation."
Today, Montoya, 29, is a professional boxing champion and is in the process of recording his second rap album. He recently completed the Level Up program at Leadership University - a nonprofit organization in Springdale that provides leadership training and character enrichment.
The group's founder, Ron Harris, said Montoya has become like a son to him.
"Freddy is a kind of guy who has a very keen sense of mission," Harris said. "He is extremely well liked by all and he has the ability to really speak into people's lives. He's a great teacher and an innovator."
Since completing the program, Montoya has worked with at-risk youth, serving as a mentor. Using his own life experiences, he relates to troubled teens and teaches them how to make better decisions.
"I just want to change one person at a time, so they can change someone else," he said.
Harris said Montoya's impact on others has already had an obvious effect.
"Freddy's not a guy you'd call an underdog," he said. "He's a constant fighter. He has the potential to revolutionize. Freddy is the kind of guy who will make history one day."
In addition to rebuilding his marriage, Montoya has made his family a priority. Each night, he makes it a rule that they sit at the dinner table together and eat as a family. They also go to church on Sundays.
Since the start of his mentoring career, Montoya's influence has spread to his own children, particularly his oldest daughter, Iris. After visiting an orphanage, she told her father that she hopes to one day become a missionary.
"I was so proud of her at that moment," Montoya said. "She's really come along way. Of all my kids, she's been through the most. But she's come a long way. We call her our little soldier."
By changing one child at a time, Montoya hopes to have a global impact.
"I will change the world," he said. "I don't know how, but I'm going to do it. I want to take my Christian values and hard work and use it to change people's lives. My goal is to inspire, illuminate and communicate integrity in myself and others."
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