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Press Release
Plainfield-based Gang Allegedly Supported the Enterprise with Murder, Extortion, Plots to Kill Witnesses and a Law Enforcement Officer, and Sexual Assault
NEWARK, N.J. – Three former leaders of a New Jersey branch of the violent international street gang “La Mara Salvatrucha” – including its founding member – are charged with racketeering and murder in an indictment that also charges 11 other alleged members of the gang with related crimes, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced today.
Santos Reyes-Villatoro, a/k/a “Mousey,” allegedly founded the “Plainfield Locos Salvatruchas” (PLS) – a subset, or “clique” – of La Mara Salvatrucha in the 1990s and served as its leader until his arrest in 2009 for attempted murder. Also known as MS-13, La Mara Salvatrucha is composed largely of Salvadorans and Salvadoran immigrants. Two other former leaders of the local PLS clique, Mario Oliva, a/k/a “Zorro,” and Roberto Contreras, a/k/a “Demonio,” are also charged in a 26-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury.
In all, the indictment charges 14 alleged members of the gang with racketeering conspiracy and a host of other violent crimes.
“The indictment describes an extraordinarily dangerous criminal enterprise whose entire reason for being revolves around imposing its leaders’ will through violence and intimidation,” U.S. Attorney Fishman said. “They have inflicted on the people of Plainfield and surrounding areas a reign of terror, backed up by physical assaults and murders. No community should have to endure such lawlessness.”
“The brazenness of the conduct charged in today’s indictment is deeply troubling,” Acting Union County Prosecutor Grace H. Park said. “The defendants allegedly showed no reluctance to react to perceived or real slights with immediate and reckless violence – and when they were caught, they plotted to retaliate against those who they believed to be responsible. Combatting gang-related crimes in Plainfield and all of our communities is one of the top priorities of this office, and it is reflected in today’s charges against the leaders of a particularly violent criminal enterprise.”
The federal indictment, which charges members of PLS with a racketeering conspiracy, four murders, multiple conspiracies to commit murder, extortion, robbery and a variety of other crimes, is the culmination of a three-year investigation that started in the Union County Prosecutor’s Office and expanded to include other local, state and federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI. Among those named in the indictment are individuals who were arrested and charged with state crimes in the summer of 2011. Today’s indictment incorporates many of the acts charged at the state level and adds additional criminal activity uncovered during the subsequent investigation.
All but one of the defendants are currently in custody; Walter Yovany-Gomez remains at large. Those in custody are scheduled to make their initial appearances later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Dickson in Newark federal court.
According to the indictment:
The PLS clique was founded in the mid-1990s by Reyes-Villatoro and operated in New Jersey in Union, Somerset and Middlesex counties. Reyes-Villatoro served as “first word,” or leader, of the group until he was arrested in 2009 and charged with attempted murder. The first word is responsible for “greenlighting,” or authorizing, all murders committed by members of the clique.
Reyes-Villatoro relinquished the position to his “second word,” or deputy, Oliva, who held the position until he allegedly murdered a member of MS-13 in February 2010 and fled New Jersey. Contreras then took over. He is implicated in the sexual assault with Oliva of two underage girls.
The indictment charges numerous violent acts committed by PLS members as part of the racketeering conspiracy, some of which targeted members of rival gangs, such as the Latin Kings and the 18th Street gang, and some of which targeted MS-13 members perceived as being disloyal.
Among the charges are four gang-related murders:
“Today, HSI and our law enforcement partners have struck a serious blow to the core of this gang organization,” Andrew McLees, special agent in charge of ICE, Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) Newark, said. “MS-13 gang members and their associates are serious career criminals who have a callous disregard for human life. HSI is determined to remove the MS-13 menace from New Jersey’s communities.”
“Today’s indictment is the result of a long-term, multi-agency investigation,” Aaron T. Ford, FBI special agent in charge in Newark, said. “Dedicated personnel from agencies at all levels of government worked in unison to combat this dangerous and violent criminal enterprise. This cooperation is, and will continue to be, a critical factor for successfully defending threats that endanger the citizens of New Jersey.”
In 2011, law enforcement arrested a number of PLS members in Plainfield. While detained at the Union County Jail, PLS members plotted to retaliate against those they believed were responsible for their arrest, including witnesses, law enforcement and fellow gang members they suspected were cooperating with the government. PLS members allegedly sought revenge against a Plainfield detective involved in the case by planning to firebomb the residence of the detective’s mother.
Six defendants – Reyes-Villatoro, Oliva, Julian Moz-Aguilar, Hugo Palencia, Cruz Flores, and Walter Yovany-Gomez – are charged with murder in aid of racketeering, which is punishable by a mandatory sentence of life in prison. The charge is a death penalty-eligible offense subject to a decision by the U.S. Attorney General. A complete chart outlining the counts per defendant and maximum potential penalties is attached, as is a chart outlining the overt acts charged in the indictment.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of ICE-HSI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge McLees; and the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ford. Fishman specifically thanked the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Park, for long, close collaboration on the case. He also thanked the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Geoffrey D. Soriano; and the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey, for their roles. He also acknowledged the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern District of Virginia and the District of Maryland for their assistance in the ongoing investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys James M. Donnelly and Andrew J. Bruck of the U.S Attorney’s Office Organized Crime/Gangs Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
13-388
Maximum Penalties
U.S. v. Reyes-Villatoro, et al.
Count |
Charge |
Defendants |
Maximum Penalty |
|
Racketeering Conspiracy |
Reyes-Villatoro, Santos, 40 |
Life in prison 20 years |
2.
|
Murder in Aid of Racketeering (Victim 5) |
Reyes-Villatoro |
Death eligible; mandatory life sentence |
3.
|
Use of Firearm in Violent Federal Crime (Victim 5) |
Reyes-Villatoro |
Life in prison; 10-year mandatory minimum |
4.
|
Murder Resulting from Federal Firearm Crime (Victim 5) |
Reyes-Villatoro |
Death eligible |
5.
|
Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering (Victim 6, Victim 7) |
Reyes-Villatoro |
20 years |
6.
|
Use of Firearm in Violent Federal Crime (Victim 6, Victim 7) |
Reyes-Villatoro |
20 years; 10-year mandatory minimum |
7.
|
Threat to Commit Sexual Assault (Victim 8, Victim 9) |
Oliva |
5 years |
8.
|
Murder in Aid of Racketeering (Victim 10) |
Oliva |
Death eligible; mandatory life sentence |
9.
|
Use of Firearm in Violent Federal Crime (Victim 10) |
Oliva |
Life in prison; 10-year mandatory minimum |
10.
|
Murder Resulting from Federal Firearm Crime (Victim 10) |
Oliva |
Death eligible |
11.
|
Accessory After the Fact to Murder in Aid of Racketeering (Victim 10) |
Contreras |
15 years |
12.
|
Murder in Aid of Racketeering (Victim 11) |
Palencia |
Death eligible; mandatory life sentence |
13.
|
Use of Firearm in Violent Federal Crime (Victim 11) |
Palencia |
Life in prison; 10-year mandatory minimum |
14.
|
Murder Resulting from Federal Firearm Crime (Victim 11) |
Palencia |
Death eligible |
15.
|
Murder-for-Hire Conspiracy |
Garcia |
10 years |
16.
|
Interstate Travel with Intent to Commit Murder-for-Hire |
Garcia |
10 years |
17.
|
Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering (Victim 14) |
Garcia |
20 years |
18.
|
Conspiracy to Commit Murder in Aid of Racketeering (Victim 15) |
Flores, Cruz, 27 |
10 years |
19.
|
Murder in Aid of Racketeering (Victim 15) |
Flores |
Death eligible; mandatory life sentence |
20.
|
Conspiracy to Commit Murder in Aid of Racketeering |
Orellana-Carranza |
10 years |
21.
|
Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering (Victim 18) |
Portillo-Fuentes |
20 years |
22.
|
Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering (Victim 19, Victim 20) |
K. Mejia |
20 years |
23.
|
Use of Firearm in Violent Federal Crime (Victim 19, Victim 20) |
K. Mejia |
Life in prison; 10-year mandatory minimum |
24.
|
Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine |
K. Mejia |
20 years |
25.
|
Conspiracy to Commit Murder in Aid of Racketeering (Victim 22) |
K. Mejia |
10 years |
26.
|
Conspiracy to Commit Murder in Aid of Racketeering (Victim 16, Victim 22, Victim 23) |
Romero-Aguirre, Jose, 26 |
10 years |
The maximum fine upon conviction of Count 24 is $1 million. For each of the other counts, the maximum fine upon conviction is $250,000.
Overview of Overt Acts
U.S. v. Reyes-Villatoro, et al.
Overt Acts |
Counts |
Date |
Act |
a-b |
Before November 2009 |
Reyes-Villatoro becomes First Word; Oliva becomes Second Word |
|
c |
From December 2008 through November 2009 |
Reyes-Villatoro orders collection of “rent” from inactive gang members |
|
d |
Dec. 5, 2008 |
Palencia, Kelvin Mejia, and other MS-13 members shoot at Latin Kings |
|
e-f |
Jan. 25, 2009 |
Reyes-Villatoro orders unidentified MS-13 member to shoot at two members of Latin Kings |
|
g-i |
2-4 |
Feb. 8, 2009 |
Reyes-Villatoro orders Moz-Aguilar to murder Victim #5 (Christian Tigsi) |
j-l |
5-6 |
Oct. 31, 2009 |
Reyes-Villatoro drives Kelvin Mejia to house in North Plainfield, where Mejia fires at rival gang members |
m-n |
After Oct. 31, 2009, but before Feb. 27, 2010 |
Oliva becomes First Word; Contreras becomes Second Word |
|
o |
After Oct. 31, 2009, but before Feb. 27, 2010 |
Oliva orders collection of “rent” from inactive gang members |
|
p-q |
7 |
After Oct. 31, 2009, but before Feb. 27, 2010 |
Oliva and Contreras sexually assault two teenage girls to establish their dominance in gang |
r-v |
8-11 |
Feb. 27, 2010 and after |
Oliva and one of his soldiers shoots and kills Victim #10 (Jessica Montoya). Contreras helps both perpetrators relocate to Maryland afterwards |
w |
After Feb. 27, 2010 |
Contreras becomes First Word |
|
x |
After Feb. 27, 2010 |
Contreras orders “greenlighting” of MS-13 member believed to be cooperating in investigation of Jessica Montoya’s murder. (Individual is not killed.) |
|
y |
After Feb. 27, 2010 |
Contreras orders collection of “rent” from inactive gang members |
|
z |
Oct. 31, 2010 |
Unidentified MS-13 members evade law enforcement by hiding in a Plainfield apartment (which is later the scene of the murder in Overt Act mm) |
|
aa-cc |
12-14 |
Nov. 10-11, 2010 |
Palencia orders unidentified MS-13 member to shoot teenager as he walks home from school with a group of other kids. MS-13 member shoots at group, kills another kid in the crowd, Victim #11 (Spencer Cadogan) |
dd-ee |
15-16 |
December 2010 through |
Garcia recruits MS-13 members in the Washington, D.C., area to travel to New Jersey to participate in a murder-for-hire. |
ff |
Jan. 9, 2011 |
Unidentified MS-13 members murder Victim #12 (Andres Chach) in front of Pueblo Viejo (Note: this murder is not charged substantively) |
|
hh |
After Jan. 10, 2011, but before Jan. 31, 2011 |
Contreras passes information to Palencia about the murder of Victim #12 |
|
ii |
May 7, 2011 |
Portillo shoots Victim #13 in Plainfield, using the same gun that was used four months earlier to kill Victim #12 |
|
jj-kk |
17 |
May 8, 2011 |
Garcia assaults Victim #14 |
ll |
May 2011 |
MS-13 assigns killing “missions” to certain members of the gang |
|
mm-nn |
18-19 |
May 8, 2011 and after |
Flores and Yovany-Gomez murder Victim #15 (Julio Matute-Amaya); Mejia helps Yovany-Gomez flee New Jersey |
oo-pp |
May 11, 2011 |
Portillo, Moz-Aguilar, and Ramirez conspire to threaten and collect “rent” from inactive member of MS-13 |
|
|
June 4, 2011 |
Franklin Mejia attacks Victim #17, who is supposedly associating with 18th Street gang |
|
rr-tt |
20 |
June 11, 2011 |
Orellana-Carranza seeks to complete his “mission”; conspires with Garcia and Kelvin Mejia |
uu |
21 |
June 15, 2011 |
Portillo attacks Victim #18 with machete |
vv |
22-23 |
June 15, 2011 |
Kelvin Mejia and Franklin Mejia rob two victims in Green Brook Park in Plainfield |
ww |
June 24, 2011 |
Orellana-Carranza, Ramirez, and Franklin Mejia plot to kill owner of underground liquor store |
|
xx |
June 28, 2011 |
Kelvin Mejia and Franklin Mejia threaten to kill individual they believe is cooperating with law enforcement |
|
yy-zz |
24 |
June 30, 2011 through July 2, 2011 |
Kelvin Mejia and Franklin Mejia arrange cocaine sales |
aaa-ddd |
25 |
July 2, 2011 |
Kelvin Mejia and Franklin Mejia plot to kill Victim #22 after he tries to protect Victim #17 (see Overt Act qq) |
eee |
July 4, 2011 |
Garcia and Kelvin Mejia plot to rob owner of underground liquor store to raise bail money |
|
fff |
July 2011 |
Franklin Mejia and Ramirez plot to kill Plainfield detective |
|
ggg |
26 |
July – August 2011 |
Kelvin Mejia, Franklin Mejia, Garcia, Ramirez and Orellana-Carranza plot to kill witnesses from inside Union County Jail |
hhh-jjj |
26 |
Aug. 1-2, 2011 |
Ramirez calls Romero-Aguirre from inside Union County Jail to plan witness retaliation plots |