Butler County Update: MS-13 in Fairfield Edition

A lot of folks misunderstand my love/hate relationship with Sheriff Jones, but the truth is I fully support Spotlight on a number of issues including his stance on illegal immigration.  Why?  Because I believe that facing down the crime of illegal immigration will have an effect, however large or small, on other crime.

The article doesn't say, but I'd bet dollars to donuts that this guy is an illegal alien. 

The very last thing Butler County needs is a gang problem on the scale that MS-13 represents. 

MS-13 Gang Member Sentenced to 37 Years in Prison

GREENBELT, Md., July 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Oscar Ramos Velasquez, age 22, of Baltimore, today to 37 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise and conspiracy to commit assaults with a deadly weapon in order to maintain and increase his position in MS-13, assault with a deadly weapon in aid of racketeering and use of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein said, "The RICO statute allows us to prosecute gang members in federal court for the activities of the criminal organization they chose to join. This sentence should serve as a warning to young people who are tempted to join gangs like MS-13, that you may pay for that decision for the rest of your life. Federal, state and local authorities will continue to work together to combat violent gangs in Maryland."

A federal jury convicted Velasquez and co-defendant Edgart Alberto Ayala, age 29 of Suitland, Maryland, in November 2006, after a six week trial. According to testimony at the trial, the defendants conspired to operate an MS-13 enterprise in Prince George's and Montgomery Counties through a pattern of racketeering activity which included six murders in Maryland and one in Virginia; the use of deadly weapons including firearms, baseball bats, machetes, bottles or knives in the commission of numerous murders, attempted murders and assaults; assaults on an MS-13 gang member from El Salvador, juvenile females and rival gang members; kidnapping; robbery; obstruction of justice and witness tampering.

Trial testimony showed that Velasquez and other MS-13 gang members possessed a deadly weapon while he sexually assaulted two juvenile females at a "skipping party" on May 12, 2003; and assaulted rival gang members outside a nightclub in Langley Park, Maryland on Sept. 17, 2004.

Special Agent in Charge Gregory K. Gant of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives stated, "ATF and our task force partners will continue to investigate violent gangs that bring fear and devastation into our communities. This sentence should send a message to any violent gang member that your acts of violence may have earned you a membership in MS-13, but they will also earn you accommodations inside a prison cell."

Ayala was sentenced to 35 years in prison on June 1, 2007.

To date, this office has charged 42 gang members with various federal offenses, with 30 defendants charged in this RICO conspiracy case. Fourteen MS-13 gang members have been convicted thus far in this RICO conspiracy case. Jose Hipolito Cruz Diaz, a/k/a "Pirana," age 28, of Lanham, Maryland; Omar Vasquez, a/k/a "Duke," age 28; and Henry Zelaya, age 20 were convicted at trial on April 27, 2007 and face life in prison at their sentencings on August 10, 2007, Aug. 6, 2007 and July 30, 2007, respectively. Nine defendants, all of Maryland, have pleaded guilty.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the RAGE Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Prince George's County Police Department; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; the Montgomery County Department of Police; the Howard County Police Department; the Maryland National Capital Park Police; the Maryland State Police; and the Fairfax County, Virginia Police Department for their investigative work.

Mr. Rosenstein thanked Prince George's County State's Attorney Glenn F. Ivey, Montgomery County State's Attorney John McCarthy, and Fairfax County, Virginia, Commonwealth's Attorney Robert F. Horan, Jr., for the assistance that they and their offices have provided.

Mr. Rosenstein commended Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sandra Wilkinson, James Trusty and Chan Park, Prince George's County Assistant State's Attorney Laura Gwinn, and Trial Attorney David Jaffe, a prosecutor for the Justice Department's Gang Squad, who are prosecuting these cases.

MS-13 Member Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison in Racketeering Conspiracy

GREENBELT, Md., June 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Lisbeth Delcid, also known as "Lil Truca," or "Lil Trucha," age 23, of Woodbridge, Virginia, today to nine years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to conduct and participate in racketeering enterprise activities of an MS-13 gang, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.

U.S. Attorney Rod Rosenstein stated, "Violent gangs often recruit new members in our schools, where children need a safe environment for learning. School teachers and administrators should confront the problem and warn students and their parents about the tragic consequences of joining a violent gang."

According to the statement of facts provided to the court as part of her plea agreement, La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as the MS-13 gang, is a gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants of immigrants from El Salvador, with members operating throughout Prince George's County and Montgomery County, Maryland, and elsewhere. MS-13 is a national and international criminal organization with approximately 10,000 members.

MS-13 is organized in "cliques," including, but not limited to, the Sailors Locos Salvatruchos Westside ("SLSW" or "Sailors"), the Teclas Locos Salvatruchos ("TLS"), and the Langley Park Salvatruchos ("LPS"). Delcid was a member of the Sailors clique. The MS-13 cliques work together cooperatively to commit acts of violence.

Beginning at least in 2003 and continuing through April 5, 2006, Delcid attended MS-13 meetings and paid dues to the gang. Delcid began associating with MS-13 while attending high school. Delcid gave money to the gang to support other gang members and Sailors clique members who were imprisoned for gang violence.

In January 2006, Delcid admitted to an ATF agent and a Prince George's Police detective that she had a relationship with a TLS clique leader. After the leader was jailed in 2005, Delcid maintained regular contact with him, receiving letters from him regarding gang activities, as well as letters sent to her for the express purpose of redistributing information to TLS clique members. Delcid was aware that MS-13 members planned to kill "chavalas," or rival gang members. Delcid's repeated assistance in communicating instructions to TLS members furthered the objectives of MS-13, including locating, attacking and killing rival gang members.

Since 2005, the U.S. Attorney's Office has prosecuted a total of 42 MS-13 gang members, with 30 defendants charged in a RICO conspiracy case. Fourteen gang members have been convicted at trial or pled guilty in the RICO case.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Prince George's County Police Department; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; the Montgomery County Police Department; the Howard County Police Department; the Maryland National Capital Park Police; the Maryland State Police and the Fairfax County, Virginia Police Department for their investigative work in this case. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys James M. Trusty and Chan Park, and Trial Attorney David Jaffe, a prosecutor for the Justice Department's Gang Squad, who are prosecuting the case.