Federal Grand Jury Indicts Two Pueblo Men for Conspiracy to Commit Murder

 Pueblo Gang identified as a criminal enterprise

DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announced that a federal Grand Jury has returned a two-count indictment against Emilio Hall, age 26, and Christopher Ortiz, age 41, charging them with conspiracy to commit murder, in violation of the violent crimes in aid of racketeering statute (“VICAR”), 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(5).  The indictment also charges Hall with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1).  Hall is currently in custody on state charges and Ortiz is at large.

According to the indictment, Hall and Ortiz were members of the Ace street gang in Pueblo, Colorado.  On June 23, 2019, for the purpose of maintaining and increasing their position in the Ace street gang, Hall, Ortiz, and others known and unknown to the Grand Jury, agreed to murder Floyd Robinson.  Specifically, on June 23, 2019, Hall and Ortiz met in the vicinity of Bessemer Park, in Pueblo.  Hall possessed a 9mm handgun and shot and killed Robinson. 

The indictment also alleges that the Ace street gang is a criminal enterprise, as defined in 18 U.S.C. § 1959(b)(2), and that the gang engaged in racketeering activity involving murder and the manufacture, importation, receiving, concealment, buying, selling, and other dealing in controlled substances.

The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The investigation in this case is being conducted by the Pueblo Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and 10^th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, with assistance from the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Colorado State Patrol.  The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jason St. Julien and the Violent Crime and Immigration Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, with assistance from the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Gang Section.