MS-13 Member Sentenced to Over 15 Years for Leadership Role in Violent Racketeering Conspiracy

Participated in Assault, Kidnapping and Attempted Murder of a State’s Witness

A Maryland gang member was sentenced to 188 months in prison today for conspiring to participate in a racketeering enterprise known as La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13.

The sentence was announced by Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein of the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge Andre Watson of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI); Chief Mark A. Magaw of the Prince George’s County, Maryland Police Department; Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Angela D. Alsobrooks; Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County, Maryland, Police Department; Chief Alan Goldberg of the Takoma Park, Maryland, Police Department; and Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.

Wilmer Argueta, aka Chengo, 23, of Hyattsville, Maryland, pleaded guilty on April 20, 2015, before U.S. District Judge Roger W. Titus of the District of Maryland to one count of Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) conspiracy.

According to the stipulated facts agreed to in connection with Argueta’s guilty plea, MS-13 is an international criminal organization and one of the largest street gangs in the United States with branches or “cliques” operating throughout Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties in Maryland.  Both to maintain membership in the gang and to enforce internal discipline, members are required to engage in acts of intimidation and violence, including against members of rival gangs.

In connection with his plea, Argueta admitted that from 2009 until at least 2012, he was a member and leader of the Peajes Locos Salvatrucha clique of MS-13, and that he and members of the Peajes and other MS-13 cliques committed crimes to further the interests of the gang, including murder, assault, robbery, extortion by threat of violence, obstruction of justice, witness tampering and witness retaliation.

Argueta admitted that on Jan. 3, 2010, he and other MS-13 members attempted to kidnap and assault two individuals with various weapons because Argueta and his co-conspirators believed one of the individuals was associating with a rival gang.  After the individuals fled in different directions, several MS-13 members caught one of the victims and sexually assaulted her as retribution for associating with a rival gang.

In addition, according to the plea agreement, on Jan. 13, 2011, Argueta attended a Peajes clique meeting during which another MS-13 member criticized members of the clique for not committing enough violent crimes and encouraging clique members to target rival gang members with acts of violence.  After the meeting, Argueta and other MS-13 members strangled and stabbed an individual whom the clique members believed to be a member of a rival gang.  Although the MS-13 members left the victim for dead, he survived.

Argueta also admitted that between March and November 2011, he and other members of the Peajes clique extorted a former MS-13 associate under the threat of a “greenlight” (an order to kill).  Argueta admitted that he ordered other MS-13 associates to relay the death threats to the victim, and he contacted the victim himself on multiple occasions to arrange extortion payments.

According to admissions made in connection with his plea, between September and November 2011, Argueta conspired to kill an individual who had been assaulted by Argueta and other MS-13 members and who had agreed to testify as a witness against Argueta in state court.  Specifically, Argueta admitted that, while incarcerated in the Prince George’s County Corrections Facility, he ordered the “greenlight” by contacting a co-conspirator who then relayed the instruction to other MS-13 members.  On Nov. 15, 2011, three MS-13 members drove to the victim/witness’ home, and one of the co-conspirators shot at the victim from a moving vehicle, striking the victim in the chest.  The victim survived.

To date, five of the 14 defendants charged in this case have pleaded guilty to participating in the racketeering conspiracy.

The case is being investigated by HSI Baltimore, the Prince George’s County and Montgomery County Police Departments, the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office, the Takoma Park Police Department and the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office.  The Prince George’s County Sheriff’s Office, HSI Baltimore’s Operation Community Shield Task Force and the Maryland Department of Corrections Intelligence Unit also provided assistance.

The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Kevin L. Rosenberg of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys William D. Moomau and Lindsay Eyler Kaplan of the District of Maryland.

Member of Young Melph Mafia (YMM) Neighborhood Gang Sentenced to 18 Years for Drug and Firearms Violations

NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that RUBEN GEIGER, age 22, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced today for his participation in a drug conspiracy and a conspiracy to possess and use firearms in connection with the drug trafficking activities of a local gang known as the “Young Melph Mafia” or “YMM.” 

U.S. District Judge Kurt D. Engelhardt sentenced GEIGER to 220 months imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release.

GEIGER was originally charged in a five-count Superseding Indictment with nine other YMM members, who frequented the area of the former Melpomene Housing Project. According to the factual basis filed in open court, GEIGER and other YMM members participated in a wide ranging conspiracy to distribute street level quantities of crack cocaine in Central City and participated in several acts of violence against rival gangs, such as the 110ers.  The members of the YMM were associates of the members of the Allen family, who were also indicted and convicted in federal court last year.  Three members of the 110ers gang were convicted on January 29, 2015, in Orleans Parish Criminal Court for the Briana Allen shooting.

U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) in leading this investigation along with members of the NOPD led Multi-Agency Gang Unit (MAG UNIT).  Assistant United States Attorneys Edward J. Rivera and Maurice E. Landrieu, Jr. were in charge of the prosecution.

Greenleaf Gang Member Sentenced for Transfer of an Unregistered Firearm

Zaul Zuniga, 39, of Greenleaf, was sentenced today to 120 months in federal prison for transferring an unregistered firearm, U.S. Attorney Wendy Olson announced. U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Zuniga to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term. Zuniga pled guilty to the charge on October 4, 2010.

At his plea hearing, Zuniga, a Northside gang member, admitted selling two sawed-off shotguns to a confidential informant in Nampa in September 2009. Zuniga admitted knowing that the firearms were not registered as sawed-off shotguns when he sold them to another person. Zuniga also has a prior felony conviction, which prohibits him from possessing firearms. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho are committed together to aggressively prosecute gang violence,” said Olson. “This ten year federal prison sentence for Zaul Zuniga makes our communities safer and sends a strong message that participation in gang-related crime comes at a steep price.”

Zuniga was the last of six defendants to be sentenced in federal court as part of an investigation into firearms trafficking by members of the Nampa Northside gang. The following defendants were sentenced earlier: Emiliano “Tito” Cortez, 26, of Nampa, 24 months; Yesenia Ortiz, 32, of Nampa, 15 months; Juan Carlos Ortiz, 19, of Nampa, one month; Jesus Manuel Zuniga, 26, of Boise, 18 months; and Monique Zuniga, 24, of Nampa, 27 months.

The Nampa Northside case was investigated by the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force. The prosecution was part of Idaho’s Project Safe Neighborhoods Program, which seeks to reduce gun violence in Idaho.

The Nampa Northside case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho, and housed in the Canyon County Prosecutor's Office, to address gang crimes. The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southeast Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth. For more information, visit treasurevalleypartners.org.

Gang Activity in Suffolk County

The FBI Meets with Congressman Tim Bishop and Local Community Leaders to Discuss an Increase of Violence and Gang Activity in Suffolk County

On Monday, May 3rd, FBI special agents joined Congressman Tim Bishop (D-1), Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy, Suffolk County Legislator Kate Browning, Police Commissioner Richard Dormer and other community leaders to participate in a Suffolk County community meeting against the increased violence in Bellport and East Patchogue, New York. Neighborhood constituents were encouraged to become more personally involved in supporting local and federal joint efforts to decrease gang violence in their communities. Local officials listened to residents’ concerns and provided perspectives on various steps that can be taken to address and reduce substance abuse and gang affiliation among their youth.

Assistant Special Agent in Charge (ASAC) Peter Grupe said, “The FBI will continue to participate in multiagency efforts to shore up local communities in their fight against gang violence.”

The FBI views gang violence, in addition to all other major crime problems, as a barrier to both our communities and our national security. The FBI’s community outreach activities, in conjunction with local police, government components, and school districts, have been designed to show teenagers and young adults who are thinking about joining a gang the opportunities available to them if they take a different route and the consequences that will await them should they decide to enter into life as a gang member.

Specialized Gang Units: Form and Function in Community Policing

Between 1980 and the mid-1990s, the number of specialized gang units in American law enforcement agencies appeared to increase substantially. The rise in specialized gang units coincided with the widespread adoption of community policing. In many ways, the increased number of gang units appeared inherently in conflict with the move to community- and problem-oriented policing, since the latter emphasizes decentralization and despecialization. This research examined whether community policing and specialized gang units are complementary or conflicting approaches, either in principle or practice. The research approach consisted of qualitative examination of police department procedures and practices, and extensive field observation of gang personnel. The research was conducted in two community policing agencies with gang units: Indianapolis, IN, and San Diego, CA. The project included extensive interviews with police leaders and other personnel in each agency to determine the rationale for gang-control policies. Over 500 hours of observation were conducted in the two sites of gang unit activities.

This report describes the missions and functions of the gang units in each jurisdiction and the specific types of activities engaged in by gang units-- documenting the time expended by gang unit personnel on each. The project compared and contrasted the two approaches, but the ultimate objective was to examine whether and how the tactics and strategies of the gang units fit with the community-oriented mission of the two police agencies. The results suggest that gang units can have an important role in modern policing. There is little evidence that specialized gang units conflict with community policing in principle or practice. The use of discriminate strategies and strategic approaches to gangs in both cities appears to reflect the influence of community and problem-oriented policing. Also reflecting the influence of community and problem-oriented policing are the agencies’ reliance on data and attention to the mechanisms through which police efforts could be expected to influence of crime and criminality.

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http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/207204.pdf

Reducing Gun Violence: Operation Ceasefire in Los Angeles

Operation Ceasefire was developed in response to gang related gun violence in the Hollenbeck area of Los Angeles. Planned by 19 public and private agencies working with researchers, this initiative was intended to send gang members the message that there would be consequences for all members of a gang if any one member committed a crime that involved guns.

The working group, which began meeting in early 1999, examined trouble spots to find a location where an intervention would have an impact. It selected the Hollenbeck section of the city because of its high crime rate, particularly violent crime. In the community's view, gangs were at the core of homicides and gun violence, and the researchers' confirmed this. An array of enforcement agencies were involved in a coordinated strategy that included stepped up police patrol in five reporting districts; mounted police patrols in the parks and adjacent public housing developments; the County Housing Authority police patrolling in a housing complex that was a hotbed for gang activity; and police and probation officers visiting the homes of several well-known gang members, arresting three who had outstanding warrants or probation violations. Other enforcement levers included inspection by health and child welfare agencies at properties where gang members congregated. The intervention seemed to be most effective during the suppression phase, with the effect declining slightly in the deterrence phase; however, because the decline continued into the deterrence phase, the possibility of a longer term effect cannot be ruled out.

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http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/192378.pdf

Inmate and Prison Gang Leadership

Almost 2,000 males who have been convicted of crimes covering the gamut of criminal activities are institutionalized in the state prison in Johnson County, Tennessee. These inmates, housed in the confines of a few concrete buildings, represent a society that is dissimilar from the free-world society.

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to determine the characteristics of an inmate leader. Research data were collected through interviews with 20 prisoners located in the Northeast Correctional Complex in Mountain City, Tennessee. Inmate leaders, selected for the study included gang leaders and non-gang leaders. Interviews were tape recorded and transcribed for the data analysis. To capture the essence of the interviews, interpretivism was used for the analysis. A holistic view allowed certain overlapping themes to be isolated. Findings were presented thematically as they answered specific research questions.

Past experiences of inmates and the prisonization process gave them a unique and different understanding of leadership. To serve in a leadership role, the inmates determined that the person had to be trustworthy, follow the code of silence, and show respect for fellow inmates in the carceral setting. Gang leaders had a greater focus on coercion and power in their roles as leaders. The controlled prison environment conditioned the inmates to a survival mode. Inmate Larry encapsulated life on the other side of the fence: Prison is what you make it.

Recommendations included researching the leadership traits of juveniles in the correctional system. These data could be useful in re-directing the leadership energies of these youths. A study of leadership traits identified by females in the correctional justice system would provide information on how the traits are shaped by gender, prisonization, or a life with little exposure to leadership role models.

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http://etd-submit.etsu.edu/etd/theses/available/etd-1103103-220112/unrestricted/FortuneS112503f.pdf

Addressing Community Gang Problems: A Model for Problem Solving

In October 1991 the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) entered into a cooperative agreement with the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) to develop a Comprehensive Gang Initiative prototype model aimed at combating gang-related criminal activity by incorporating both prevention and crime control initiatives. The purpose of this monograph is to provide direction in identifying, analyzing, and responding to gang-related problems and in assessing results in an effective way. Any community facing chronic or emerging gang problems can use this document together with training and technical assistance to determine how best to implement the Comprehensive Gang Initiative.

The Comprehensive Gang Initiative model is based on the following principles: Adaptability. The model can be applied to a variety of gang-related problems within a jurisdiction and to those problems faced by a variety of jurisdictions; Flexibility. Modifications can be made in response to, or in anticipation of, changes within gangs, in gang problems as a result of anti-gang efforts, or in circumstances within communities; Multifaceted approach. The model involves various government and private agencies that simultaneously address the many factors that give rise to and sustain gang problems, and it supports direct community participation in intervention efforts.

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http://www.ncjrs.gov/txtfiles/156059.txt

COPLINK® Expands Across Arizona Helping Law Enforcement Thwart Criminal and Gang Activity Across Multiple Jurisdictions

COPLINK® Expands Across Arizona Helping Law Enforcement Thwart Criminal and Gang Activity Across Multiple Jurisdictions

IACP, New Orleans, LA and Tucson, AZ --- October 12, 2007 --- Knowledge Computing Corp. today announced that its award-winning COPLINK® solution suite will be deployed to support the East Valley Gang and Crime Information Fusion Center in Mesa, Arizona. This follows successful deployments in Tucson, Pima County, Phoenix and Maricopa County that support law enforcement agencies in those and other neighboring jurisdictions as well as cross-jurisdictional crime solving initiatives. The announcement was made today in conjunction with the 114th Annual International Association of Police Chiefs (IACP) conference in New Orleans, Louisiana.

"COPLINK’s first commercial deployment in the Tucson Police Department five years ago, and the successes they’ve achieved in solving crime and thwarting gang activity, have inspired over 600 jurisdictions nationwide across 20 states to adopt COPLINK,” said Robert Griffin, CEO of Knowledge Computing Corp. “We are pleased to support the efforts of the East Valley Gang and Crime Information Fusion Center to combat crime and gang activity across their jurisdictions and to have another major deployment in our home state.”

“Gangs and criminals are more mobile today than ever, making it far more difficult to detect the scope of their operations and apprehend them,” said Mesa Police Chief George Gascón.” COPLINK turns the tables by giving law enforcement the advantage, identifying relationships, associations and patterns that will help us reduce criminal and gang activity across the East Valley by getting offenders off the street faster.”

“In Tucson, COPLINK has been an essential tool in our arsenal from the detective’s desk - to the patrol car - to officer’s on the beat who use hand-held devices - rapidly identifying suspects from petty to violent crimes,” said Tucson Police Department’s ISD Administrator James Wysocki. “A study conducted by the Tucson Police Department shows that COPLINK annually creates a return on investment that vastly exceeds the investment we made in the program.”

COPLINK provides unparalleled analysis and decision support for rapidly identifying criminal suspects, relationships and patterns that help solve crime and thwart terrorism. Using a GJXDM compliant interface, it works by allowing vast quantities of structured and seemingly unrelated data - including data currently housed in various incompatible databases and records management systems - to be securely organized, consolidated and rapidly analyzed over a highly secure intranet-based platform.

One search using known or partial facts from an ongoing investigation can produce qualified leads that would otherwise be unapparent in seconds - a process that prior to COPLINK was not possible or often takes days or weeks to accomplish. Through sophisticated analytics, including powerful visualization tools, COPLINK builds "institutional memory," reduces knowledge gaps and prevents criminals from falling through the cracks.
COPLINK currently supports 19 law enforcement agencies across Arizona that participate through deployments in Tucson, Pima County, Phoenix and Maricopa County. With the addition of the East Valley Gang and Crime Information Fusion Center, COPLINK will also provide support to jurisdictions across the East Valley region to thwart crime and gang activity.

Currently, the Tucson and Phoenix Police Departments are also able to share information through their COPLINK deployments. In addition, Tucson has interagency agreements with San Diego, California’s Automated Regional Justice Information System (ARJIS) and the Orange County, California Integrated Law and Justice Consortium (OCILJ) that allow participating agencies to share information across their COPLINK deployments. These interagency networks make it far more difficult for criminals and gangs to operate across multiple jurisdictions undetected and have enabled participating agencies to increase their effectiveness in getting violent and repeat offenders off the street.

When COPLINK is used to create regional or statewide networks, each participating agency has real-time control over what data is shared, with whom and when. In addition, data continues to reside and be updated at its existing source, with automatic refresh mechanisms triggering updates within COPLINK. These safeguards help protect the integrity of the data and sensitive information while allowing for the creation of ad hoc regional task forces to address specific criminal activity.

COPLINK first catapulted into the national spotlight for its proof of concept role following the Montgomery County, Maryland sniper investigation. Today, the solution is in use in over 600 jurisdictions nationwide spanning across 20 states, including four of the nation’s five largest cities, helping police officers fight crime, thwart terrorism and improve community safety. A powerful force multiplier, COPLINK is documented as conservatively providing a 14:1 investigative time advantage, reducing the time it takes to identify qualified suspects, thereby enabling law enforcement to keep more feet on the streets.

Winner of numerous awards, COPLINK was recognized twice by the International Association of Chiefs of Police for deployments in Tucson, Arizona and across the State of Alaska. The Center for Digital Government also recognized COPLINK as one of the best-of-breed and most innovative IT projects undertaken by cities in the nation.

About Knowledge Computing Corporation
Knowledge Computing Corp. provides technology-based crime-fighting solutions to leading edge law enforcement agencies nationwide. Its critically-acclaimed product, COPLINK®, in use since 1998, is based on knowledge management technology first prototyped by top-ranked researchers in the Artificial Intelligence Lab at the University of Arizona in Tucson through a grant by the National Institute of Justice. The technologies developed at Knowledge Computing Corporation have been tested and proven by law enforcement agencies around the country. For more information: www.knowledgecc.com or www.coplink.com.