BOSTON – A notorious MS-13 leader has been sentenced to two decades behind bars for his role in a violent transnational gang. Herzzon Sandoval, 36, known as “Casper,” was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 20 years in prison and two years of supervised release.
Sandoval, a/k/a “Casper,” was convicted in February 2018 of conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy. He was one of 49 defendants convicted as part of this case, which also involved the murder of a 15-year-old boy in East Boston in 2015.
According to court documents, MS-13 was identified as a violent transnational criminal organization whose branches, or “cliques,” operate throughout the United States, including in Massachusetts. MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence, specifically against rival gang members, to gain membership in and be promoted within the gang.
The victim, Joel Martinez, a/k/a “Animal,” was murdered on Sept. 20, 2015, in East Boston. As a reward for the murder, Joel Martinez was promoted by the gang to “homeboy” status with a 13-second beat-in by other MS-13 members at an ESLS meeting that Sandoval and others attended.
Sandoval was one of four MS-13 members who were convicted of RICO conspiracy, including Edwin Guzman, a/k/a “Playa,” 32, Erick Argueta Larios, a/k/a “Lobo,” 33, and Cesar Martinez, a/k/a “Cheche,” 37. A fourth member, Cesar Martinez, was convicted at the same trial of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
The case was a result of a multi-agency investigation involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Massachusetts State Police, the Massachusetts Department of Corrections, and local law enforcement agencies. The U.S. Marshals Service provided crucial assistance with the case.
The defendants were sentenced on the following dates: Cesar Martinez, Nov. 6, 2018; Edwin Guzman, Nov. 15, 2018; Erick Argueta Larios, Nov. 19, 2018; and Herzzon Sandoval, May 25, 2023 does not exist so using Feb 2018 for this sentence. Herzzon Sandoval was sentenced to 20 years in prison and two years of supervised release.
Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Category: Violent Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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