Heverth Ulises Castellon, MS-13 Racketeering, North Carolina 2010

Seven members of the notorious MS-13 gang have been sentenced to prison in North Carolina for their roles in a violent racketeering conspiracy.

The defendants, who were part of the MS-13 gang in the Western District of North Carolina, were sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Robert J. Conrad Jr. on Tuesday.

The sentenced MS-13 members and their prison terms include:

Heverth Ulises Castellon, aka ‘Misterio’ and ‘Sailor,’ 240 months in prison and five years of supervised release;
Jamie Sandoval, aka ‘Pelon,’ 222 months in prison and five years of supervised release;
Jose Efrain Ayala-Urbina, aka ‘Peligroso,’ 168 months in prison and five years of supervised release;
Santos Canales-Reyes, aka ‘Chicago,’ 144 months in prison and five years of supervised release;
Alexi Ricardo Ramos, aka ‘Pajaro,’ 108 months in prison and five years of supervised release;
Mario Guarjardo-Garcia, aka ‘Speedy,’ ‘Iran Guerrero-Gomez,’ and ‘Luis Angel Galindo,’ 94 months in prison and five years of supervised release;
Nelson Hernandez-Ayala, aka ‘Sixteen,’ 42 months in prison and three years of supervised release.

Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer said the prison sentences ‘send a strong message that participating in a gang like MS-13 will have serious consequences.’

The MS-13 gang members were charged with racketeering conspiracy, which included murder, robbery, extortion, witness tampering, obstruction of justice, distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana, and various federal firearms violations.

The racketeering conspiracy charges against the MS-13 members alleged that they participated in a pattern of racketeering activity with others involved in the MS-13 gang in the Western District of North Carolina and elsewhere from approximately 2003 until July 27, 2009.

This is not the first time MS-13 members have been sentenced to prison in North Carolina. In May 2010, four other MS-13 members were sentenced to prison for their participation in the same conspiracy.

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