LOS ANGELES, CA – El Monte Flores Gang Leaders Face Justice
LOS ANGELES, California – James ‘Chemo’ Gutierrez, a Mexican Mafia member and primary ‘shotcaller’ of the El Monte Flores street gang, and Kenneth Cofer, a key leader of the gang, have each received 15-year prison terms after pleading guilty to federal racketeering offenses.
Gutierrez, 53, and Cofer, 37, both of El Monte, pleaded guilty in April to conspiring to violate the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. They also each pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute controlled substances, including methamphetamine and heroin, and conspiring to launder money. Additionally, Cofer pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The three gang members were sentenced yesterday as part of a 2014 racketeering case that targeted the El Monte Flores gang, an organization that takes direction from the Mexican Mafia prison gang and controls criminal activity in the cities of El Monte and South El Monte.
James ‘Chemo’ Gutierrez, a Mexican Mafia member and primary ‘shotcaller’ of the El Monte Flores street gang, and Kenneth Cofer, a key leader of the gang, have each received 15-year prison terms after pleading guilty to federal racketeering offenses.
The RICO indictment alleged that members of the El Monte Flores gang committed crimes that included acts of violence (ranging from battery to murder), drug trafficking, robbery, burglary, carjacking, witness intimidation, kidnapping, weapons trafficking, credit card fraud, identity theft and money laundering.
“We now have secured lengthy prison terms for key members of one of the oldest street gangs in Los Angeles County after using the federal racketeering statute to dismantle the organization’s leadership structure,” said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “Even with significant gains made by law enforcement, street gangs remain one of the most dangerous criminal elements in the region and a significant contributor to violent crime. We are committed, however, to restoring order in neighborhoods affected by the violence and drug trafficking perpetrated by street gangs like the El Monte Flores gang.”
Gutierrez admitted that he “regularly received extortionate ‘tax’ payments from individuals trafficking narcotics in the neighborhoods controlled by the El Monte Flores gang.” Gutierrez “knew that the narcotics traffickers would be subject to violent attacks if they failed to pay the extortionate taxes to the El Monte Flores gang.” Gutierrez acknowledged in his plea agreement that he authorized an attack on a rival gang member.
Cofer admitted in his plea agreement that he “managed and supervised the extortion and drug trafficking activities…[and] directed the use of violence on behalf” of the criminal enterprise. Cofer specifically admitted that he authorized the shooting of a person who had a dispute with another member of the gang.
The three gang members were sentenced yesterday as part of a 2014 racketeering case that targeted the El Monte Flores gang, an organization that takes direction from the Mexican Mafia prison gang and controls criminal activity in the cities of El Monte and South El Monte.
Defendant Information:
Defendant: James ‘Chemo’ Gutierrez
City and State: El Monte, California
Exact Date: April 2023 (plea guilty)
Sentence or Outcome: 15-year prison term
Criminal Charges:
Conspiring to violate the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act
Conspiring to distribute controlled substances, including methamphetamine and heroin
Conspiring to launder money
Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
Related Federal Cases
- William James Farber, Conspiracy to Distribute Narcotics, California 2024 · Pennsylvania
- Vicente Velazquez, Methamphetamine Trafficking, California 2023 · Washington
- Alecia Trapps, Methamphetamine and Heroin Trafficking, California 2021 · Washington
- Shawn Woods, Racketeering Conspiracy and Fentanyl Trafficking, New York 2023 · North Carolina
- Johnny Martinez, Drug Trafficking, California 2022 · Florida
Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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