MS-13 Member Pleads Guilty to Murder in Boston
BOSTON, MA – December 14, 2017
Joel Martinez, a 23-year-old Salvadoran national, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy involving the murder of a 15-year-old boy in East Boston.
Martinez, also known as "Animal," admitted to being a member of MS-13’s Eastside Loco Salvatrucha (ESLS) clique, which operated in Chelsea, Everett, and other areas in greater Boston.
According to court documents, Martinez stabbed the victim to death on September 20, 2015, on Trenton Street in East Boston.
As part of his plea, Martinez acknowledged being a member of MS-13 and admitted to the murder in recorded conversations with a cooperating witness.
When asked about the murder, Martinez said, "I stabbed the asshole three times, and it was a beautiful thing! Just beautiful!"
Martinez was "jumped in" and made a full member of MS-13 during a ceremony that was surreptitiously recorded by federal agents.
After a three-year investigation, Martinez was one of 61 individuals named in a superseding indictment targeting the criminal activities of alleged leaders, members, and associates of MS-13 in Massachusetts.
Martinez faces up to life in prison, five years of supervised release, and will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence.
U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for March 22, 2018.
Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Category: Violent Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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