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Leader of Imperial Gangsters Sentenced to Life in Prison
A leader of the Imperial Gangsters street gang has been sentenced to life in prison for five counts of murder in aid of racketeering and other RICO-related charges. Juan Briseno, aka Tito, 25, of Hammond, Indiana, was sentenced to six life sentences plus 10 years in prison by Chief Judge Philip P. Simon of the Northern District of Indiana.
The sentences will run consecutively. On March 6, 2015, a federal jury in the Northern District of Indiana convicted Briseno of engaging in a RICO conspiracy, engaging in a drug distribution conspiracy, five counts of murder in aid of racketeering, one count of attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and a firearms count related to the attempted murder.
According to the evidence presented at trial, Briseno was a leader of the 149th Street Imperial Gangsters, a violent clique of the Imperial Gangsters based in East Chicago, Indiana. In his leadership role, Briseno supervised prospective gang members known as “shorties.” The Imperial Gangsters had a long-standing rule that gang members were to shoot rival gang members on sight, and that they had a policy to shoot anyone selling drugs in their neighborhood when such persons had not either purchased the drugs from the Imperial Gangsters or paid “taxes” to the gang for the right to sell drugs in their territory.
The five murders of which Briseno was convicted were committed consistent with these directives. According to witness testimony, Briseno expressed no remorse for his participation in various murders. Indeed, he bragged about killings and encouraged others to do the same. With regard to the specific murders, the evidence at trial demonstrated that Briseno targeted victims because they were members or associates of rival gangs.
The first murder occurred on Sept. 26, 2007, when Briseno shot Luis Ortiz dead in the doorway of his apartment in Hammond, Indiana. The evidence showed that Briseno targeted Ortiz because he was a member of the rival Latin King Street Gang. The second murder occurred on June 3, 2008, when Briseno killed Miguel Mejias and Michael Sessum while they were unarmed and bringing takeout food to their pregnant girlfriends. According to the evidence, Briseno fired multiple shots into Mejias’ residence, striking a female victim in the arm while she was holding her infant child.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the FBI; and the East Chicago Police Department. The Gary, Indiana, Police Department; the Hammond Police Department; and the Lake County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Program also assisted in the investigation.
Key Facts
- State: Indiana
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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