Baltimore, Maryland – In a shocking turn of events, a federal jury convicted 21-year-old Juan Carlos Sandoval-Rodriguez, also known as ‘Picaro,’ ‘El Pastor,’ and ‘Gasper,’ of murder in aid of racketeering and conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering in connection with his participation in the activities of La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13.
The verdict was returned late on October 31, 2019, after a 9-day trial, which revealed that Sandoval-Rodriguez was a member and associate of the Fulton clique of MS-13, a national and transnational gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants from El Salvador.
According to the evidence presented at his trial, Sandoval-Rodriguez participated in racketeering activities, including drug trafficking, extortion, and murder. The evidence proved that he and other MS-13 members and associates conspired to murder an individual whom they believed to be a rival gang member.
On March 11, 2016, Sandoval-Rodriguez lured the victim to a park in Annapolis, with the intent to murder the victim. Once the victim arrived at the park, members of the gang struck the victim on the head with a branch or stick. Sandoval-Rodriguez and the other members and associates of MS-13 then stabbed the victim repeatedly, killing the victim. The members and associates of MS-13 then buried the victim in a shallow grave in the park.
The MS-13 gang uses violence, extortion, and intimidation to terrorize their communities, both here in the U.S. and abroad. The gang’s chilling motto is ‘mata, viola, controla,’ or ‘kill, rape, and control.’ This MS-13 member showed his allegiance to the gang through murder. Now he faces a mandatory sentence of life in federal prison.
United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur said, ‘This MS-13 member showed his allegiance to the gang through murder. Now he faces a mandatory sentence of life in federal prison. His conviction for murder, and our ongoing work with our law enforcement partners to bring other gang members to justice, demonstrates our unflagging commitment to eliminate MS-13 and its campaign of wanton violence.’
HSI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge John Eisert said, ‘This individual’s crime is yet another example of the terror and violence that criminal gangs like MS-13 inflict upon our communities. HSI is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to investigate and dismantle these gangs to make our streets safer.’
MS-13 is a national and transnational gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants from El Salvador. Branches or ‘cliques’ of MS-13, one of the largest street gangs in the United States, operate throughout Anne Arundel County, Prince George’s County, Montgomery County, and Frederick County, Maryland. In Maryland, MS-13 cliques often work cooperatively to engage in criminal activity and to assist one another in avoiding detection by law enforcement.
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Key Facts
- State: Maryland
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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