Julio Gonzalez, Kidnapping, Massachusetts 2012

Lawrence Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Role in 2012 Kidnapping

BOSTON - A Lawrence man was sentenced to 16 years in prison for his role in a 2012 kidnapping. Julio Gonzalez, 30, pleaded guilty in November 2014 to conspiracy to commit kidnapping and was sentenced to 16 years in prison and three years of supervised release.

The kidnapping took place on January 30, 2012, in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston. Gonzalez and a crew of kidnappers, led by Alfred Vasquez, held a gun to a victim and kidnapped him. The crew demanded a $100,000 ransom for the victim's release and held him captive in Lawrence for five days before agents intervened and rescued the victim.

Gonzalez is the second member of the Lawrence-based kidnapping crew to be sentenced. Edgar Acevedo was sentenced to 16 years in prison in March 2015. The charge of conspiracy to commit kidnapping carries a sentence of life in prison, but actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalty.

The case is part of a two-year investigation into violent kidnapping and home invasion crews operating in Lawrence. The investigation revealed that the majority of these kidnappings were carried out by organized, armed, violent crews known as Joloperros. These crews typically kidnapped drug dealers for large ransoms, paid in cash and/or drugs, and used safe houses to hold their hostages.

The investigation involved the U.S. Attorney's Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Massachusetts State Police, the Lawrence Police Department, and other law enforcement agencies. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter K. Levitt, Christopher Pohl, and Timothy E. Moran of Ortiz's Organized Crime and Gang Unit.

Gonzalez will serve his 16-year sentence followed by three years of supervised release. The case highlights the ongoing efforts to combat violent crime in Massachusetts.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/second-member-lawrence-kidnapping-crew-sentenced-16-years-prison