Manuel Valencia, Racketeering, California 2024

Manuel Valencia, the shotcaller of a South Los Angeles street gang, pleaded guilty today to federal racketeering and drug trafficking charges for his role in orchestrating the day-to-day activities of the gang controlled by an incarcerated member of the Mexican Mafia.

The Harpys gang, which claims territory southwest of downtown Los Angeles and north of the University of Southern California, is one of more than a dozen Latino gangs across a wide swath of South Los Angeles controlled by Mexican Mafia member Danny Roman, who is serving a life-without-parole sentence at Pelican Bay State Prison and was not charged in the federal RICO case.

Roman’s daughter, Vianna Roman, 37, of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty on May 1 to racketeering, narcotics, and weapons offenses pursuant to a plea agreement that contemplates a sentence of approximately 20 years in federal prison but could lead to a life prison term if the sentencing judge determines this is appropriate.

The charges against Manuel Valencia include violating the federal RICO statute and engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise connected to drug trafficking. Valencia, 38, of Walnut, admitted that he oversaw and participated in gang activities, which included collecting ‘taxes’ from drug dealers who were allowed to operate in gang territory, retaliating against people who ran afoul of the gang, and engaging in drug trafficking.

According to court documents, Vianna Roman and Valencia orchestrated a scheme that allowed Danny Roman to continue to control the activities of the South Los Angeles street gangs from the Special Housing Unit of Pelican Bay State Prison. Vianna Roman used coded language to pass information to and received orders from her father during trips to the Pelican Bay prison in Northern California.

Manuel Valencia faces a maximum of life in federal prison. He agreed in his plea agreement to serve a 27-year prison term. The guilty pleas of Vianna Roman and Valencia come one week after Vianna Roman pleaded guilty to acting as her father’s voice to convey orders to the Harpys street gang.

With the guilty pleas of Vianna Roman and Valencia – and two others that were entered on Monday – a total of 24 defendants charged two years ago in a federal racketeering indictment have now pleaded guilty. Out of the 29 defendants named in the indictment, one is still pending trial, three are fugitives, and charges against one were dismissed following his conviction of first-degree murder in Los Angeles Superior Court.

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