Mario Alberto Miranda, Racketeering and Methamphetamine Distribution, California 2023

LOS ANGELES, CA – The alleged head of the notorious Vineland Boys street gang, Mario Alberto Miranda, 32, of Sherman Oaks, is headed to federal prison for 16 years. U.S. District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald handed down the 192-month sentence today, closing the book on a sprawling racketeering and narcotics case that exposed the gang’s grip on the San Fernando Valley.

Miranda, known on the streets as “Ultimo,” “Last,” and “Shot Caller,” pleaded guilty in June to conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. He’s been cooling his heels in federal custody since February 2019, but the sentencing marks a significant blow to the Vineland Boys’ operations. Prosecutors detailed a decade-long reign of terror and profit, stretching from at least September 2008 to November 2019.

According to court documents, Miranda wasn’t just a figurehead. He was a hands-on operator, acting as a drug supplier, running stash locations for both narcotics and firearms, and shaking down dealers within Vineland Boys territory. He allegedly ordered attacks on rival gang members and anyone suspected of cooperating with law enforcement, cementing his control through violence and intimidation. Miranda conducted drug sales out of a Pacoima residence and, brazenly, from a North Hollywood clothing store he owned.

The scope of Miranda’s drug operation was substantial. He moved approximately 1.2 kilograms of methamphetamine over eight transactions to a single buyer and ordered a co-conspirator to secure a pound of the drug for another. Beyond meth, he also cultivated illegal marijuana grow houses in Pacoima and Palmdale, housing at least 125 plants weighing a total of approximately 315 pounds at the Pacoima location. He even imposed a “tax” – up to $300 – on the heroin sales of Vineland Boys members, and oversaw a fund to support incarcerated gang leaders.

Miranda didn’t work alone. Prosecutors secured guilty pleas from 30 Vineland Boys members and associates, with 19 already sentenced to at least 10 years in federal prison. Jesus Gonzalez Jr., 30, aka “Lil Chito,” “Gunner” and “Chuy,” of Sun Valley, is currently serving a 31-year sentence for attempted murder of rival gang members. One defendant died while awaiting trial. The investigation was a joint effort by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), IRS Criminal Investigation, and the Los Angeles Police Department, operating under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) program.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Chou and Sara Vargas of the Violent and Organized Crime Section spearheaded the prosecution. While Miranda’s sentencing is a victory for law enforcement, the Grimy Times will continue to monitor the fallout from this case and the ongoing battle against gang violence in the San Fernando Valley. This isn’t just about one man going to prison; it’s about dismantling a criminal enterprise that preyed on the community for over a decade.”

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