Marlon Cruz-Flores, Racketeering and Firearms Offense, Maryland 2023
A 24-year-old Annapolis man has been sentenced to 38 years in federal prison for his role in a racketeering conspiracy and for discharging a firearm related to his MS-13 gang activities.
Maryland resident Marlon Cruz-Flores was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar on for conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise and for using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, in connection with his MS-13 gang activities.
According to court documents, Cruz-Flores was a member and associate of the Hempstead clique of MS-13 and participated in a racketeering conspiracy that included assaults, murder, attempted murder, robbery, and drug trafficking. Specifically, Cruz-Flores admitted that he participated in the murder of a suspected rival gang member, and conspired and attempted to murder two victims in Annapolis.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski of the Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge John Eisert of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore Office; Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Chief Timothy J. Altomare of the Anne Arundel Police Department; Chief Edward Jackson of the Annapolis Police Department; and State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess of the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Office.
“MS-13 is terrorizing and preying upon entire communities,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “We need the community’s help to end the fear and violence. Please, if you have information about MS-13, call the FBI’s nationwide tipline at 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713). Your identity will be protected.”
MS-13 is a gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants of immigrants from El Salvador, with members operating in the State of Maryland, including Anne Arundel County, Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, and Frederick County, and throughout the United States. Branches or “cliques” of MS-13 often work together cooperatively as “Programs,” with the purpose of increasing the gang’s levels of organization, violence, extortion, and other criminal activity, and to assist one another in avoiding detection by law enforcement.
Key Facts
- State: Maryland
- Category: Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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