In a chilling turn of events, 41-year-old Samuel Velasco Gurrola was sentenced to life in federal prison for his sinister role in a murder-for-hire plot that targeted his wife, her father, and her sister.
United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr., along with top agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), announced the sentence this morning in El Paso.
Velasco was convicted on October 17, 2016, for three counts of conspiracy to commit murder in a foreign country and four counts of conspiracy to cause foreign travel for murder for hire. On November 18, 2016, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization (RICO) statute, charges stemming from drug trafficking and money laundering.
Judge David Briones imposed a life sentence on each of the seven murder-related charges—four involving foreign travel to run consecutively, and three running concurrently. In addition, Velasco was sentenced to 35 years for conspiracy to violate the RICO statute. He must also pay over $1 million in restitution to his victims’ families and a money judgment of $12,480,000, along with forfeiting two real estate properties, $85,000 in U.S. Currency, and two vehicles.
The court heard graphic details of the plot: Velasco sought to silence his wife, Ruth Sagredo Escobedo, who was under indictment for aggravated sexual assault of a child. To do so, he orchestrated the murders of her father and sister, luring them to Mexico under false pretenses. The brutality of the crimes shocked even seasoned law enforcement.
Emmanuel Velasco, Samuel’s brother, was also sentenced to life in federal prison and ordered to pay over $1 million in restitution and a money judgment of $12,480,000. He led a criminal organization involved in cross-border car theft, marijuana trafficking, and international kidnapping schemes. The sentences send a stark message about the severe consequences for such heinous acts.
“These life sentences send a clear message to transnational criminals that their actions will not be tolerated,” stated U.S. Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Sex Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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