Surenos Leader Carmona-Gonzalez Gets 5 Years for Illegal Gun

VANCOUVER, WA – Another thug off the streets. CARLOS CARMONA-GONZALEZ, a 23-year-old identified as a leader within the Surenos gang operating in Southwest Washington, received a five-year federal prison sentence today for being a felon in possession of a firearm. The conviction, handed down Wednesday, February 12, 2014, following a two-day jury trial, sends a message – though whether it’ll stick is another question – that illegally packing heat won’t be tolerated.

U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan announced the sentencing, with U.S. District Judge Ronald B. Leighton delivering the blow. Leighton didn’t mince words, acknowledging the crippling effect gangs have on communities, thriving as they do on fear and intimidation. Beyond the five-year stretch, CARMONA-GONZALEZ will face three years of supervised release upon his eventual exit from prison, a small comfort to anyone living under the shadow of his crew.

The bust went down in July 2013. Three police officers and a civilian witness all saw CARMONA-GONZALEZ stashing a rifle, wrapped in a jacket, inside a friend’s vehicle. A subsequent traffic stop yielded the goods: a pink rifle, stolen from a local garage. It wasn’t just the gun itself that landed him in hot water; CARMONA-GONZALEZ already had a rap sheet long enough to choke a horse, making firearm possession a clear violation of federal law.

That rap sheet includes four prior felony convictions, each a stepping stone on his path to this sentencing. Back in 2011, he was convicted of possessing MDMA in Clark County. Before that, in 2009, came charges of attempted assault and a subsequent escape conviction, also in Clark County. An earlier assault conviction, again from Clark County in 2008, rounded out his criminal history – a clear pattern of disregard for the law and the safety of others.

The investigation was a joint effort, spearheaded by the Longview Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (BATF), with crucial support from the Vancouver Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Roscoe Jones and Jill Otake handled the prosecution, building a solid case that ultimately led to CARMONA-GONZALEZ’s conviction. It’s a win for law enforcement, but the fight against gang violence in Southwest Washington is far from over.

Whether five years is enough to deter CARMONA-GONZALEZ, or the Surenos, remains to be seen. One thing’s for sure: the Grimy Times will be watching, ready to report on the next chapter in this ongoing saga. This isn’t about justice; it’s about damage control in a city slowly being eaten alive.