Trinitarios Gang Leader Sentenced to Life for Murdering Confidential Informant

NEW YORK, NY – In a major blow to the Trinitarios gang, WILLIAM JONES, a/k/a “Principe,” was sentenced to life in prison for the December 2019 murder of Frederick Delacruz, a confidential informant who had been cooperating with law enforcement.

JONES, 45, of the Bronx, New York, was convicted at trial of racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, and murder through the use of a firearm. The sentencing, which was handed down by U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos, marks the end of an eight-day trial in October 2023.

According to court filings and evidence presented in court, JONES lured Delacruz from the Bronx to Suffolk County, New York, where he shot and killed the informant next to a cemetery. This was not JONES’s first murder; in 1994, he was convicted of intentional murder in the second degree for the death of Audrey Walker, whom he shot in the lobby of a Manhattan apartment building.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New York City Police Department, and the Suffolk County Police Department. He also thanked the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance in the case.

The prosecution was handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily A. Johnson, Justin V. Rodriguez, and Christy Slavik leading the charge. Paralegal Specialist Grayson Glogoff provided assistance.

“William Jones executed Frederick Delacruz in cold blood because Delacruz had the courage to cooperate with law enforcement,” Williams said. “Now, Jones will spend the rest of his life in a federal prison.”

JONES was a high-ranking member of the Trinitarios gang, a racketeering enterprise that has engaged in a pattern of murder, attempted murder, drug trafficking, fraud, and witness tampering and retaliation. His conviction and sentencing send a strong message to those involved in organized crime: there will be consequences for their actions.

With this conviction, the Trinitarios gang has lost one of its most notorious members. As the investigation into the gang continues, the public can expect to see more arrests and convictions in the coming months.

RELATED: Trinitarios Gang Leader Gets Life for Killing Informant

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