JANUARY 11, 2008                               

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE           CONTACT AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or

http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/md            MARCIA MURPHY at (410) 209-4885

MS-13 GANG MEMBER SENTENCED TO OVER 21 YEARS FOR RACKETEERING CONSPIRACY
Participated in the Murder of One Girl and the Shooting of Another

 Greenbelt, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced James Guillen, also known as Toro, age 21, of Hyattsville, Maryland, today to 262 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release for to conspiracy to conduct and participate in the racketeering enterprise activities of MS-13, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein and Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division. Guillen pleaded guilty on October 31, 2007 , after a jury was selected for his trial.

"We will continue to work with local, state, federal and international partners to combat MS-13 in the United States and in other nations,” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein. “Anyone who joins a violent gang should be on notice that the future may hold a lengthy term in federal prison.”

Special Agent in Charge Gregory K. Gant of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives stated, “With this sentencing, we renew our commitment to not only remove- but dismantle violent gangs like MS-13 from our communities.”

According to the plea agreement, La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, is a gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants of immigrants from El Salvador , with members operating throughout Prince George ’s County and Montgomery County , Maryland and elsewhere. MS-13 is a national and international criminal organization with approximately 10,000 members.

MS-13 is organized in “cliques,” including the Sailors Locos Salvatruchos Westside, the Teclas Locos Salvatruchos and the Langley Park Salvatruchos (“LPS”). In June 2004, Guillen was “jumped-in” to the gang and received the gang name of “Toro.” Guillen was a member of the LPS clique.

On June 1, 2004 , Guillen and other MS-13 members confronted individuals who they believed to be rival gang members. Montgomery County Police were called to the scene and recovered a butterfly knife from Guillen’s vehicle.

At some time prior to October 25, 2004, Guillen attended a meeting of the LPS clique in Prince George’s County, Maryland in which clique leaders discussed their belief that Nancy Diaz was providing information to a rival gang and needed to be killed. On October 25, 2004 , Guillen drove two other MS-13 members, Ms. Diaz and another juvenile female in his car, and dropped them off at the George Washington National Cemetery , knowing that the MS-13 gang members planned to kill the two girls.

The other MS-13 members shot and killed Nancy Diaz. They shot the other girl in the face and stabbed her twice in the chest to attempt to make sure she was dead, then left the scene. On August 25, 2005 , Guillen was arrested in connection with the racketeering, murder and assault charges.

To date, this office has charged 46 MS-13 gang members with various federal offenses; 18 gang members have been convicted at trial or pled guilty to RICO charges and 13 have pleaded guilty to other charges, mostly immigration or gun violations.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the RAGE Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Prince George’s County Police Department; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; the Montgomery County Department of Police; the Howard County Police Department; the Maryland National Capital Park Police; the Maryland State Police; and the Fairfax County, Virginia Police Department.

Mr. Rosenstein thanked the Prince George ’s County State ’s Attorney Glenn F. Ivey and Montgomery County State ’s Attorney John McCarthy for the assistance that they and their offices provided.

Mr. Rosenstein commended Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Trusty and Chan Park , and Trial Attorney David Jaffe, a prosecutor for the Justice Department’s Gang Squad, who prosecuted the case.