MARYLAND
A federal judge today sentenced a leader of the MS-13 gang to 15 years in prison for racketeering conspiracy by participating in assault, kidnapping and attempting to murder a witness, according to officials.
So far, five of the 14 defendants charged in this case have plead guilty to participating in the racketeering conspiracy.
Wilmer Argueta, aka Chengo, 23, of Hyattsville, Maryland, plead guilty on April 20 to one count of Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act or RICO conspiracy, officials said.
Argueta’s guilty plea agreement stated the following facts:
- MS-13 is an international criminal organization and one of the largest street gangs in the United States with branches or “cliques” operating throughout Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties in Maryland.
- Argueta admitted that from 2009 until at least 2012, he was a member and leader of the Peajes Locos Salvatrucha clique of MS-13.
- He said he and members of the Peajes and other MS-13 cliques committed crimes for the gang, including murder, assault, robbery, extortion by threat of violence, obstruction of justice, witness tampering and witness retaliation.
- Argueta admitted that on Jan. 3, 2010, he and other MS-13 members attempted to kidnap and assault two individuals with various weapons. Argueta and his co-conspirators believed one of the individuals was associating with a rival gang.
- After the individuals fled in different directions, several MS-13 members caught one of the victims and sexually assaulted her as retribution for associating with a rival gang.
- On Jan. 13, 2011, Argueta attended a Peajes clique meeting.
- During the meeting another MS-13 member criticized members for not committing enough violent crimes and encouraging clique members to target rival gang members with acts of violence.
- After the meeting, Argueta and other MS-13 members strangled and stabbed an individual whom the clique members believed to be a member of a rival gang.
- Although the MS-13 members left the victim for dead, he survived.
- Argueta also admitted that between March and November 2011, he and other members of the Peajes clique extorted a former MS-13 associate under the threat of a “greenlight”or an order to kill.
- Argueta admitted that he ordered other MS-13 associates to relay the death threats to the victim, and he contacted the victim himself on multiple occasions to arrange extortion payments.
- Between September and November 2011, Argueta admitted that he conspired to kill an individual who had been assaulted by Argueta and other MS-13 members and who had agreed to testify as a witness against Argueta in state court.
- Specifically, Argueta admitted that, while incarcerated in the Prince George’s County Corrections Facility, he ordered the “greenlight” by contacting a co-conspirator who then relayed the instruction to other MS-13 members.
- On Nov. 15, 2011, three MS-13 members drove to the victim/witness’ home, and one of the co-conspirators shot at the victim from a moving vehicle, striking the victim in the chest. The victim survived.