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LOS ANGELES
“Corruption and criminal activity will not be tolerated in our justice system — especially within our jails,” District Attorney Nathan Hochman said. “Ensuring that our correctional facilities remain secure and free of illicit drugs is crucial to public safety. Those entrusted with upholding the law must be held to the highest standards, and we will aggressively prosecute those who betray that trust.” Beginning in February 2022, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Major Crimes Bureau and the FBI’s San Gabriel Valley Safe Streets Task Force began investigating reports of narcotics being smuggled into the Los Angeles County Jail, as well as a violent attack of an inmate.
Here are some of the details in the 51-page Indictment: On or before January 2022, Michael “Mosca” (“Fly”) Torres assumed control of an organized criminal enterprise that controls the collection of proceeds of illegal activity within the Los Angeles County jail system.
Between January 1 and March 1, 2022, Estela Guerrero, Jose Martinez. Pharoah Brooks, Rosa Martinez, and other unidentified co-conspirators devised a plan to facilitate the ongoing smuggling of controlled substances into the Los Angeles County jail system to benefit the Mexican Mafia member through the collection of a portion of all quantities of controlled substances smuggled. On January 29, 2022, David “Too Tall” Fraysure called Estela Guerrero and discussed the distribution of the narcotics that were received in his dorm located in Los Angeles County Jail. To read the entire indictment, click here. The pretrial hearing for all defendants is set for March 27, Dept. 109 of the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center. Defendants include: Michael Meiser, 39, of Lancaster. Jose Trancito Martinez, 36, of Long Beach. Daniel Garcia, 38, an inmate. Pharoah Brooks, 47, an inmate David Fraysure, 27, an inmate Daniel Arochi Gonzalez, 24, of Carson Jackie Triplett, 40, an inmate Jesse Quintero, 44, of Hacienda Heights Marco Lujan, 47, of Pomona Andy Dominquez, 30, an inmate Ariel Pereyra, 28, an inmate Angel Grajales, 34, of Arleta Frank Rodriquez, 32, of Los Angeles Jose Rodriguez, 48, an inmate Jessie Abdon, 25, an inmate Arianna Inocente,20, of Norwalk Salma Haro, 23, of Long Beach Deputy-In-Charge Lou Avila and Deputy District Attorneys Abigail Briones and Jessica Lansky of the District Attorney’s Prison Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case. The investigation was conducted by the Sheriff’s Department Major Crimes Bureau and the FBI’s San Gabriel Valley Safe Streets Task Force. |
Eighteen people — including Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Meiser — have been indicted by a Grand Jury for their alleged roles in a sophisticated drug smuggling operation involving Mexican Mafia associates inside the County jail system, officials stated.
Hochman said: “Cleaning up our jail system is critical to breaking the cycle of crime that spills over into our communities. We will continue to root out corruption and ensure that those responsible for endangering public safety are held accountable.”
This organization is commonly referred to as the Southside and is controlled by the Mexican Mafia, a prison gang.