SAN FRANCISCO – Gang member convicted in triple homicides and the attempted murder of three federal agents whom he shot and seriously wounded with an AK-47 assault rifle when the Homeland Security Investigations’ agents tried to arrest him, officials said.
The jury last week convicted Victor Flores of three counts of racketeering murder and four counts of racketeering attempted murder for his involvement in a Dec. 22, 2010, shooting in South San Francisco, Calif., as well as the attempted murder of three federal agents whom he shot and seriously wounded when the agents sought to arrest him on May 3, 2012.
In addition, Flores, Benjamin Campos-Gonzalez, and Armando Acosta were convicted of racketeering conspiracy by a federal jury after a three-month trial, authorities said.
Acosta was also convicted of being an accessory-after-the-fact to murder, as well as various obstruction offenses, officials said.
A fourth defendant, Mario Bergren, was acquitted of the charges against him.
“These verdicts represent another important victory in the ongoing effort to rid our communities of violent street gangs along with the scourge of fear and crime they foster,” said Tatum King, acting special agent in charge for Homeland Security Investigations in San Francisco.
The jury found that Flores, 23, of Petaluma, Campos-Gonzalez, 24, of San Mateo, and Acosta, 29, of South San Francisco, conspired to conduct the affairs of a racketeering enterprise, the 500 Block/C Street Gang.
The 500 Block/C Street Gang was a Norteño gang based in South San Francisco that engaged in drug dealing, robbery, obstruction of justice, and crimes of violence, including one of the most violent single crimes in South San Francisco history, according to authorities.
The investigation was conducted by the South San Francisco Police Department, the Daly City Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the FBI.
According to the evidence presented in court, this is what happened:
- During the evening of Dec. 22, 2010, Flores, along with fellow 500 Block/C Street gang member Joseph Ortiz shot at seven victims, whom they perceived to be rival gang members as the victims walked down Eighth Lane in South San Francisco.
- Gonzalo Avalos, Omar Cortez, and Hector Flores were killed while three of the others were wounded. Acosta was also convicted of being an accessory-after-the-fact to racketeering murder for his role in helping to cover up the murders.
- When members of the Los Angeles Special Response Team of Homeland Security Investigations went to execute an arrest warrant for Flores on May 3, 2012, in Petaluma, Calif., Flores opened fired on the federal agents with an AK-47-style assault weapon.
- He fired twenty rounds of large-caliber ammunition at the agents, emptying two full magazines of ammunition, before he eventually surrendered to law enforcement. The jury convicted Flores for the attempted murder of the three federal agents whom he wounded.
“The conviction of Victor Flores for his attempted murder of three Department of Homeland Security agents represents a significant victory for the rule of law and for the agents and officers who put their lives on the line every day to enforce those laws,” said David J. Johnson, FBI Special Agent in Charge of the San Francisco Field Office.
Flores, Campos-Gonzalez, and Acosta are currently being held in custody and are scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 16, 2015.’
In all, federal officials said more than 19 defendants were charged, with more than 15 defendants pleading guilty, including Joseph Ortiz, who is presently serving a sentence of five life terms plus sixty years’ imprisonment for his involvement in the Dec. 22, 2010, shooting.