Federal prosecutors believe they have stopped the deadly rampage of an international street gang based in Gwinnett and DeKalb counties.
In a four-week trial that ended Monday, four local leaders of the MS-13 gang, which had the credo “rape, kill, control,” were convicted of playing key roles in a crime spree dating back to 2006.
Acting U.S. Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman credited the tireless work of investigators and prosecutors. All four defendants “will be removed from the streets they have terrorized,” Raman said.
Miguel Alvarado-Linares, Ernesto Escobar and Dimas Alfaro-Granados were found guilty of racketeering and conspiring to commit murder and committing violent crimes in aid of racketeering. A fourth man, Jairo Reyna-Ozuna, was convicted of conspiracy in connection with armed robberies and other crimes, prosecutors said.
“They spread fear throughout the community by killing suspected rival gang members and others who crossed their paths,” U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said.
The four men convicted Monday, all of whom live in Gwinnett, will be sentenced at a later date. Escobar, Alvarado-Linares and Alfaro-Granados each face a mandatory life sentence and additional federal prison time, prosecutors said. Reyna-Ozuna faces up to 20 years in federal prison, authorities said.
The gang, originally from El Salvador, set up Atlanta-area operations in Gwinnett and DeKalb, marking their home turf with murders, attempted murders, armed robberies and drug sales, prosecutors said.
Alvarado-Linares, 24, also known as “Joker,” was intricately involved in crimes designed to further the gang’s reputation, investigators said.
The execution-style shooting death of Lal Ko in October 2006 was ordered by Alvarado-Linares and carried out by him, Alfaro-Granados and another gang member, prosecutors said.
Alvarado-Linares thought the 19-year-old Ko had snitched on gang members to the police, prosecutors said.
Alfaro-Granados, 30, known as “Toro,” ordered an MS-13 member to kill a rival gang member as a condition for being allowed to leave MS-13, prosecutors said.
On Christmas Eve 2006, following the orders of Alfaro-Granados and Alvarado-Linares, the gang member fired at a car on Ga. 316. Believing the car was carrying rivals, he killed the passenger, 20-year-old Angel Gonzalez, prosecutors said.
At an apartment complex a week later, Alvarado-Linares exchanged insults with and flashed his gang signs at a pair of members of the rival SUR-13 gang, then shot both men dead, prosecutors said.
In August 2007, Escobar — a 30-year-old also known as “Pink Panther” — scuffled with a pair of teens at a Gwinnett gas station. Escobar consulted with then-gang leader Reyna-Ozuna, 28, also known as “Flaco,” prosecutors said, and Reyna-Ozuna gave him a handgun to use in retaliation.
Escobar returned to the gas station and fatally shot one of the teens, 16-year-old David Hernandez, as he worked painting lines in the parking lot, authorities said.
Prosecutors said Alvarado-Linares fired a shotgun at and killed Pablo Archila-Baires, 15, in October 2007 in Gwinnett because Alvarado-Linares suspected the teen of being a member of the 18th Street gang.
More than 75 MS-13 members have been arrested, charged and/or deported to their native Honduras and El Salvador as a result of the still-ongoing investigation, which involved the FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. marshals, Gwinnett County sheriff’s deputies and police from Gwinnett, DeKalb, Norcross and Chamblee.
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