But Cervantes power was not contained inside prison walls, his influence reached far and wide on the outside. Larez was sentenced tolife in prison, plus 10 years, prosecutors said. Cervantes, 41, an alleged former leader of the Stockton branch of Nuestra Familia, already was in jail in Sacramento on racketeering and other charges. Ironically, in 2012, CNBC named USP Lewisburg Camp one of the 12 best federal prisons in which to do time. Ukiah became a meeting place for gang leaders in March of 2000, including the 3 "highest-ranking" Nuestra Familia leaders in the Bay Area. In February 2018, a total of five prisoners at USP Lewisburg were separately indicted for weapons possession: Jose Capriata, Lenelle Gray, Jorge Lopez-Cruz, Michael Moore, and Ernie Joseph Sandoval. 1962(d). Cervantes and Marquez engaged in numerous crimes, according to the FBI. He committed three armed robberies and stabbed a gang rival. Andrew Cervantes was the top-ranking leader, or so-called overseer, of the Nuestra Familia. Also early Wednesday, officers arrested alleged gang members Jeff Allen, 27, at a home in the 100 block of Nottingham Drive in Stockton and Rafael, Sanchez of the 800 block of Wimbledon Drive in Lodi on drug charges. Four members of the Nuestra Familia criminal organization including the top gang leader were sentenced to federal prison for racketeering, murders, robberies, drug offenses, and related acts. Mike White,FBI cracks down on Nuestra Familia, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Box 2000Lewisburg, PA 17837. Using these methods, he orchestrated and oversaw regiment commanders who generated money through drug sales and other crimes, like robbery. Stretch said in a statement released Wednesday. In October 2015, Gerardo Arche-Felix, a prisoner at USP Lewisburg who had been pleading with guards, staff, and his family to get himself moved, was strangled to death in his cell with a bedsheet. Northern California, or Norte, is the original homeland of the Familianos. Key Bay Area prison gang members Mad Dog and, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Alameda County DAs new policy will reduce prison sentences through widespread elimination of sentencing enhancements, Key Bay Area figures in Nuestra Familia prison gang sentenced for murders, drugs, Bay Area federal judge orders extradition of woman suspected of killing MSU student in hit-and-run, Santa Rosa high school student stabbed to death in classroom, San Jose: Home raided as part of explosives and narcotics investigation, Man arrested after explosives found in bag at Pa. airport. Brian Getz for Alberto Larez In April 2015, Renell Wooten, a prisoner at USP Lewisburg, who was only four months from release and expressed worries about being killed before he could get out and see his family again, was found dead in his cell, hanged by a bedsheet. Promises of quick riches no doubt were made. U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of California, 12 Alleged Members Of Two San Jose-Based Norteo Street Gangs Charged With Racketeering-Related Crimes, Oakland Resident Charged With Fentanyl And Methamphetamine Sales In Tenderloin, East Bay Resident Found Guilty Of Attempting To Help Smuggle Cocaine Through Bay Area Airports, San Jose Man Sentenced To More Than 16 Years Following Jury Convictions For Meth Trafficking And Gun Charges, 12 Alleged Members Of Two San Jose Based Norteo Street Gangs Charged With Racketeering Related Crimes. El Barcelona busca los tres puntos en Almera. At his three-month trial, prosecutors presented evidence that he orchestrated a fellow gangs members murder inside a Louisiana prison for not upholding the rules of the criminal organization. James Maddock, special agent in charge of the Sacramento FBI office, said the arrests send a "strong message" to gang members that, they will be arrested and prosecuted "until they no longer represent, Marquez was arrested at 7 a.m. while in a car near Fremont and Sierra. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. The sentences handed down by U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers on Wednesday bring to a close a six-year federal and local law enforcement investigation into the criminal organization that resulted in convictions and prison terms for 12 Nuestra Familia members, prosecutors said. The crimes were set out in two separate indictments, both of which were unsealed today. A garage employee was shot in the. According to the indictment, El Hoyo Palmas derives profits from illicit activity and its members provide monthly dues or contributions to the Santa Clara County Regiment for distribution to the Nuestra Familia. Henry Cervanteswas sentenced to 75 years. We have profiled every prison within the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Ken Wine for Rudy Martinez Scott Adams faces 'consequence culture' as U.S. newspapers drop Dilbert, Tom Cruise's 'ditching' of Suri showcased by Judd Apatow's 'co-parenting' joke, ex-Scientology exec says. The indictments describe defendants alleged membership in or affiliation with one of two gangs, known as El Hoyo Palmas and San Jose Grande, both of which fall under the prison gang, the Nuestra Familia. Please E-mail suggested additions, comments and/or corrections to Kent@MoreLaw.Com. At the direction of Andrew Cervantes, Larez instructed his subordinates to send proceeds from their criminal activities to the commissary accounts of gang leaders incarcerated in several BOP facilities, including the account of Andrew Cervantes. Prosecutors say that he led the criminal organization while incarcerated in a federal prison in Pennsylvania by communicating to underlings in complex codes in letters and by phone, prosecutors said. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. There have been more than 800 recorded prisoner-on-prisoner assaults, with four prisoners killed, since 2010. United States Penitentiary Lewisburg Camp is located adjacent to the main institution. Todays sentencing marks the culmination of a six-year investigation and prosecution of Nuestra Familia, which resulted in the convictions of 12 members and associates of the gang. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! Our firm affiliates with local counsel licensed in their respective jurisdictions on a case-by-case basis. In September 2011, Jaime Cervantes and another gang member burned the bodies of two murder victims in an apartment in Oakland based on orders from Henry Cervantes. | Link Errors Nuestra Familia leaders control and direct the gangs criminal activities both inside and outside of the prison system. USP Lewisburg houses approximately 590 inmates. Larez communicated with Andrew Cervantes primarily through prison phone calls and correspondence using coded language. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Paloma Chamorro, protagonista de . Four members of the Nuestra Familia gang were sentenced to prison todayincluding a life sentence for one senior gang memberfor participating in a variety of violent criminal acts, including racketeering conspiracy, murder, robbery and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and other related offenses. 1951(a). Authorities said he fatally stabbed John Gilbert Navaerette, 73, and Renee Washington, 56, in September 2011 and then had Jamie Cervantes and another gang soldier set fire to the bodies and the two-story Coolidge Avenue apartment where the murders occurred, prosecutors said. SAN FRANCISCO - A federal grand jury indicted twelve California residents, charging each with joining criminal conspiracies as part of their alleged membership in San Jose-based Norteo street gangs. Please check your browser settings or contact your system administrator. Edwin Prather for Richard Martinez USP Lewisburg was one of four federal prisons to open in 1932. handled the case because it was easier to prosecute under federal laws. The sentences handed down by U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers on Wednesday bring to a close a six-year federal and local law enforcement investigation into the criminal organization that resulted in convictions and prison terms for 12 Nuestra Familia members, prosecutors said. October 1976 15 year old Carlos "Casper" Silva a Preston parolee is arrested murders 3 people witin a seven week span on behalf of Nuestra familia. Bay Area federal judge orders extradition of woman suspected of killing MSU student in hit-and-run, Santa Rosa high school student stabbed to death in classroom, Zoom chops about 200 jobs in Bay Area, tech layoffs mount. SAN FRANCISCO - A federal grand jury indicted twelve California residents, charging each with joining criminal conspiracies as part of their alleged membership in San Jose-based Norteo street gangs. Garage in Sacramento in which a victim was shot in the leg, the FBI said. Get the latest on organized crime and the Mafia first at the Gangsters Inc. news section. Main Office: The list includes alleged participation in the sale of narcotics, the sale of firearms, armed robberies, a stabbing, a home invasion robbery, and other acts of violence. He was convicted of the murder conspiracy charges in the 2012 killing of gang rival, 38-year-old Martin Chacon. October 1976 15 year old Carlos "Casper" Silva a Preston parolee is arrested murders 3 people witin a seven week span on behalf of Nuestra familia. The camp houses around 300 inmates. In 2015, Randall Spade, a prison guard at USP Lewisburg, sued the Department of Justice for negligence upon learning that they released his personal information to prisoners, unredacted, through a standard public records request. He led the criminal organization from a federal prison in Pennsylvania, using complex coded letters and telephone calls to communicate to his underlings. In May 2018, Richard Haynes, who was a prisoner at USP Lewisburg for less than a week, was found unresponsive in his cell and pronounced dead at a local hospital. Larez recruited individuals, including Jaime Cervantes, to commit crimes on behalf of the gang and Henry Cervantes supervised the criminal activities of the gang in Oakland. Alberto Larez orchestrated the murder of a rival in San Jose. Inmate law clerks are on duty to assist in locating legal references. The inmate was assaulted and stabbed in March 2013 but survived. In late 2012, Andrew Cervantes, a Nuestra Familia gang member who was imprisoned at USP Lewisburg, ordered the murder of an inmate at USP McCreary. 1995. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. He will be sentenced to 17 years in prison. A lock (LockA locked padlock) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Familia, already was in jail in Sacramento on racketeering and other charges. The information provided on this website is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Answers & Questions about gangs, organized crime, graffiti & gang activity around the World, Unread post Lock Eight co-defendants previously pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and other offenses and were sentenced to terms of imprisonment ranging from eight to 15 years. If convicted, the defendants charged with (1) conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery face a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison, (2) conspiracy to commit murder face a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison, and (3) conspiracy to commit assault face a statutory maximum of 3 years in prison. The gang would also commit robberies to generate money to send back to gang leaders in prison. We will continue to target these criminal organizations, dismantle their leadership, and return the violent offenders to prison.. He was convicted of the murder conspiracy charges in the 2012 killing of gang rival, 38-year-old Martin Chacon. It is with gratitude and appreciation that we congratulate the FBI, the Bureau of Prisons, and the scores of local law enforcement officials who have brought this 6-year investigation to a successful conclusion. The first indictment, filed August 12, 2021, addresses the San Jose-based street gang known as El Hoyo Palmas. Have a question about Government Services? FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office officials announce charges Thursday against 55 people after a five-year investigation centered on the Nuestra Familia prison gang. United States Penitentiary Lewisburg is a medium-security federal prison located in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. or to which of the two gangs they may have belonged. USP Lewisburg and the camp do not offer any vocational training, aside from the advanced occupational education and apprenticeship programs. In legal motions filed over the past four weeks, defense attorneys for 15 alleged members of the Nuestra Familia the prison gang that governs the Northern California-based Norteo and . U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers sentenced Andrew Cervantes, 60, of Stockton to 36 years in prison after a jury convicted him in August of conspiracy to conduct the affairs of a. Andrew Fred Cervantes, 42, and David Marquez, 31, of Stockton, are the latest convicted through the efforts of Stockton police, the FBI, local prosecutors and the U.S. Attorney's Office, which. In 2010, Henry Cervantes and Larez were released from the BOP after serving sentences for racketeering conspiracy convictions in 2004 involving the distribution of controlled substances on behalf of the Nuestra Familia. Gang investigators believe the Salinas-area Nuestra Familia members in that case, including former Castroville resident Mario Diaz and Salinas resident Larry Amaro, were old-schoolers still. For more detailed information about USP Lewisburg, please buy a copy of the Directory of Federal Prisons: The Unofficial Guide to Bureau of Prisons Institutionsby Christopher Zoukis. | Articles Counts two and three of the indictment allege that in October of 2018, Garcia, Gonzalez, Valenzuela, Leonis, and Dominguez conspired to commit murder and assault. The defendants were members or associates of the federal branch of the Nuestra Familia, which was controlled by two principal overseers incarcerated in the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), including Andrew Cervantes. At todays sentencing, Judge Gonzalez Rogers found that Andrew Cervantes was the top ranking leader, or so-called overseer, of the Nuestra Familia. Outside of custodial settings, the Nuestra Familia organizes geographic territories throughout Northern California into groups known as street regiments. The indictments further describe how street regiments are divided into smaller subsets, or hoods, based on the local neighborhoods where their members reside or where the gangs operate. FBI officials would not say why the men are no longer gang leaders. Follow Gangsters Inc. on Twitterand Facebook. In December 2011, the Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project filed a lawsuit against USP Lewisburg on behalf of prisoner Sebastian Richardson, who suffered being tightly shackled for weeks at a time because he refused to accept violent cellmates. Psychology also performs mental health evaluations by staff referral. The assault occurred in June 2010. Stretch told the press that, Four additional members of the Nuestra Familia gang were sentenced for the heinous crimes they perpetrated upon our community. Inmates may only shop on their assigned day once per week. A General Public Arts & Crafts Sale is available for marketing products finished through Arts & Crafts. SACRAMENTO, CAJuan Gallegos, also known as "Wino," 36, of Salinas, was sentenced today to 21 years and 10 months in prison by United States District Judge William B. Shubb, United States . John Philipsborn for Henry Cervantes The court also may order additional terms of supervised release, fines, and restitution. Should rap lyrics be used as evidence in court? Larez communicated with Andrew Cervantes primarily through prison phone calls and correspondence using coded language. The second indictment, also filed August 12, 2021, addresses the street gang known as San Jose Grande. IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California hasnt followed: What should you do? United States Penitentiary Lewisburg Camp is located adjacent to the main institution. In March 1989, Cervantes participated in the robbery of the Arceneaux. October 10, 1976 David "DC" Cervantes, new leader of the Nuestra Familia gang. The gang would also commit robberies to generate money to send back to gang leaders in prison. He was convicted of the murder conspiracy charges in the 2012 killing of gang rival, 38-year-old Martin Chacon. Authorities said that Larez recruited and groomed younger Norteo gang members in the criminal enterprise. He orchestrated and oversaw regiment commanders who generated money through drug sales and other crimes, like robbery. In the span of just over one year, Jaime Cervantes participated in three armed robberies on behalf of the gang, and stabbed a rival at the direction of his carnal Larez. The attorneys at the firm are licensed to practice law in only the jurisdictions listed in their biographies. According to the evidence at trial, Larez and two of his underlings traveled to San Jose, lured the rival to their location with phone calls, and then executed him with point-blank shots to the face and neck. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Prosecutors say that he led the criminal organization while incarcerated in afederal prison in Pennsylvania by communicating to underlings in complex codes inletters and byphone, prosecutors said. See our page on Medical Care Levels and Procedures for more information. In the camp, Psychology staff are available for crisis intervention and brief counseling as deemed necessary. There is no guarantee or assurance of success for any client. Mark Goldrosen for Alberto Larez Authorities said Marquez and. Authorities. Jaime Cervantes was recruited by Larez to join the gang in 2010. [14] While members of the Norteos gang are considered to be foot soldiers of Nuestra Familia, being a member of Nuestra Familia itself does not signify association as a Norteo. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Following a three-month trial and subsequent guilty verdict, 60-year-old Nuestra Familia leader Andrew Mad Dog Cervantes, of Stockton, California, was sentenced to 36 years in prison; 52-year-old Henry Happy Cervantes, of Lodi, California, was sentenced to 75 years in prison; 48-year-old Alberto Bird Larez, of Salinas, California, was sentenced to life plus ten years in prison; 33-year-old Jaime Hennessy Cervantes, of San Mateo, California, was sentenced to 32 years in prison. HenryHappyCervantes, 52, of Lodi, and AlbertoBirdLarez, 48, of Salinas, were Andrew Cervantes commanders in the Bay Area, andoversaw the trafficking of methamphetamine, heroine, and cocaine from 2012 to 2013, authorities said. Did El Chapo put a $100 million bounty on Trump or not? In June 2017, the DC Prisoners Project of the Washington Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs filed a class action lawsuit against USP Lewisburg arguing that mentally ill prisoners were being given crossword and Sudoku puzzles, as well as coloring books, instead of counseling, treatment, and medications. The evidence presented during the trial included proof of the defendants involvement in several gang-related murders and attacks including the following: Powered by. Deputy Federal Defender Quin Denvir, representing Cervantes, said prosecutors, were especially tough on his client because he refused to help the government. Andrew Cervantes led the criminal organization from a federal prison in Pennsylvania, using complex coded letters and telephone calls to communicate to his underlings. 450 Golden Gate Avenue During the robbery, Jaime Cervantes beat one victim over the head with a baseball bat and another victim was shot. by thewestside May 20th, 2008, 2:20 am, Return to Mexico, Central America, South America & the Caribbean, Powered by phpBB Forum Software phpBB Limited. Nuestra Familia "overseer" Andrew "Mad Dog" Cervantes, 60, of Stockton, received 36-year sentence. Cervantes, one of a trio of the highest-ranking Nuestra Familia members housed in Pelican Bay, also had some directives for Garcia, Barrios said. Is the vulgar anti-Tesla sign on my neighbors truck illegal? Street regiments then collect money from these hoods, typically in the form of monthly dues or taxes on profits from illegal activities, such as drug dealing, some of which is then to be provided to the Nuestra Familia. East Bay native Malaika Fraley is an award-winning criminal justice reporter and formerly covered courts for the Bay Area News Group. Terms of Service, 2023Gangsters Inc. - www.gangstersinc.org Three Bay Area men, including justice reform activist, plead guilty in Norteo RICO murder case, Californias hardest to book campground isnt in a famous park. See our page on, Federal Bureau of Prisons | Federal Prison, United States Penitentiary Lewisburg Inmate Information, USP Lewisburg Prison Services Information, USP Lewisburg Educational, Library, and Recreation Offerings, More Information About United States Penitentiary Lewisburg, USP Lewisburg, ordered the murder of an inmate at USP McCreary, Federal Prison Handbook: The Definitive Guide to Surviving the Federal Bureau of Prisons. In January 2012, Jaime Cervantes and two other gang members committed a home invasion robbery of a drug dealer. The Nuestra Familia (Spanish for Our Family), was created in 1968 as a response to increased pressure from the Mexican Mafia within the Californian prison system, the Nuestra Familia group is a mostly Mexican-American criminal association comprising inmates throughout Northern California. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Elizabeth Bell,Nuestra Familia pair face long sentences, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Federal incident report data showed that guards used pepper spray or restraints in response to 228 in-cell fights. In October 1987, Robert F. Miller, a senior officer at USP Lewisburg, was shot and killed in an ambush as he and three other guards were transporting a prisoner to the hospital. Nuestra Familia leaders control and direct the gangs criminal activities both inside and outside of the prison system. Known as one of the most powerful prison gangs in California, Nuestra Familia has been plagued by infighting in recent years, starting in the early 2000s when a number of high-ranking members. Eight co-defendants previously pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and other offenses and were sentenced to terms of imprisonment ranging from eight to fifteen years. Maruja Torres, invitada en 'Lo de vole'. Mexico and El Salvador has received the most international recognition for street gang development as a result of US deportation, but other countries in South & Central America & the Caribbean including Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Domincan Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti [d'Hati], Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico [Estados Unidos Mexicanos], Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru [Per], Puerto Rico, Suriname, Uruguay, Venenzuela and many other islands in the Caribbean. The indictment alleges that El Hoyo Palmas is a multi-generational Norteo gang that is a sub-group of the Santa Clara County Regiment and operates in and around the San Jose area. Larez was sentenced to life in prison, plus 10 years, prosecutors said. Pac-12 media rights: Our (final) predictions for the revenue, media partners, expansion decisions and more, Denver gang member gave 14-year-old permission to open fire on woman with AR-15 after fender-bender, DA alleges, In 4 years, Lori Lightfoot went from breakout political star to divisive mayor of a Chicago beset by pandemic and crime, Florida lawmakers to consider expansion of so-called dont say gay law, Drone crashes at Disneyland after hovering over visitors heads See video, Rapper Travis Scott wanted for assaulting Manhattan club sound engineer, destroying $12K in equipment, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. A parenting program and Adult Continuing Education (ACE) classes are also available. In September, 2011, Henry Cervantes stabbed two people to death in an apartment in Oakland. SAN JOSE - A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging 17 defendants with racketeering conspiracy, including acts involving murder, robbery, drug trafficking, and money laundering, and charging five others with drug trafficking-related crimes. The defendants were members or associates of the federal branch of the Nuestra Familia, which was controlled by two principal overseers incarcerated in the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), including Andrew Cervantes, who is currently serving a 210-month sentence for a 1999 racketeering conviction. of racketeering Monday and face sentences of 12 and 17 years in prison. Under the supervision of Henry Cervantes and Larez, members and associates of Nuestra Familia engaged in the trafficking of methamphetamine, cocaine, andheroin and committed robberies to raise money for themselves and the gang. The case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Attorneys Office of the Northern District of California, with assistance from the BOP. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Box 1000Lewisburg, PA 17837, Inmate Name and Registration NumberUSP Lewisburg CampSatellite Prison CampP.O. Nevertheless, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Although most Lewisburg Penitentiary inmates are housed in the SMU, there remains a work cadre of approximately 200 inmates in the USPs general population. The Bureau has publicly stated that the SMU is being moved to AUSP Thomson in late 2018, but that institutions activation has been delayed. Initiation to Nuestra Familia gang may also include a lengthy and painful beating from fellow members. [] [These] sentences have a special significance in light of the courts findings that three of the defendants were among the highest ranked members of the organization internationally. On Sunday and Saturday visiting hours are between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. On federal holidays visiting hours are between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. See our page on prisoner visitation rules for more information. See Photos. The glorification of gang affiliation by celebrities in rap music . Authorities on Wednesday arrested David Marquez, 29, of Stockton, whom. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C.