Jailed Nuestra Familia, Norteño members convicted of gang conspiracies
A federal jury has convicted two men in Monterey County of participating in multiple conspiracies related to gang membership and gang violence, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Vincent Gerald Garcia and Jorge Jasso were convicted on June 7, according to U.S. Attorney General Stephanie M. Hinds and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Sean Ragan.
The verdict follows a three-week jury trial before U.S. District Judge Beth L. Freeman.
Garcia, 55, of Salinas, and Jasso, 29, of Soledad, were charged along with 13 co-accused on Sept. 26, 2018, and were the last defendants pending the case, the agency reported.
At trial, Garcia and Jasso each faced three charges:
- Participate in an organized crime conspiracy (RICO);
- Participation in conspiracy to commit murder in aid of organized crime; e
- Participate in a conspiracy to commit an assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of organized crime.
The jury convicted Garcia and Jasso of all charges.
According to the evidence presented at trial, from December 2012 to April 2014, García and Jasso were active members of the Nuestra Familia prison gang and its affiliated street gang Norteño.
“Garcia was the commander of the NF regiment in charge of the entire Monterey county,” the agency said in a statement. “Jasso was from Soledad. Northern gang members pledged allegiance to the NF. Within the local prisons and jails, all NF members and associates worked together to maintain the structure and follow the rules of the gang. Any member of a Northern dwelling who has committed a serious breach of the rules was subject to “elimination.”
Read more:Men punished Monterey County jail inmates for not following Nuestra Familia gang rules
One of these eliminations was orchestrated by members of Norteño’s gang and involved an organized attack on the target, first by at least one “striker” stabbing the target and immediately followed by an unarmed beating by at least two “bombers”. The beating caused the maximum damage to the victim and caused a distraction that gave the batters time to hide their weapons and wash, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Trial evidence showed that such changes were previously approved by the northern person in charge of the facility when the infractions of the members of the prison housing became known.
The northern gang member in charge of the house was planning the retreat. All members of the Norteño home were aware of the removal process and their assistance was required upon request.
Other evidence showed that the sale of controlled substances both inside prison facilities and on the street was a central source of revenue for the gang.
Members of Norteño smuggled controlled substances into the Monterey County jail as well as other prisons and sold “hard” drugs to other inmates, but distributed marijuana only to other northerners in custody, the agency said.
Garcia was identified by trial evidence as the leader responsible for approving the changes. Garcia, a longtime gang member, rose to the ranks to become a carnal band in the NF prison gang in the 1990s, the agency said. He later became the commander of the NF Regiment in charge of Salinas and the entire Monterey County from at least 2012 to 2014. From May 2013 to February 2015, Garcia was incarcerated in the Monterey County Jail. Evidence showed he was in charge of the entire jail for the NF and ordered assaults and attempted murders. He maintained the highest authority and could put his bandmates in a state of “freezing”, remove them for violations of the rules, strip them of band or leadership roles, and elevate others to leadership positions.
Jorge Jasso, according to evidence, was a member of the North Soledad Street gang that was housed in the Monterey County Jail from May 2012 to September 2013.
He was an NF foot soldier who was involved in assassination attempts and assaults, the agency said. He participated in the removal of a northern gang member on December 2, 2012, playing the role of a terrorist after others stabbed the victim.
Jasso also participated in the removal of a second victim on February 25, 2013, acting again as a terrorist after the victim was stabbed, according to the agency.
Both are scheduled to be convicted on August 30, 2022 and remain in pretrial detention pending sentencing. Each faces a maximum of life imprisonment.
Jailed Nuestra Familia, Norteño members convicted of gang conspiracies Source link Jailed Nuestra Familia, Norteño members convicted of gang conspiracies
