A Montgomery County man pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges related to his involvement with a violent street gang in a murder, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday.
Daniel Flores-Ventura, 26, of Aspen Hill, was charged with conspiring to participate in a racketeering enterprise known MS-13, which included taking part in a murder.
Two others — Vilas Sail Argueta-Bermudez, 32, and Michael Campos-Lemus, 25, both of Aspen Hill — previously pleaded guilty to the same charge. A Woodbridge, Virginia, man did the same.
“The convictions of these four defendants, and our ongoing work with our law enforcement partners to bring other gang members to justice, demonstrate our unflagging commitment to remove MS-13 and its associated violence from our communities,” United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur said in a statement.
Plea agreements for the four men state they admitted to conspiring to murder a member of a rival gang in June or July 2015. The victim was lured from Maryland to Virginia under the pretense of participating in the disciplinary beating of another individual.
Flores-Ventura admitted he drove the victim from Silver Spring to Woodbridge in order to kill them. MS-13 members met in a wooded location, where they struck and stabbed the victim with machetes and knives.
All four admitted the murder was intended to increase the status of the gang in the community. They face a maximum sentence of life in prison. Flores-Ventura has a sentencing hearing Aug.27.
An attorney for Flores-Ventura did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Charlie Wright can be reached at charlie.wright@moco360.media
