4 Pomona gang members with ties to Mexican Mafia found guilty of murder, feds say
Four men federal authorities describe as gang members from Pomona with ties to the Mexican Mafia were found guilty of murder Friday.
A jury found Michael Lerma, 68, a.k.a. "Pomona Mike" and "Big Mike," Carlos Gonzalez, 41, a.k.a. "Popeye," Juan Sanchez, 33, a.k.a. "Squeaks" and Jose Valencia Gonzalez, 44, a.k.a. "Swifty" guilty of first-degree murder for the June 2020 killing of an inmate at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in downtown Los Angeles. They were also convicted of one count of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act and one count of violent crimes in aid of racketeering (VICAR) murder.
It was at Lerma's direction that the other four defendants murdered a victim who authorities have only identified as "S.B." in retaliation for the victim not paying off drug debts owed to Lerma's cell of the Mexican Mafia prison gang, prosecutors said.
He has been described by federal officials as a full member of the Mexican Mafia prison gang who controlled and extorted drug money from street gangs in and around the Pomona area as well as from inmates at the Calipatria State Prison in Imperial County.
Prosecutors said those crimes occurred between February 2012 and June 2020, and others within Lerma's criminal enterprise committed identity theft and fraud, drug trafficking, robberies and other violent crimes.
The convictions are part of a larger RICO case in which federal prosecutors have secured 16 other convictions.
Among the other defendants are Cheryl Perez-Castaneda, 62, of Pomona and Kelly Deshannon, 43, of La Verne.
According to federal prosecutors, Perez-Castaneda was a high-level associate of Lerma's and acted as a so-called "señora" within the gang who held power on the street in carrying out criminal activity. She is serving a 12-year prison sentence for soliciting a murder and taking part in a carjacking attempt that resulted in a shooting in July 2013.
Prosecutors said Deshannon served as a so-called "secretary" to Lerma and she is serving more than seven years in prison for facilitating the July 2013 armed robbery of the same person targeted in the carjacking and shooting involving Perez-Castaneda. She was also convicted of extortion and distributing narcotics.
The case has been investigated by the FBI, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Pomona Police Department, El Monte Police Department and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
31 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Watch: Man Saves US Flag From Angry Anti-ICE Mob Trying to Burn it
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A video captured the moment a man snatched an American flag away from the flames of a dumpster fire set by a mob of far-left anti-ICE protesters in Seattle, Washington, leading to a confrontation with the group. "What are you here for, bro?" shouts a woman as some of the group tries to wrestle the U.S. flag back from the man's hands. "F**k this country! F**k this country!" "We're burning that s**t, bro?" she continues. "What the f**k are you here for, b***h?" Another man shouts: "We're Mexican, motherf****r, we're burning that flag." The man who saved the flag says "you ain't burning no flag". The video was shot by Katie Daviscourt, a journalist for The Post Millennial, who was covering the unrest in Seattle. This is a developing article. Updates to follow.
Forbes
37 minutes ago
- Forbes
FBI Confirms iPhone And Android Warning—Delete These New Texts
FBI confirms new DMV text attacks AFP via Getty Images Attacks on iPhone and Android users surged more than 700% this month, with malicious texts targeting multiple cities and states. Following alerts from police forces across the country, the FBI has now confirmed the latest warning and stepped in. This threat comes directly from China, and you need to delete all these texts immediately. As I reported earlier this week, the infamous unpaid toll texts that have plagued American smartphone users for more than a year 'have seen a significant decline recently. But the DMV texts that have replaced them are 'more threatening.' That's the warning from Guardio, whose researchers have been tracking these attacks for months. Its team 'spotted a 773% surge in DMV scam texts during the first week of June,' which shows no signs of slowing. 'These scam texts lead to phishing websites designed to steal people's credit card information and make unauthorized charges.' DMV text surge Guardio Now the FBI has confirmed it is investigating the DMV scam. According to FBI Tennessee's Supervisory Special Agent David Palmer, the unpaid toll cybercriminals have 'pivoted to the DMV scam.' Confirming the gangs operate from overseas, Palmer warns these texts can 'put malware on your phone, which then can go in and steal information from your device, or collect your payment information.' Palmer warns smartphone users 'if you don't know who [a text] is from, don't click the link.' Those links use domains crafted to trick users into thinking they're legitimate. As Guardio explains, 'scammers generate a new domain for almost every DMV text. The format is usually the name of a state followed by a generic domain. Sometimes they include '.gov' as part of the URL to make the website appear legitimate.' DMV Texts Guardio There will be millions of these texts sent out over the coming weeks and months. As Resecurity warns, 'just one threat actor can send "up to 2,000,000 smishing messages daily,' which means targeting 'up to 60,000,000 victims per month, or 720,000,000 per year, enough to target every person in the U.S. at least twice every year.' Just as with undelivered packages and unpaid tolls, the FBI's advice is to 'delete any smishing texts received.' You don't want the dangerous links left on your phone, even though many are only active for a few hours before they're detected and blocked. The new DMV attacks go beyond the late payment lure with the toll texts, these cite a non-specific traffic offense and threaten suspensions of driving licenses and vehicle registrations. They create a sense of panic and urgency to push users to engage. Don't. Every one of these texts is a scam. If you have any doubts, contact your DMV using public channels. You can report the text. But you must delete it
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Man arrested as part of FBI investigation, charged in connection with 3 pipe bomb incidents
A man was arrested as part of an FBI investigation and has been charged in connection with three pipe bomb incidents. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force arrested 50-year-old Robert Gilb in Green Township, according to an FBI Cincinnati spokesperson. As previously reported by News Center 7, FBI agents were seen going in and out of a home in an Ohio neighborhood. TRENDING STORIES: 6-year-old hit, killed by car in Harrison Township Officers respond after vehicle reportedly hits Miami County motel Former school staffer who pleaded guilty to sexual relationship with student sentenced to prison Gilb has been charged with three counts of possessing an unregistered destructive device and three counts of transporting explosive materials, the spokesperson said. 'This alleged activity posed a serious risk to public safety,' said Elena Iatarola, FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge. 'The FBI worked closely with our law enforcement partners to neutralize this potential danger and protect the community.' Gilb is accused of detonating three improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Hamilton and Butler counties, according to court documents. 'A complaint affidavit details that on April 12, Hamilton County sheriff's deputies were dispatched to Miami Township for a report of a loud explosion. They discovered what appeared to be a blast crater and components of an improvised explosive device (IED),' said FBI Cincinnati. 'Further investigation revealed that there were two prior incidents in Morgan Township that allegedly had similar characteristics to the incident in Miami Township. Butler County sheriff's deputies had responded to incidents there on March 23 and March 28.' Witnesses allegedly saw Gilb in a white BMW near the site where at least one of the IEDs exploded, FBI Cincinnati said. He faces up to 10 years in prison if he's convicted of both charges. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
