Latest news with #DelVillar
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Yahoo
Del Records CEO found guilty after doing business with cartel-linked concert promoter
A federal jury Thursday convicted the chief executive of Del Records, a Bell Gardens-based label that produces Latin music, of conspiring to violate a federal law that prohibits U.S. residents and companies from doing business with known drug traffickers and their associates. After a nine-day trial, Ángel Del Villar, 44, and his talent agency, Del Entertainment, were found guilty of one count of conspiracy to do business with sanctioned people connected to drug trafficking, in violation of the Kingpin Act and 10 counts of violating the Kingpin Act, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in L.A. The Kingpin Act prohibits anyone in the U.S. from engaging in deals or transactions with people or businesses sanctioned by the Treasury Department. Federal authorities arrested and charged Del Villar in 2022. In April 2018, Del Villar and the talent agency did business with Jesús Pérez Alvear, a.k.a. 'Chucho," a Guadalajara-based music promoter who had been sanctioned by the Treasury Department, according to evidence presented at trial. Treasury officials said at the time that Pérez had laundered drug money for the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion and a related trafficking group, Los Cuinis. Pérez was accused of commingling the traffickers' profits with legitimate revenue from ticket and refreshment sales. He also promoted singers of narcocorridos, ballads which 'glorify' traffickers and their crimes, Treasury officials said. Pérez had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to do business with sanctioned people connected to drug trafficking. He promoted concerts for Del Entertainment in Mexico until March 2019. He was murdered in Mexico in December 2024. During the trial — which featured testimony from a popular singer of Mexican regional music named Gerardo Ortiz — Del Villar's attorneys tried to shift the blame onto a former employee of Del Records, Brian Gutiérrez. One of Del Villar's attorneys, Marissa Goldberg, said in her opening statement that the case centered around "misplaced trust" and "manipulation." Goldberg accused Gutierrez of working with the government, "to manufacture a gotcha situation to take down someone that they perceived to be on top." Del Villar's attorneys did not return a request for comment on Thursday. According to the U.S. attorney's office, Del Villar and Del Entertainment willfully did business with Pérez, "by continuing to have a Del Entertainment musical artist perform at concerts in which Pérez and Del Entertainment had a financial interest." 'The defendants here chose to get into business with an individual they knew had ties to the CJNG and had been designated a narcotics trafficker under the Kingpin Act,' said acting U.S. Atty. Joseph McNally. 'Cartels and transnational criminal organizations cause immeasurable harm to our country. We are using every tool to eliminate these organizations and will prosecute those that do business with cartels.' During the trial, Goldberg, Del Villar's attorney, told the jury that her client, an immigrant from Mexico, had "accomplished the American dream." She said he had a passion for Mexican regional music, the music of his childhood, and started his record label two decades ago. The trouble, authorities said, began in 2018. Ortiz, one of Del Records' artists, had been scheduled to perform at a concert organized by Pérez in the state of Aguascalientes, Mexico, when the promoter was sanctioned, FBI Special Agent Lauren Radke wrote in an affidavit filed in court. Del Villar's employees drafted a news release at the time, stating the company had 'no choice' but to 'obey U.S. law and not allow the bookings of any of my shows to individuals the Dept. of Treasury has deemed sanctioned.' The news release was never distributed, but agents used a search warrant to obtain the draft a year later, Radke wrote. That news release came up repeatedly throughout the trial. Radke and other agents met with Ortiz at an airport in Phoenix, where they handed the singer a letter from the Treasury Department and told him he was prohibited from doing business with Pérez. Later that day, Del Records' chief financial officer, Luca Scalisi, left a voice message with an employee of the record label. Scalisi said Del Villar wanted the chief financial officer to go to Mexico to collect a debt that Pérez owed to a Mexican company affiliated with Del Villar, Radke wrote. Scalisi said he was concerned about creating a 'paper trail' leading to Pérez because the concert promoter was 'under surveillance," Radke wrote. Authorities have also charged Scalisi, 58, with violating the Kingpin Act. He has pleaded not guilty and his trial is scheduled for July. Ortiz ultimately did perform at the concert Perez staged in Aguascalientes, Radke wrote. Del Villar's credit card was used to pay for a private jet that transported Ortiz from Van Nuys Airport to the performance in Aguascalientes, according to the U.S. attorney's office. On multiple other occasions in 2018 and 2019, authorities said Pérez and Del Villar continued to do business by arranging for Ortiz to perform at concerts in Mexico. The 'Para Qué Lastimarme' singer admitted in court that he performed at the 2018 Feria de San Marcos in Aguascalientes, Mexico, despite already being made aware of Pérez's status, according to Univision. Ortiz, who was signed under Del Records from 2009 to 2019, has already pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy tied to the case. Del Villar is set to be sentenced on August 15 and faces up to 30 years in prison on each count. Del Entertainment will face a sentence of five years of probation and a fine of $10 million for each count. Times staff writers Matthew Ormseth and Carlos De Loera contributed to this report. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
28-03-2025
- Los Angeles Times
Del Records CEO found guilty after doing business with cartel-linked concert promoter
A federal jury Thursday convicted the chief executive of Del Records, a Bell Gardens-based label that produces Latin music, of conspiring to violate a federal law that prohibits U.S. residents and companies from doing business with known drug traffickers and their associates. After a nine-day trial, Ángel Del Villar, 44, and his talent agency, Del Entertainment, were found guilty of one count of conspiracy to do business with sanctioned people connected to drug trafficking, in violation of the Kingpin Act and 10 counts of violating the Kingpin Act, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in L.A. The Kingpin Act prohibits anyone in the U.S. from engaging in deals or transactions with people or businesses sanctioned by the Treasury Department. Federal authorities arrested and charged Del Villar in 2022. In April 2018, Del Villar and the talent agency did business with Jesús Pérez Alvear, a.k.a. 'Chucho,' a Guadalajara-based music promoter who had been sanctioned by the Treasury Department, according to evidence presented at trial. Treasury officials said at the time that Pérez had laundered drug money for the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion and a related trafficking group, Los Cuinis. Pérez was accused of commingling the traffickers' profits with legitimate revenue from ticket and refreshment sales. He also promoted singers of narcocorridos, ballads which 'glorify' traffickers and their crimes, Treasury officials said. Pérez had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to do business with sanctioned people connected to drug trafficking. He promoted concerts for Del Entertainment in Mexico until March 2019. He was murdered in Mexico in December 2024. During the trial — which featured testimony from a popular singer of Mexican regional music named Gerardo Ortiz — Del Villar's attorneys tried to shift the blame onto a former employee of Del Records, Brian Gutiérrez. One of Del Villar's attorneys, Marissa Goldberg, said in her opening statement that the case centered around 'misplaced trust' and 'manipulation.' Goldberg accused Gutierrez of working with the government, 'to manufacture a gotcha situation to take down someone that they perceived to be on top.' Del Villar's attorneys did not return a request for comment on Thursday. According to the U.S. attorney's office, Del Villar and Del Entertainment willfully did business with Pérez, 'by continuing to have a Del Entertainment musical artist perform at concerts in which Pérez and Del Entertainment had a financial interest.' 'The defendants here chose to get into business with an individual they knew had ties to the CJNG and had been designated a narcotics trafficker under the Kingpin Act,' said acting U.S. Atty. Joseph McNally. 'Cartels and transnational criminal organizations cause immeasurable harm to our country. We are using every tool to eliminate these organizations and will prosecute those that do business with cartels.' During the trial, Goldberg, Del Villar's attorney, told the jury that her client, an immigrant from Mexico, had 'accomplished the American dream.' She said he had a passion for Mexican regional music, the music of his childhood, and started his record label two decades ago. The trouble, authorities said, began in 2018. Ortiz, one of Del Records' artists, had been scheduled to perform at a concert organized by Pérez in the state of Aguascalientes, Mexico, when the promoter was sanctioned, FBI Special Agent Lauren Radke wrote in an affidavit filed in court. Del Villar's employees drafted a news release at the time, stating the company had 'no choice' but to 'obey U.S. law and not allow the bookings of any of my shows to individuals the Dept. of Treasury has deemed sanctioned.' The news release was never distributed, but agents used a search warrant to obtain the draft a year later, Radke wrote. That news release came up repeatedly throughout the trial. Radke and other agents met with Ortiz at an airport in Phoenix, where they handed the singer a letter from the Treasury Department and told him he was prohibited from doing business with Pérez. Later that day, Del Records' chief financial officer, Luca Scalisi, left a voice message with an employee of the record label. Scalisi said Del Villar wanted the chief financial officer to go to Mexico to collect a debt that Pérez owed to a Mexican company affiliated with Del Villar, Radke wrote. Scalisi said he was concerned about creating a 'paper trail' leading to Pérez because the concert promoter was 'under surveillance,' Radke wrote. Authorities have also charged Scalisi, 58, with violating the Kingpin Act. He has pleaded not guilty and his trial is scheduled for July. Ortiz ultimately did perform at the concert Perez staged in Aguascalientes, Radke wrote. Del Villar's credit card was used to pay for a private jet that transported Ortiz from Van Nuys Airport to the performance in Aguascalientes, according to the U.S. attorney's office. On multiple other occasions in 2018 and 2019, authorities said Pérez and Del Villar continued to do business by arranging for Ortiz to perform at concerts in Mexico. The 'Para Qué Lastimarme' singer admitted in court that he performed at the 2018 Feria de San Marcos in Aguascalientes, Mexico, despite already being made aware of Pérez's status, according to Univision. Ortiz, who was signed under Del Records from 2009 to 2019, has already pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy tied to the case. Del Villar is set to be sentenced on August 15 and faces up to 30 years in prison on each count. Del Entertainment will face a sentence of five years of probation and a fine of $10 million for each count. Times staff writers Matthew Ormseth and Carlos De Loera contributed to this report.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Yahoo
Orange County music exec worked with cartel-tied concert promoter: DOJ
A Huntington Beach man and his music company were convicted on 11 federal criminal counts for working with a concert promoter in Mexico who has ties to drug cartels. José Ángel Del Villar, 44, of Huntington Beach and the CEO of Del Records and connected talent agency Del Entertainment Inc., was convicted by a jury on Thursday of 10 counts of violating the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act and an additional count of conspiracy to transact in property of specially designated narcotics traffickers in violation of the Kingpin Act, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release. Del Entertainment was also convicted on the same 11 charges. The cartel-affiliated figure in question is Jesús Pérez Alvear, aka 'Chucho' of Guadalajara, who promoted concerts for Del Entertainment until 2019. Pérez also 'facilitated money laundering for the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) and the Los Cuinis drug trafficking organization,' prompting his designation as a narcotic trafficker in 2018. Under the Kingpin Act, that label makes it illegal for Americans to work with him. Del Villar knew this, yet his artists continued to perform at Pérez's events. At one point, Del Records drafted a press release 'stating the company had 'no choice; but to 'obey U.S. law and not allow the bookings of any of my shows to individuals the Dept. of Treasury has deemed sanctioned,'' the Los Angeles Times reports. That release, however, was never sent out, and the shows continued. One 'well-known musician' whom FBI agents 'explicitly' told about Pérez's narcotic trafficker status performed in Mexico in 2018 and traveled to the show via a private jet paid for by Del Villar's credit card, officials said. 'The defendants here chose to get into business with an individual they knew had ties to the CJNG and had been designated a narcotics trafficker under the Kingpin Act,' acting U.S. Attorney Joseph McNally said in the release. 'Cartels and transnational criminal organizations cause immeasurable harm to our country. We are using every tool to eliminate these organizations and will prosecute those that do business with cartels.' Del Villar faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each count. His sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 15. His co-defendant Luca Scalisi, 58, of West Hollywood, has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to be tried separately in July. As for Pérez, he already pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge, though he was found murdered in Mexico in December. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Del Records CEO Guilty of Violating Kingpin Act for Working With Cartel-Linked Promoter
The CEO of Del Records has been found guilty of violating the Kingpin Act and will face a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that Ángel Del Villar, who's behind the label, was found guilty of conspiracy to transact with a cartel, along with 10 other counts related to the Kingpin Act. According to a statement from the DOJ, Del Villar — and co-defendant Del Entertainment — was found guilty of doing business with Jesus 'Chucho' Pérez Alvear, a promoter that worked directly with Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación and Los Cuinis, two drug cartels in Mexico. In 2018, the DOJ designated Perez as a 'narcotics trafficker' after finding that he was helping the cartels launder money. (Perez was killed in December 2024.) More from Rolling Stone Plies Drops Lawsuit Against Megan Thee Stallion, GloRilla, and Cardi B Over Sample on 'Wanna Be' Rolling Stone Investigation Into Snowboarder Turned Drug Lord to Become Docuseries 'There's No Second Amendment Right to Sell Guns to the Cartels' 'The defendants here chose to get into business with an individual they knew had ties to the CJNG and had been designated a narcotics trafficker under the Kingpin Act,' said United States Attorney Joseph McNally in a statement. 'Cartels and transnational criminal organizations cause immeasurable harm to our country. We are using every tool to eliminate these organizations and will prosecute those that do business with cartels.' Del Villar is set to be sentenced during an Aug. 15 hearing where Del Villar faces a maximum of 30 years in federal prison for each count. Meanwhile, Del Entertainment faces five years probation and a fine of $10 million. An attorney for Dell Villar did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone's request for comment. During opening remarks of the case, Del Villar watched as prosecutors said that Del Records' former top artist, Gerardo Ortiz, had already pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge in the case and would be testifying against Del Villar. According to prosecutors, FBI agents tracked Ortiz down at a Phoenix airport and handed him a letter in April 2018 that informed him he needed to stop performing at shows organized by Perez. Prosecutors claimed Ortiz initially planned to stop playing shows for Pérez but was persuaded by Del Villar to keep appearing. Gerardo Ortiz parted ways with Del Records in 2019 amid a contract dispute. In a statement after the start of a trial, a lawyer for Ortiz told Rolling Stone that his client's guilty plea was highly tailored, relating only to his transactions with Pérez in the context of concert performances. 'Gerardo Ortiz has not pled guilty to conspiring with or doing business with Mexican drug cartels, nor is he cooperating against the cartels. Mr. Ortiz is a witness in this trial, and he has testified truthfully about performing at concerts in Mexico on behalf of promoters whom the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) has banned Americans from doing business with,' lawyer Mark Werksman said earlier this month. 'Gerardo and other artists performed at these concerts upon the assurance of his former manager that he could, when, in fact, performing in those concerts was a violation of federal law.' Best of Rolling Stone The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
