MS-13 gang associate sentenced to 20 years in prison for robbery of a brothel that resulted in rape and murder
GREENBELT, Maryland — A Hyattsville, Maryland man and known MS-13 associate charged with conspiracy and the violent robbery of a brothel that resulted in a rape and a murder was sentenced Thursday to 20 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
Alexsi Lopez, 27, was convicted by a federal jury April 9, 2015. Lopez was associated with the MS-13 gang and knew his co-defendant, Ramon Miguel Cerros-Cruz through MS-13. Evidence showed that Lopez and Cerros-Cruz familiarized themselves with the location and operation of brothels in the Hyattsville-Langley Park area of Prince George’s County, then planned the robbery of a Hyattsville brothel apartment. On February 28, 2007, Lopez and Cerros-Cruz entered the brothel apartment armed with knives, and using force and violence, demanded money from the people within the brothel and searched the apartment for cash and items of value. Witnesses testified that Lopez and Cerros-Cruz bound one of the brothel’s employees, raped another employee and murdered a third person who arrived at the brothel during the commission of the rape and robbery, stabbing him multiple times when he resisted the demands of the defendants. DNA evidence placed Lopez and Cerros-Cruz at the scene.
The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm and announced by Special Agent in Charge Andre Watson of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) along with United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein and Chief Mark A. Magaw of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
“Justice has been served in this case. This stringent sentence serves as a warning to other violent gang associates who are a threat to the safety of our communities,” said Andre Watson, special agent in charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Baltimore. “We will continue to investigate these violent crimes and bring to justice those who are associated with organized criminal activity.”
Ramon Miguel Cerros-Cruz, age 25, of Silver Spring, Maryland previously pleaded guilty to the robbery conspiracy and was sentenced of 10 years in prison.
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