Gang Member Heading to Prison for Decades

Marietta, GA -- A member of SUR 13 who was already a convicted felon will spend at least 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to trafficking methamphetamine, armed robbery and other charges.

The charges against Manuel Vargas Ramirez, 27, stem from multiple incidents in March 2014.

On March 24, 2014, US Marshals tracked a fellow gang member and wanted fugitive to Ramirez’s residence at Harmony Meadows Apartments in Marietta. Large amounts of methamphetamine were in the apartment and Ramirez later admitted the drugs were his. The apartment was also filled with photos and other paraphernalia of SUR 13 and Hard Times, which is affiliated with SUR 13.

That same day, a home invasion burglary occurred on Sourwood Circle in Marietta. One victim was shot in the stomach and another person was pistol-whipped in that attack. The two perpetrators had bandannas over their faces, but the victims described their clothing and noted that one had a teardrop tattoo on his eye. Shortly after the perpetrators fled, Ramirez was located nearby, dirty and breathing heavily, as though he had run through woods, and his clothing and tattoo matched the description from the home invasion. Drugs and bullets were in his pocket, and a firearm was found nearby. The other home-invasion suspect has not been identified.

Ramirez also pleaded guilty to two other counts of trafficking methamphetamine after hand-to-hand sales of more than 28 grams of the drug to an undercover officer in Cobb on March 11 and March 20, 2014.

ADA Lauryn Perry prosecuted the case.

“Ramirez and other gang members like him are particularly dangerous because they have no regard for other citizens and base their actions solely on themselves and furtherance of their gang through intimidation, fear, and criminal activity,” Perry said. “Hopefully, this defendant’s sentence sends the message that gang violence and criminal activity will not be tolerated nor will it be met with a slap on the wrist in Cobb County.”

After accepting Ramirez’s guilty plea to 15 gang charges as well as burglary, three counts of aggravated assault, two counts of armed robbery, two counts of criminal attempt to commit a felony, possession of cocaine, two firearms-possession charges and three counts of trafficking methamphetamine, Cobb Superior Court Judge A. Gregory Poole sentenced Ramirez on June 6 to 50 years, with 30 years to serve and the rest on probation.