MS-13 Gang Member Sentenced To Federal Prison For 2016 Slaying

GAITHERSBURG, MD — An MS-13 gang member from Gaithersburg was sentenced to prison on Tuesday for conspiring to kidnap and murder a man he thought was part of a rival gang, according to prosecutors.

Reynaldo Alexis Granados-Vasquez, 23 — also known as "Fuego" — faces 20 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Granados-Vasquez was the last of three men to be sentenced for this gang-related crime, which resulted in the death of a New Jersey resident in 2016.

The other MS-13 gang members sentenced to prison were 22-year-old Neris Moreno-Martinez, of West New York, New Jersey, and 21-year-old Jose Israel Melendez-Rivera of Gaithersburg, Maryland.

"With today's sentence, three MS-13 members and associates will now be prevented from inflicting any further harm on our community for years to come," said United States Attorney Robert K. Hur. "This case and our ongoing work with our law enforcement partners to bring other gang members to justice, demonstrates our unflagging commitment to eliminate MS-13 and its campaign of violence."

Prosecutors say Granada-Vasquez admitted to participating in the 2016 murder of Jordy Mejia, which involved pretending to be a woman and luring the New Jersey resident to Maryland.

According to his plea agreement, Granada-Vasquez conspired with Melendez-Rivera and Moreno-Martinez to create a fake social media account under the name of "Shaila Smith" in hopes of tricking Mejia into thinking that "she" was romantically interested in him.

Posing as "Shaila Smith," the MS-13 gang members and associates first reached out to Mejia in October of 2016, prosecutors said. The goal: lure Mejia to Maryland and kill him.

On Oct. 15, 2016, Moreno-Martinez traveled to meet Melendez-Rivera. Mejia, who had already been given Melendez-Rivera's Gaithersburg address, was en-route to meet "Shaila Smith." He was told someone would pick him up once he arrived.

In the meantime, Melendez-Rivera drove Moreno-Martinez and Granados-Vasquez to a residence near a wooded area. Prosecutors say the two waited there for Mejia.

"Thinking that Melendez-Rivera was Mejia, Moreno-Martinez and Granados-Vasquez accidentally struck Melendez-Rivera with a brick or rock and Mejia then ran toward the road. As detailed in the plea agreement, Granados-Vasquez caught up to Mejia, kicking him into a small stream, where Melendez-Rivera and Moreno-Martinez held Mejia's head under the water, drowning him," prosecutors said.

The three men then carried Mejia's body into the woods and dug a shallow grave, according to officials. They then took turns stabbing the corpse with machetes.

Mejia's body was found by hikers in November.

All three men have admitted to committing the crime. The first person to sentenced for the gang-related crime was Melendez-Rivera — back in mid-June. He faces 20 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. On June 25, Moreno-Martinez was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release.