LI MS-13 Gang Member Sentenced For Teen's Murder

CENTRAL ISLIP, NY - An MS-13 gang member was sentenced on Thursday to 27 years in prison for the 2015 murder of a Central Islip teen, according to the U.S. attorney.

William Castellanos, 22, of Central Islip was sentenced by United States District Judge Joseph F. Bianco at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, the U.S. attorney said.

He plead guilty in February 2018 to firearms-related murder charges in connection with the murder of 16-year-old Jonathan Cardona-Hernandez in Central Islip in June 2015, the U.S. attorney said.

Castellanos, who was a member of the Karlington Locos Salvatruchas clique of MS-13 (“KLS”) based in Central Islip, and two MS-13 gang members targeted the teen because they suspected that he was associated with a rival gang, known as “L-Block,” the U.S. attorney said.

On June 30, 2015 Castellanos and the other gang members drove Cardona-Hernandez to Nicoll Avenue and Messina Street in Central Islip, the U.S. attorney said.

When Cardona-Hernandez exited the car, Castellanos approached him from behind and shot him multiple times with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun, according to the U.S. attorney.

The other gang members then took turns shooting the teen with a second 9mm semi-automatic handgun, the U.S. attorney said.

Cardona-Hernandez was struck by at least 10 bullets and was found dead in the street.

The shooters fled the crime scene, met with an MS-13 leader and called MS-13 leaders in El Salvador to report that the murder had been successfully carried out, according to the U.S. attorney.

By the time of his arrest by the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force in May 2016, Castellanos had risen to the position of leader of the KLS clique.

“Castellanos brutally murdered Jonathan Cardona-Hernandez simply because he believed Cardona-Hernandez was a member of a rival gang,” U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue said. “With today’s sentence, Castellanos will pay for this senseless crime.”

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