MS-13 Member Sentenced To Prison For Attempted Murder: Nassau DA

MINEOLA, NY — Miguel Urias Argueta, a member of MS-13, was sentenced on Tuesday to 15 years in prison and five years’ post release supervision, Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas announced.

Argueta, 20, attempted to stab a 19-year-old man in April 2017, while his co-defendants shot at and attacked the victim with a machete. Argueta knew the victim from school.

Argueta was convicted on March 8 of:

• Second-degree attempted murder (a B violent felony)
• First-degree criminal use of a firearm (a B violent felony)
• First-degree attempted assault (a C violent felony)
• Second-degree criminal use of a firearm (a C violent felony)
• Two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon (a C felony)
• Second-degree attempted assault (an E felony)

"The defendants in this case specifically targeted and attempted to murder a young man who refused to join MS-13," DA Singas said via press release. "It is a miracle that the victim survived after being attacked with a knife, gun and machete. I am thankful to our law enforcement partners, including the NCPD’s Gang Investigation Squad, for helping to bring these defendants to justice."

Singas said that on April 30, 2017, around 12:30 a.m., the victim and his friend were smoking a cigarette and laughing outside of a home on Dover Street in Westbury. Argueta, along with co-defendants and brothers Jose and Fidel Hernandez, rode by on bikes three times and then came back minutes later.

Fidel Hernandez asked the victim and his friend what they were laughing at, to which the victim told them he could laugh at whatever he wanted. Fidel Hernandez then told them "the beast is going to take you," an MS-13 reference meaning "you are going to die."

Fidel Hernandez then whipped out his machete and swung it several times at the victim, whose shirt was ripped and abdomen scratched. Meanwhile, Argueta tried to stab the victim with a knife while Jose Hernandez took out a gun and fired several shots at the victim as he ran away. All the shots missed the victim.

The attack was the culmination of a year of threats made by the MS-13 trio to the victim, who refused to join the gang and had to eventually drop out of school because of the their intimidation tactics.

Following an investigation, all three were arrested May 2, 2017 by members of the NCPD’s Gang Investigation Squad.

Jose Hernandez was sentenced to six years in prison on Jan. 23, 2019 after pleading guilty to two counts of second-degree attempted murder (a B violent felony).

Fidel Hernandez was sentenced to four years in prison on Jan. 30, 2019 after pleading guilty to second-degree criminal possession of a weapon (a C violent felony).