AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC at 410-209-4885

September 1, 2006

MS-13 MEMBER PLEADS GUILTY TO RACKETEERING CONSPIRACY

Defendant Was Charged in 2005 RICO Indictment

GREENBELT, Maryland - Franklin Mejia Molina a/k/a “Dragon,” age 22, of Silver Spring, Maryland, pled guilty today to conspiracy to participate in racketeering enterprise activities, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.

According to the plea agreement presented to the court, La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as the MS-13 gang (hereafter “MS-13"), is a gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants of immigrants from El Salvador, with members operating throughout Prince George’s County and Montgomery County, Maryland, and elsewhere. MS-13 is a national and international criminal organization with approximately 10,000 members regularly conducting gang activities in at least ten states and the District of Columbia, Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras and El Salvador.

MS-13 is organized in “cliques ”and Molina was a member of the Teclas Locos Salvatruchos (“TLS”) clique. The MS-13 cliques work together cooperatively to commit acts of violence and operate under the umbrella rules of MS-13. From August 2004 through August 2006, Molina conspired to participate in MS-13 illegal activities. For example, on April 28, 2004, Molina and another MS-13 member threatened two women in a vehicle and damaged the vehicle, because the women had driven through an area that MS-13 sought to control. On June 7, 2005, Molina and other MS-13 gang members assaulted and tried to kill two youths with bottles, a knife and other objects in Langley Park, Maryland. On July 9, 2005, Molina and other MS-13 gang members met to discuss, among other things, the planned murder of a police officer.

Molina faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow scheduled sentencing for December 4, 2006 at 2:00 p.m.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the investigative work performed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Prince George’s County Police Department; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; the Montgomery County Police Department; the Howard County Police Department; the Maryland National Capital Park Police; the Maryland State Police and the Fairfax County, Virginia Police Department. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sandra Wilkinson and James Trusty, and Prince George’s County Assistant State’s Attorney Laura Gwinn, who are prosecuting the case.