United States Attorney
Northern District of Texas

1100 Commerce St., 3rd Fl.
Dallas, Texas 75242-1699

Telephone (214) 659-8600
Fax (214) 767-0978

FEDERAL CRIMINAL COMPLAINT CHARGES
FIVE WITH KIDNAPPING RICHARDSON, TEXAS, MAN

DALLAS — U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Robert E. Casey announced that a federal criminal complaint was filed today in U.S. District Court in Dallas charging five defendants in the May 4, 2007 kidnapping of Carlos Moreno Esquivel.

SAC Casey said, "Kidnappings investigated by the FBI will be pursued immediately with all necessary resources until the victim is recovered. The crimes charged in this complaint were investigated vigorously by a team of brave FBI Agents and police officers, who risked their lives to find and rescue the victim, and arrest those responsible. Our community is safer today because of their actions. I want to thank Chief Larry Zacharias and the Richardson Police Department for their outstanding investigative efforts in partnership with the FBI, and Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle for the quick response of the Dallas Police Department in several aspects of this case.”

According to the complaint, the defendants, Salomon Bocanegra, Juan Jose Ornelas-Castro, Heberto Bocanegra, a/k/a “Christopher” and a/k/a “Beto,” Damarius Ornelas-Castro, and Sylvia Rodriguez, aided and abetted by each other and by others, did willfully and unlawfully kidnap, abduct and carry away Carlos Moreno Esquivel and hold him for ransom, and the defendants used a communication facility or instrumentality of interstate commerce in committing or in furtherance of the offense, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1201(a)(1).

All five defendants appeared this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul D. Stickney for their initial appearance and four were detained, pending a detention and probable cause hearing set for Tuesday, May 15, 2007, at 1:00 p.m., before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeff Kaplan. Judge Stickney released defendant Sylvia Rodriguez to the custody of her sister and with the special condition that she be on home confinement. Federal authorities are expected to present the case to a federal grand jury in the near future.

The case was investigated by the FBI, with task force officers from the Texas Department of Public Safety, Garland Police Department, Dallas Police Department, and Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Office of Inspector General. The Richardson Police Department co-investigated the case with the FBI. Immigration and Customs Enforcement also provided assistance in the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Calvert.

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