United States Attorney Richard B. Roper
Northern District of Texas

TWO MORE KIDNAPPERS SENTENCED FOR THE
KIDNAPPING OF A MAN IN RICHARDSON, TEXAS

Each Defendant Sentenced to 25 or More Years in Federal Prison, Without Parole

DALLAS — Heberto Bocanegra and Damarius Ornelas-Castro, two of the five defendants charged in the May 4, 2007, kidnapping of Carlos Moreno Esquivel in Richardson, Texas, were sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade, to 300 months (25 years) and 320 months (more than 26 years), respectively, announced U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper of the Northern District of Texas. In addition, Judge Kinkeade ordered that each defendant, along with defendant Salomon Bocanegra, pay $26,018 restitution, jointly and severally.

All other defendant involved in the kidnapping have pled guilty and have been sentenced:

Salomon Bocanegra, sentenced to 340 months (28 years) in prison

Juan Jose Ornelas-Castro, sentenced to 27.5 years in prison

Sylvia Rodriguez, sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison

Salomon Bocanegra, Jose Ornelas-Castro, Heberto Bocanegra, a/k/a “Christopher” a/ka/ “Beto,” Damarius Ornelas-Castro and Sylvia Rodriguez, were charged in a federal indictment with various offenses related to the kidnapping of Carlos Moreno Esquivel.

According to documents filed in Court, on May 4, Salomon Bocanegra, Juan Jose Ornelas-Castro, Heberto Bocanegra, a/k/a “Christopher” and a/ka/ “Beto,” and Damarius Ornelas-Castro agreed to rob an individual they believed was distributing large quantities of drugs in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. They went to Esquivel’s residence on Devonshire Road in Richardson, armed with handguns, and when they arrived at the residence, they kidnapped Esquivel, at gunpoint in his front yard, and forced him into a vehicle, believing that they could collect a ransom of cash and drugs. Once inside the vehicle, Esquivel was restrained, shot and

1beaten by various defendants, and driven to a tire shop in Dallas, where he was held against his will. While he was being held, the defendants made numerous phone calls to Esquivel’s family members in the Republic of Mexico demanding cash and pound quantities of methamphetamine for his safe release.

Early the following morning, the defendants moved Esquivel from the tire shop to a trailer located as 2324 Cedar Rock, in Dallas, and kept him there blindfolded, restrained and at gunpoint. He was beaten and forced to use a cell phone to call individuals to request that a ransom be paid for his release.

Later that morning, Salomon Bocanegra, Juan Jose Ornelas-Castro, who was armed, and another individual later identified as Gerardo Diaz, went to the Wal-Mart at 1521 North Cockrell Hill Road in Dallas to collect what they believed to be several thousand dollars in U.S. currency and pound quantities of methamphetamine. They agreed to release Esquivel in exchange for the money and methamphetamine. Heberto Bocanegra and Damarius Ornelas-Castro, who were also armed, were left at the trailer to ensure that Esquivel did not escape. After Juan Jose Ornelas-Castro arrived at the Wal-Mart parking lot, FBI agents attempted to detain him. He tried to flee and was involved in an automobile accident and subsequently arrested, along with Bocanegra, by FBI agents. Gerardo Diaz was shot and killed by FBI agents attempting to detain him in the Wal-Mart parking lot when Diaz attempted to run down one of the pursuing agents with a vehicle. DPD officers and FBI agents located Esquivel at the trailer on Cedar Rock in Dallas and took Damarius Ornelas-Castro into custody. Heberto Bocanegra and Sylvia Rodriguez were arrested trying to leave the location in a vehicle. Esquivel was found bound and blindfolded in the bathroom; he had been shot and severely beaten. Sylvia pled guilty to a misprision of a felony for her role in the kidnapping — knowing about it but not reporting it to police.

The kidnapping victim, Carlos Moreno Esquivel, along with six other defendants were subsequently charged in a separate indictment with participating in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy during the time of the kidnapping. Esquivel pled guilty and is set to be sentenced in January 2008.

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 was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Calvert.

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