Nine Individuals Indicted for the Murder of an Officer and Employee of the United States
On Jan. 28, 2015, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned a six-count indictment charging nine individuals for the murder of Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati-Casanas, a correctional officer of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, U.S. Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez Vélez for the District of Puerto Rico announced.
The indictment charges that, on or about Feb. 26, 2013, in the District of Puerto Rico, Oscar Martínez-Hernández aka “Cali,” Ángel D. Ramos-Cruz aka “Api,” Miguel Díaz-Rivera aka “Bolo,” Juan Quiñones-Meléndez aka “El Manco,” Orlando Mojica-Rodríguez aka “Yogui,” Jayson Rodríguez-González aka “Gonzo,” Carlos Rosado-Rosado aka “Cano,” Alexander Rosario de León aka “Coquí,” and Jancarlos Velázquez-Vázquez aka “Jan,” the defendants herein, together with other persons known and unknown to the grand jury, aiding and abetting each other, did with premeditation and malice aforethought unlawfully kill Lieutenant Albarati-Casanas, an officer and employee of the United States, while he was engaged in and on account of the performance of his official duties.
Counts one and two are charges related to the murder of Lieutenant Albarati-Casanas. Counts three and four are charges related to the murder for hire of Lieutenant Albarati-Casanas. Finally, counts five and six are charges related to the firearms used in the commission of the violent felonies, murder and murder for hire.
Count two of the indictment sets forth the participation of the nine defendants in the conspiracy to commit murder. The purpose and object of the conspiracy was that the defendants would carry out the murder of Lieutenant Albarati-Casanas, thereby eliminating him as a correctional officer at the Metropolitan Detention Center and as a means of ensuring that the officer would no longer exercise his substantial investigative authority against the defendants and be unable to conduct seizures of contraband, including cellular phones, which were forbidden at the detention facility.
According to the indictment, defendants Martínez-Hernández, Ramos-Cruz and Díaz-Rivera solicited another person(s) and financed the plan to murder Lieutenant Albarati-Casanas. Defendants Quiñones-Meléndez and Mojica-Rodríguez provided a vehicle, four Glock .40 fully automatic pistols and a cellular phone to defendants Rodríguez-González, Rosado-Rosado and Rosario de León to murder Lieutenant Albarati-Casanas. Defendant Velázquez-Vázquez served as driver to Mojica-Rodríguez and participated in the plan to murder the victim.
“Throughout his law enforcement career, Lieutenant Albarati’s service was both selfless and courageous,” said U.S. Attorney Rodríguez-Vélez. “With this action, we continue our work to hold accountable those who carried out this reprehensible and senseless act. And in all that we do, the Department of Justice will continue to honor Lieutenant Albarati’s sacrifice, to safeguard the community he served, and to protect the values and principles he defended all his life.”
“In February 2013, Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati’s life was spontaneously and brutally robbed from him, his family and friends, his partners, and the good people across the Federal Bureau of Prisons,” said Special Agent in Charge Carlos Cases of the FBI. “It is my sincerest hope that, while it took some time, the tireless and selfless effort of the men and women who worked to solve this case brings justice and closure to Albarati’s family. The FBI has always been and will continue to be relentless in the pursuit of justice.”
The murder of government employees and officials is a crime punishable by death or imprisonment for any terms of years or for life. Murder for hire is a crime punishable by death or imprisonment for any terms of years or for life. Possession of a firearm in furtherance of an attempted crime of violence is a crime punishable by a minimum penalty of 10 years and a maximum penalty of death or imprisonment for any term of years or for life.
Criminal indictments are only charges and not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The case was investigated by the FBI with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Díaz-Rex for the District of Puerto Rico and Trial Attorney Julie Mosley from the Justice Department’s Criminal Division Capital Crimes Unit.