San Francisco MS-13 Associates Sentenced To Prison For Roles In Gang-Related Murders And Attempted Cover-Up

SAN FRANCISCO- Kevin Guatemala Zepeda, a/k/a “Mision,” and Fernando Romero Bonilla, a/k/a “Black,” were sentenced today to 204 and 84 months in prison, respectively, for their separate roles in planning and covering up a MS-13 gang-related murder announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Tatum King. The sentences were handed down by the Hon. Richard Seeborg, Chief U.S. District Judge.

Zepeda and Bonilla were two of 13 defendants named in a second superseding indictment filed on November 4, 2021. The indictment described a broad range of racketeering crimes committed by the transnational criminal organization MS-13. Among the crimes described in the indictment is the murder of a suspected gang rival in the parking lot of the Gray Whale Cove trail in Pacifica. On September 13, 2022, Bonilla pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and a January 24, 2019, assault on a family in the Mission District of San Francisco that included a 15-year-old boy. Bonilla admitted that as part of the racketeering conspiracy, he attempted to cover up the murder at Gray Whale Cove by removing a piece of potentially incriminating evidence. On October 4, 2022, Zepeda pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and his participation in the January 24, 2019, assault. Zepeda admitted to participating in the planning of the murder at Gray Whale Cove and providing the weapons that his associates used to commit the murder. He further admitted that he helped remove potentially incriminating evidence from the scene of the murder. 

MS-13 operates in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, and at least 20 states in the United States. The MS-13 clique in San Francisco is the 20th Street clique. The second superseding indictment filed in this case describes how the 20th Street clique relies on crime to operate, including to avoid detection by law enforcement, to initiate new recruits, to enhance the reputation of the gang and individual gang members, to maintain control of drug distribution channels, and to intimidate people who might testify against or otherwise defy the gang. The second superseding indictment also describes several violent crimes to which numerous defendants have pleaded guilty. According to his plea agreement, Zepeda acknowledged that he retrieved from his house the gun and machete used in the murder. In addition, after fellow gang members committed the murder, Zepeda drove to the murder scene to remove a piece of evidence that would have implicated his clique mates. For his part, Bonilla admitted in his plea agreement that he accompanied Zepeda after the murder to remove the incriminating evidence from the scene. Both defendants pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d), and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(3) and 2. 

In addition to the prison terms, Chief Judge Seeborg ordered a five-year term of supervised release for Zepeda and a three-year term of supervised release for Bonilla.

Several of Zepeda’s and Bonilla’s co-defendants pleaded guilty to crimes in connection with the racketeering conspiracy and have been sentenced as follows:

In addition, the following defendants have pleaded guilty to their role in the racketeering conspiracy and are awaiting sentencing:

This case is being prosecuted by the Organized Crime Strike Force of the Office of the United States Attorney. The prosecution is the result of an investigations by HSI, the San Francisco Police Department Homicide Unit and Community Violence Reduction Team, San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office Gang Intelligence Unit and Investigations Bureau, Daly City Police Department, Pinole Police Department, Redwood City Police Department Street Crimes Reduction Team, and San Pablo Police Department.