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The group is named in a 17-count superseding indictment that was unsealed in Central Islip federal court on Thursday, Oct. 3. It includes multiple racketeering offenses, including two murders, one attempted murder, and drug trafficking.
Prosecutors laid out their case more than two years after Walter Ochoa, age 21, was shot in the chest and then stabbed to death by several MS-13 members at Uniondale Park on July 19, 2022.
Ochoa was targeted by the MS-13 because he was suspected of being a member of a rival street gang, prosecutors said.
The following defendants are charged in connection with the man’s death:
- Henry Aquino-Hernandez, age 20, of Bowling Green, Virginia
- Jose Omar Yanes-Romero, age 24, of Culpeper, Virginia
- William Lainez-Duran, age 24, of Uniondale
- Gerson Hernandez, age 23, of East Meadow
- Elvin Eulises Vasquez-Lopez, age 23, of Hempstead
Additionally, Henry Canales, age 24, of Auburn in Caygua County, is charged with a related murder conspiracy and being an accessory after the fact.
The superseding indictment charges Jairo Cornejo-Crespin, age 24, of Brooklyn, with attempted murder stemming from a shooting that occurred outside Hempstead High School in December 2023.
Prosecutors said Cornejo-Crespin used a 9mm handgun without a serial number, a so-called ghost gun, to shoot an 18-year-old man who he believed to be a rival gang member. The victim was shot five times but survived.
Several defendants were also charged with conspiring to distribute cocaine and marijuana, the proceeds from which was used to help finance the MS-13’s criminal operations, prosecutors allege.
“The racketeering offenses alleged in the superseding indictment, including murder, murder conspiracies, drug trafficking, and a brazen shooting outside Hempstead High School at dismissal time demonstrate the MS-13 gang members’ brutality and utter disregard for human life,” said US Attorney Breon Peace.
“The relentless efforts of the prosecutors in my Office and our local and federal law enforcement partners to bring these offenders to justice will help reduce violence on Long Island and make our communities safer.”
If convicted, Hernandez, Aquino-Hernandez, Lainez-Duran, and Yanes-Romero all face up to life in prison.
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