MS-13 Leader Found Guilty of 2007 Murder in Springfield

ALEXANDRIA, VA—After two hours of deliberation, a jury in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia found Oscar Omar Lobo-Lopez, also known as "Joker," age 30, of Springfield, Virginia, guilty of conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering activity, murder in aid of racketeering activity, and use of a firearm during a crime of violence causing death. 

Dana J. Boente, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Joseph Persichini, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office; Colonel David Rohrer, Fairfax County Chief of Police; and Mark X. McGraw, Deputy Special Agent in Charge for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Office of Investigations in Washington, D.C., made the announcement after the jury reached its verdict on April 21, 2009. Lobo-Lopez faces a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment when he is sentenced on July 24, 2009.

According to court documents and evidence at trial, Lobo-Lopez and Sergio Amador, members of Mara Salvatrucha or MS-13, fatally shot Melvin Reyes, also known as "Pelon," on the night of May 5, 2007. The two MS-13 gang members killed Reyes because he was believed to be a member of the rival 18th Street gang. The rules of MS-13 require its members to attack and/or kill rival gang members. After patrolling for Reyes earlier that day, Lobo-Lopez, Amador and other MS-13 members located Reyes at the Springfield Garden apartments. Lobo-Lopez and Amador, armed with handguns, chased after and fired at Reyes.  Wounded from the initial gunshots, Reyes fell in the parking lot. Lobo-Lopez and Amador approached him, and Lobo-Lopez ordered Amador to finish him.  Amador then fired shots to Reyes’ head. Reyes suffered from seven gunshot wounds at the time of his death. Lobo-Lopez was the leader of the Hollywood Locos Salvatrucha (HLS) clique of MS-13.          

This case was investigated by the Washington Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Fairfax County Police Department, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Suffolk County Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Morris Parker and Patricia Giles, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Richter prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/vae. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pacer.login.uscourts.gov.