MS-13 Member Sentenced to Life Plus 10 Years in Prison for 2007 Springfield Murder

ALEXANDRIA, VA—A federal judge today sentenced 30-year-old Oscar Lobo-Lopez to consecutive sentences of life imprisonment and 10 years for his role in fatally shooting a suspected rival gang member. Oscar Omar Lobo-Lopez and Sergio Amador fatally shot Melvin Reyes, a suspected rival gang member, on May 5, 2007, in Springfield, Va. On April 21, 2009, following a one-week jury trial, a jury found Lobo-Lopez 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. Amador was previously sentenced to life imprisonment plus ten years on June 5, 2009.

Neil H. MacBride, 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 James Dinkins, Special Agent in Charge for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s Office of Investigations in Washington, D.C., made the announcement.

Lobo-Lopez and Amador, both members of the Mara Salvatrucha or MS-13 gang, fatally shot Melvin Reyes, also known as APelon, 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 and fired at Reyes. Wounded from the initial gunshots, Reyes fell in the parking lot. Amador and Lobo-Lopez 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 a Northern Virginia clique of MS-13, known as Hollywood Locos Salvatrucha (HLS).

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the Fairfax County Police Department, U.S. 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.