Three Men Charged in 2004 Double Murder
| U.S. Attorney’s Office November 16, 2012 |
BUFFALO, NY—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury in Buffalo has returned a three count superseding indictment charging Efrain Hidalgo and Brandon Jonas, both of Buffalo, New York, and Misael Montalvo, of New York City, with two counts of discharging a firearm causing death in furtherance of drug trafficking and violent crime. The defendants are accused of the November 11, 2004 murders of Nelson and Miguel Camacho. The charges are punishable by life in prison or the death penalty.
The superseding indictment also charges Misael Montalvo, and Carmen M. Justiniano Ramirez, of New York City, with conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, which is punishable by a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a $10,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Tripi, who is handling the prosecution of the case, stated that the superseding indictment charges the named defendants with causing the death of Nelson and Miguel Camacho by shooting them with a firearm during a robbery attempt on November 11, 2004.
The defendant made an initial appearance on November 15, 2012, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy. Judge McCarthy ordered defendants Hidalgo, Jonas, and Montalvo be detained pending further proceedings in the case.
Efrain Hidalgo is also charged in a separate federal indictment with RICO conspiracy. Hidalgo was named as the leader of the Cheko’s Crew/7th Street Gang enterprise. In that case, the indictment alleges that Hidalgo participated in the August 11, 2009 murder of Eric Morrow and the June 5, 2010 murder of Virgil Page, as well as seven attempted murder shootings.
The indictment is the culmination of an investigation on the part of investigators of the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Christopher Cummings; the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Daniel Derenda; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher M. Piehota.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.