Jesus Damian Martinez-Silva and Jonathan Montes-Martinez Arrested

SAN JUAN—On August 30, 2013, Jesus Damian Martinez-Silva and Jonathan Montes-Martinez were taken into custody by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Jesus Damian Martinez-Silva and Jonathan Montes-Martinez were charged with interstate communications and conspiracy.

The criminal complaint alleges that on August 29, 2013, the victim received multiple threatening telephone calls on her cellular telephone. During this call, an unidentified Hispanic male demanded $1,500 and threatened to kill the victim’s mother if the payment was not rendered immediately. The caller informed the victim that local police had recently seized weapons from the caller while the caller was parked in front of victim’s mother’s residence.

The financial demand was a means to provide the caller with reimbursement for the value of the weapons seized by local police. The caller provided the victim with a particular description of victim’s mother’s residence to substantiate his threats. Eventually on this date, the victim met three unidentified Hispanic males in the parking lot of a Burger King in Canovanas, Puerto Rico, and provided the men with $1,500.

On August 29, 2013, victim received additional threatening telephone calls demanding an additional $1,000 from an unidentified Hispanic male. During the evening hours of this date, victim was met by Jesus Damian Martinez-Silva at a Burger King in Isla Verde, Puerto Rico. Victim provided Martinez-Silva with $1,000. Martinez-Silva broke contact with victim, exited the Burger King, and, shortly thereafter, Martinez-Silva and Montes-Martinez were detained by the FBI.

If convicted, the defendants face up to a maximum of 25 years’ imprisonment.

This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney (SAUSA) Eugenio Lomba-Ortiz and is being investigated by the FBI.

The public is reminded that a criminal complaint contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty. The U.S. government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.