Three known gang members are facing federal attempted murder charges for their alleged involvement in a shooting in Jamaica that left a rival gang member paralyzed.
Jose Gonzalez, 18, Kevin Paniagua, 18, and Francisco Ramos, 23, of Queens were arrested and charged with assault and attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and a related firearms charge as a result of a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the NYPD.
According to court records, Gonzalez and Paniagua are members of the La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, and Ramos is a reputed MS-13 associate.
Court filings say that on Oct. 23, 2016, Ramos drove Gonzalez, Paniagua and another MS-13 member to the vicinity of 179th Street and 90th Avenue in Jamaica, allegedly to assault a rival gang member from the 18th Street gang. Gonzalez, Paniagua and the other MS-13 member beat the victim and shot him in the head.
Paniagua allegedly tried to shoot the victim a second time, but the gun is said to have malfunctioned. The victim is now paralyzed from the waist down as a result of the shooting.
“As alleged in the complaint, the defendants were members and an associate of MS-13, an international gang known for its culture of murder,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Bridget Rohde. “They sought to spread fear throughout the community by attempting to kill an individual they suspected to be a rival gang member. We will work with our law enforcement partners to make our communities safer by holding accountable those who are responsible for such acts of violence.”
