Two Queens MS-13 gang associates pleaded guilty in Brooklyn federal court on Friday in connection to the notorious 2018 murder of a teenager in Flushing’s Kissena Park.
As part of their guilty pleas, Juan Amaya-Ramirez, 26, of Fresh Meadows, and Oscar Flores-Meija, 24, of Elmhurst, admitted to killing 17-year-old Andy Peralta of Corona to prove their dedication to and gain full membership in the transnational street gang, Mara Salvatrucha, known in New York and across the United States as MS-13.
According to court documents, Amaya-Ramirez, who is also known as “Cadaver,” and Flores-Mejia, known on the streets as “Chamuco,” and a third unidentified MS-13 associate plotted to kill the Corona teen because they mistakenly thought a crown tattoo on his chest meant that he was a member of the rival 18th Street gang.
They recruited Amaya-Ramirez’s then-girlfriend, Leyla Carranza, to lure Peralta into Kissena Park so he could be murdered. Carranza, a 23-year-old from Richmond, Virginia, communicated with Peralta on social media and eventually convinced him to meet her in the park on April 23, 2018. Once inside the park, he was confronted by the three men, who lured him into a wooded area where they beat, stabbed and strangled Peralta to death. After the murder, Amaya-Ramirez took photographs of himself and his co-conspirators flashing MS-13 hand signs over Peralta’s dead body, which had slashing wounds across the crown tattoo on his chest.
“The senseless murder of Andy Peralta exemplifies the casual cruelty of MS-13’s violence, and with their pleas today, the defendants acknowledge their role in this brutal event,” U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said. “This office and our law enforcement partners will continue to bring justice and safety to affected victims and communities by holding MS-13 members and associates accountable for their terrible crimes.”
Amaya-Ramirez and Flores Mejia also admitted to crimes, including cyberstalking resulting in death, murder conspiracy in-aid-of racketeering and assault conspiracy in-aid-of racketeering. Under the terms of their plea agreements, the defendants will be sentenced to at least 30 years imprisonment and could be sentenced to life in prison.
“NYPD investigators, in close collaboration with our law enforcement colleagues, pledge to remain tireless in pursuing justice against gang members, wherever and whenever their barbaric acts are committed,” NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban said. “I applaud and commend our various federal partners for their vital efforts, which ultimately delivered today’s successful outcome.”
Carranza previously pleaded guilty to cyberstalking, resulting in the death of Peralta, and faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment at sentencing. The guilty pleas are the latest in a series of federal prosecutions by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York targeting members of MS-13. Since 2003, hundreds of MS-13 members, including dozens of clique leaders, have been convicted on federal racketeering charges for participating in murders, attempted murders and assaults.
“MS-13’s ruthless violence is boundless, The defendants’ admissions to murder serve as a reminder of how the violent nature of street gangs results in countless, senseless deaths,” Homeland Security Investigations New York Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Darren McCormack said.
“HSI New York and the entire law enforcement community remain committed to disrupting and dismantling MS-13 and other violent gangs in furtherance of public safety in our communities.”
