U.S. Attorney Damian Williams | U.S. Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams | U.S. Department of Justice
On September 20, 2024, a jury convicted Carlos Ramirez, also known as "Guerra," of racketeering conspiracy, murder, and firearms-related charges. The verdict came after a two-week trial presided over by U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman. Ramirez is scheduled to be sentenced on January 9, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams stated: "For more than a decade, the family members of Michael Beltre and Jordanny Correa have waited for justice. Their wait is now over. With its verdict, the jury has now held Carlos Ramirez, a/k/a 'Guerra,' a leader of the Sunset Trinitarios, responsible for nearly a decade of drug trafficking, robberies, and violence, including the murder of these two young men." He emphasized that his office and law enforcement partners will continue to investigate and prosecute such cases.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial:
From 2010 to 2024, the Sunset Trinitarios gang engaged in numerous violent crimes across New York City. These included multiple murders and attempted murders as well as gunpoint robberies. During this period, Ramirez held various leadership positions within the gang both on the streets and while incarcerated in state and federal detention facilities in New York City.
Ramirez's involvement in specific violent acts was highlighted during the trial:
- On October 23, 2013, he participated in the murder of Michael Beltre by striking him and holding him while another gang member shot him multiple times.
- On November 2, 2014, he murdered Jordanny Correa by shooting him multiple times at point-blank range inside an apartment in the Bronx.
- On February 28, 2023, he attempted to murder a former leader of the Sunset Trinitarios inside Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center because he believed this person had supplied information to law enforcement.
Ten other co-conspirators from the Sunset Trinitarios have pled guilty; their sentences range from several years to life imprisonment.
Carlos Ramirez was convicted on three counts: conspiracy to commit racketeering; murder in aid of racketeering; and using a firearm to commit murder. Each offense carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment with mandatory life sentences for certain charges.
The prosecution praised contributions from several agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Drug Enforcement Task Force and the New York City Police Department among others.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas John Wright, Brandon D. Harper, Timothy Ly along with Paralegal Specialists William Coleman and Kiersten Luger managed this case under the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit.
If anyone has information related to Ramirez or Sunset Trinitarios activities they are encouraged to report it through https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/report-crime
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