Five men sentenced for their role in conspiracy to murder Federal Bureau of Prisons Correctional Officer Osvaldo Albarati-Casanas
SAN JUAN, P.R. – On April 30, 2019, five men were sentenced by the Honorable Judge Gustavo A. Gelpi today for their roles in the conspiracy to murder Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati-Casañas, a Federal Bureau of Prisons Correctional Officer, announced United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez. Lieutenant Albarati was murdered on February 26, 2013.
On December 7, 2018, Ángel D. Ramos-Cruz, Juan Quiñones-Meléndez, Orlando Mojica-Rodríguez, and Jayson Rodríguez-González entered pleas of guilty to the pending indictment and on December 14, 2018, Miguel Diaz-Rivera pled guilty for his role in the conspiracy. As part of the plea agreements, the defendants acknowledged that they conspired to murder Lt. Albarati as a direct result of continuous seizures of contraband by Albarati and other correctional officers. At the time of the conspiracy, Ramos-Cruz was an inmate at the facility and from inside MDC, he contacted an associate, Quiñones-Meléndez, a.k.a. "El Manco", and requested that "El Manco" recruit the triggermen to carry out the hit or "vuelta."
"Vuelta" which translates in English to "turn" or "errand" was a term that the organizations of Orlando Mojica-Rodríguez and Quiñones-Meléndez would use to describe a plan to commit a murder. Quiñonez-Meléndez contacted his fellow associate Orlando Mojica-Rodríguez a.k.a. "Yogui," to shore up resources and triggermen. Quiñones-Meléndez recruited Carlos Rosado-Rosado, a.k.a. "Cano" and Jayson Rodríguez-González, a.k.a. "Gonzo," to participate in the murder of Lt. Albarati. Meanwhile, Mojica-Rodríguez recruited Alexander Rosario de León, a.k.a. "Coqui," as an additional enforcer to participate in the murder. Rosado-Rosado and Rosario de León had previously entered guilty pleas.
The murder of Lt. Albarati was carried out on February 26, 2013, as planned. Co-defendant, Oscar Martínez-Hernández was found guilty by a jury on September 20, 2018, for his role in the conspiracy to murder Lt. Albarati. 2
Today the defendants were sentenced by Judge Gelpi in accordance with their respective plea agreements for their specific roles in the offense. Ramos-Cruz was sentenced to 309 months, Quiñones-Meléndez was sentenced to 285 months, Diaz-Rivera was sentenced to 129 months, Mojica-Rodriguez was sentenced to 249 months, and Rodriguez-Gonzalez was sentenced to 396 months.
"Throughout his law enforcement career, Lieutenant Albarati’s service was exemplary, selfless and courageous," said United States Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez. "With this conviction we take another step towards our goal of holding those who carried out this reprehensible and senseless murder accountable for their actions. The Department of Justice will continue to honor Lieutenant Albarati’s legacy as a public servant, his dedication to safeguard the community, and his integrity."
The murder of government employees and officials is a crime punishable by death or imprisonment for any term of years or for life. Murder for hire is a crime punishable by death or imprisonment for any terms of years or for life. Use of a firearm resulting in death is also punishable by a maximum term of life.
The case was investigated by the FBI with the collaboration of the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General, Miami Field Office, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, DEA, ATF, the United States Marshals Service, ICE-HSI, the Puerto Rico Police Department, the San Juan Municipal Police, and other law enforcement agencies that covered hundreds of leads developed as a result of the investigation.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nicholas W. Cannon and Max Pérez-Bouret.
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