Keyli Gomez, MS-13 associate who lured 4 young men to their machete deaths in Central Islip sentenced to prison

An MS-13 associate who helped lure four young men to their machete deaths in a Central Islip park in 2017, but later turned vital government witness when she testified against her ringleader friend who nicknamed herself "la Diablita," was sentenced to 12 years in prison Monday.

Keyli Gomez, 23, who pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and racketeering murder in the April 11, 2017, deaths of Jorge Tigre, 18; Michael Lopez Banegas, 20; Jefferson Villalobos, 18; and Justin Llivicura, 16 — who were brutally hacked to death with machetes and other weapons by MS-13 gang members — tearfully apologized before her sentence was imposed Monday in federal court in Central Islip.

"I am sincerely regretful from the heart," said Gomez, who moved to Central Islip from her native El Salvador when she was 12 and who has been incarcerated, most recently in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, for the last seven years and seven months. "I am sorry and I wish I could change the past. But I just can't."

When U.S. Circuit Judge Joseph F. Bianco announced the 12-year sentence, the mother of victim Michael Lopez Banegas turned to a victim's rights advocate from the U.S. Attorney's Office seated beside her and asked in apparent disbelief, "Twelve years? Twelve years?" before storming out of the courtroom.

Lourdes Banegas declined to speak to a Newsday reporter but, in comments made to Gomez in open court just before the sentence was imposed, said she had let go of the "hatred" she initially felt for Gomez. But she said her life has been beset with grief since the murder of her son.

"God is not going to forgive you," Lopez Banegas' mother told Gomez.

Her son was "a very happy boy, very joyful," she said.

"Michael was a very loved child," she said, before mentioning Jefferson Villalobos, who was her nephew. "And Jefferson was a kid with education and good manners."

Bianco, addressing Lopez Banegas' mother directly, said: "I can hear the anguish in your soul. ... You have my thoughts and prayers for the rest of my life." 

But Bianco took the recommendation of Gomez's defense attorney, Anthony La Pinta, who said his client should be sentenced to 12 years, citing her cooperation with prosecutors as providing "a road map" of the crimes committed.

Her cooperation, La Pinta said, has resulted in the prosecution of 12 "violent" defendants.

"Notwithstanding her faults, she was not the driving force behind this conspiracy," said La Pinta, who said his client has earned her high school equivalency and participated in many prison programs.

"She has availed herself to every possible opportunity to better herself," La Pinta said.

Bianco said he balanced a number of factors when deciding sentencing, including the horrific nature of the crime, Gomez's role in it, her age of 16 at the time of the killings, her cooperation with prosecutors and the regret she has expressed.

"You're not the same person who was arrested in 2017," Bianco told Gomez after she apologized. "I knew your remorse was genuine. It's not just words, it's actions. You helped the government ensure all those people who committed those acts would be held accountable."

In addition to the sentence of 12 years, Gomez received 5 years of supervised release in the event that she remains in the United States, though Bianco said he could not predict whether Gomez, who is in the country without lawful status, would be deported, which prompted him to make an ominous prediction.

"If she's deported back to El Salvador, she's going to be killed," said Bianco, referring to the fate typically met by those who inform against MS-13. 

Gomez testified at the 2022 trial of Leniz Escobar, who named herself "la Diablita," or little devil, under a cooperation agreement with federal prosecutors.

Gomez testified that she and Escobar met with gang members in the parking lot of a deli about a week before the murders and showed them pictures of Elmer Alexander Artiaga-Ruiz — the initial target and the lone survivor of the attack — purported to be making gang signs. Prosecutors have said Artiaga-Ruiz was not a gang member, but posted the photos to look cool.

Artiaga-Ruiz had previously testified that he escaped the attack by running away and jumping a fence.

Gomez testified that she and Escobar lured the boys to the park under the guise of smoking weed together, hoping her involvement would result in her gaining "respect and trust" from MS-13.

While testifying, Gomez also described how she impeded the investigation into the killings.

"I deleted messages from my phone and I helped Leniz to hide a sweatshirt ... because it had blood from the victim," Gomez testified. 

Escobar was convicted at trial and last year was sentenced to 50 years in prison.

The probation department had recommended that Gomez be sentenced to 20 years, while the U.S. Attorney's Office did not make a recommendation.

Prosecutor Megan Farrell, who said she spent many hours with Gomez interviewing her and prepping her to testify at trial, said she provided "tremendous effort and substantial assistance." She also noted that Gomez was "not the driving force" behind the murders and that she immediately expressed regret for her role.

"She was remorseful," Farrell told the judge. "She was seeking redemption on her own behalf." 

La Pinta said his client has received threats while in jail. After Escobar's trial, Gomez received a letter from Escobar that "terribly unnerved her."

Gomez will be eligible for release in about two years given the time that she’s already served and credit for good behavior.

“Keyli Gomez did not plan or organize any aspect of this crime that took place when she was barely 16 years old and has taken full responsibility for her actions while feeling deep remorse,” said La Pinta.

“She has been a model inmate for the past 7½ years while living in the dreadful confines of the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, one of the nation's worst jails.

“She has availed herself to every possible educational activity offered to her while maintaining a continuous work history while behind bars. She has been an exemplary inmate who deserved leniency.”

By Nicole Fuller

nicole.fuller@newsday.com@NicoleFuller

Nicole Fuller is Newsday's senior criminal justice reporter. She began working at Newsday in 2012 and previously covered local government.