Judge orders alleged MS-13 members held without bail in LI killings

Two alleged members of MS-13 each pleaded not guilty Wednesday to two separate killings in what became the first arraignments on Long Island growing out of last week’s federal crackdown of the street gang across the country.

David Sosa-Guevara, 28, of Roosevelt, known as “Risky,” and identified by authorities as the leader of the Hollywood clique of MS-13 in New York, and Carlos Alfaro, 23, also of Roosevelt, whom officials said is known as “Russo,” were arraigned telephonically at the federal court in Central Islip in multiple killings.

Sosa-Guevara and Alfaro were among eight MS-13 members and two juveniles charged by federal prosecutors last week for slayings in Nassau and Suffolk counties.

U.S. Circuit Court Judge Joseph Bianco ordered them held without bail after officials deemed them as a danger to the community.

Nationwide, federal prosecutors last week also charged gang members in Virginia and Nevada in a slew of violent crimes as part of the crackdown on gang violence.

In addition to the newly charged MS-13 members on Long Island in six killings, prosecutors announced their intention last week to seek the death penalty for a ninth MS-13 member, Alexi Saenz, 25, of Central Islip, the alleged leader of the Sailors clique of the gang in Brentwood and Central Islip. Saenz is charged with seven other killings, including that of two Brentwood High School teenage girls. Kayla Cuevas, 16, and Nisa Mickens, 15.

If Saenz is convicted and sentence to death, his execution would be the first federal execution in New York a New York murder since 1954. That case involved the execution of a bank robber for the killing of an FBI agent in a Manhattan shootout.

The victims Sosa-Guevara and Alfaro are accused of killing were “marked for death” because they were believed to be members or associates of the 18th Street Gang, a rival of the MS-13, according acting Eastern United States District Attorney Seth DuCharme.”

Alfaro was charged with taking part in the killings of Josue Amaya-Leonor, 19, and Carlos Ventura-Zelaya, 24, both of Roosevelt.

Amaya-Leonor was lured on Sept. 4, 2016 by MS-13 members “ to a secluded wooded area deep into the Roosevelt Preserve to smoke marijuana, “according to federal prosecutors Paul Scotti and Justina Geraci. “ Once there, he was allegedly surrounded by the machete wielding MS-13 members — including one of the charged juveniles — struck repeatedly and killed. “

Venutura-Zelaya, 24, was spotted on the night of October 14, 2016 by MS-13 members who were driving in Roosevelt. “Alfaro, armed with a 9 mm handgun, got out of the car, approached Ventura-Zelaya, and allegedly fired all nine rounds from the gun, striking and killing Ventura-Zelaya,” officials said.

Sosa-Guevara is also charged with participating in the killing of Kerin Pineda, 20, of Freeport, and Angel Soler, 15, of Roosevelt.

Pineda was lured to a secluded wooded area on the Freeport-Merrick border on May 21, 2016. He “ was surrounded and violently attacked by MS-13 members, including both charged juveniles, who each took turns hacking and slashing him with their machetes.”

Soler, 15, was lured by MS-13 members on July 21, 2017 “ to a wooded lot near Milburn Creek in Roosevelt to smoke marijuana, “ officials said, “The group attacked Soler with machetes and a pickax and buried the body in a shallow grave. “

Alfaro’s attorney, Gary Cutler, of Manhattan, said after the arraignments his client “proclaimed his innocence and we will certainly work toward that.“

Sosa-Guevara’s attorney, Robert Caliendo, of Brooklyn, declined to comment.

Both Sosa-Guevara and Alfaro would be eligible for the death penalty if the government seeks it and they are convicted at trial, federal officials said.

By Robert E. Kessler

Robert.Kessler@newsday.com

Bob Kessler covers federal law, including law enforcement agencies such as the FBI, DEA, IRS and ATF, as well as the federal courts.