Martinez, Calif. – Operation Omega Red, put together by Concord Police Department, the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and all of our partner agencies, resulted in the arrest and successful prosecution of 15 gang members and their associates.
Since the arrests took place in August of 2016, the cases against the Norteno gang members and their associates have resulted in 15 individuals being convicted of felony offenses, most of those being serious or violent strike felonies. The most dangerous individuals, such as Thomas “Lil T” Leon and Armando “Mando” Amaro, received 35-year sentences in prison each. Other violent offenders such as Jesse “Manos” Loyola were sentenced to 25 years in prison. In all, over 165 years of custody time resulted from the Omega Red prosecutions.
“We focused our efforts on the violence drivers – the individuals who were committing the most serious acts of violence and putting the community in the greatest danger,” said Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton. These violence drivers include Thomas “Lil T” Leon, Armando “Mando” Amaro and Jesse “Manos” Loyola.
Today, the last two defendants in the Omega Red case, Jesse “Manos” Loyola and Armando “Mando” Amaro pleaded no contest to attempted murder with firearm use and committing the crimes for the benefit of the Norteno gang.
Between July of 2015 and June of 2016, there were 11 shootings between Nortenos and Surenos in the Central and Eastern parts of Contra Costa County. Seven of these shootings resulted in homicides. Four of those murders occurred on Highway 4, two occurred in Concord and one took place in Bay Point. Concord Police and other law enforcement agencies believed these shootings were related to an ongoing gang war between Nortenos and Surenos in the Central and Eastern parts of Contra Costa County.
In mid-May of 2016, the Concord Police Department, in conjunction with the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office and their Law Enforcement partners began a strategic investigation targeting the most violent Norteno gang members suspected of participating in the shootings. The investigation lasted just under three months. It resulted in the arrest of over twenty individuals; eighteen of these individuals were later prosecuted for crimes ranging from conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, drug sales, witness retaliation and firearms crimes.
From the date of the initial arrests in this case in August of 2016, there has been one murder on Highway 4, which was not gang related, and there has only been one gang related murder in the City of Concord.
“This drastic reduction from seven gang driven homicides in under one year to only one in the last three years is a testament to the effectiveness of this kind of targeted law enforcement action and the power of police partnerships across the county,” asserted Concord Police Chief Guy Swanger.
Name of Defendant | Conduct | Charges Pled to | Sentence |
Armando Amaro | Involved in multiple shootings at rival gang members, gun possession and running from police
| Attempted Murder with Gang Enhancements
| 35-years in Prison |
Thomas Leon | Involved in multiple shootings at rival gang members, gun possession | Attempted Murder with Gang Enhancements | 35-years in Pirson |
Jessica Loyola | Involved in multiple shootings at rival gang members, gun possession | Attempted Murder with Gang Enhancements | 25-years in Prison |
Jonathan Arroyo | Involved in a shooting at a rival gang member’s home | Assault with a Deadly Weapon with Gang enhancements | 18-years in Prison |
Jose Castaneda | Involved in a plan to shoot at individuals | Conspiracy to commit a shooting with gang enhancements | 16-years in Prison |
Adrian Ponce | Selling drugs for the gang and possessing guns for the gang | Selling Drugs for the Gang and possessing guns for the gang | 13-years in Prison |
Carlos Guzman | Involved in a plan to shoot at individuals | Conspiracy to commit a shooting with gang enhancements | 7-years in Prison |
Ronald Welch | Involved in a shooting at a perceived rival gang member | Assault with a Deadly Weapon with Gang enhancements | 7-years in Prison |
Jesse Ortega | Assisted in transporting firearms for the gang | Transporting firearms for the gang with gang enhancements | 180 Days County Jail 3 Years Formal Probation |
Sean Dunne | Conspiracy to retaliate against a witness | Conspiracy to retaliate against a witness | 3 Years Prison |
Ernesto Esquibell | Reckless discharge of firearm | Motion to suppress granted | N/A |
Cesar Rivera | Robbery crimes | Robbery and a Gang Related Offense | 5 Years Prison |
Justin Dunne | Conspiracy to retaliate against a witness | Conspiracy to retaliate against a witness | 540 days of County Jail 5 years Formal Probation |
Jorge Ruiz | Possession of drugs for sale | Possession of drugs for sale | 18 months County Prison 2 years Mandatory Supervision |
Jordy Garcia | Conspiracy to shoot at rival gang members | Felony for Benefit of the Gang | 270 Days County Jail 2 years Formal Probation |
Ana Lemus | Conspiracy to shoot rival gang member | Not held to answer at preliminary hearing by a judge | N/A |
Lupita Ayala | Assisted Thomas LEON in transporting firearms | 180 days County Jail 3 Years formal probation | 180 days County Jail 3 Years formal probation |
Miguel Guttierez | Possession of a firearm used in a shooting committed by Jesse LOYOLA | Conspiracy to Commit Weapons possession for the benefit of the gang | 180 days County Jail 3 Years formal probation |
Steve Prue | Assisted Sean DUNNE in pimping activities | No charges | N/A |
Total Custody Time | OVER 165 Years of Prison & County Jail Achieved |
Information provided by Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office
2 comments
I heard the governor is going to pardon them for Christmas.
No pardons unless they are illegals in a sanctuary state . Oh, I guess they will get pardoned. What a waste of a governorship. No safe streets in California anymore. Feces on the sidewalk gets better results than incarcerated dirtbags.
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