Attorney General Bill McCollum News Release
July 23, 2008
Media Contact: Jenn Meale
Phone: (850) 245-0150
en EspañolPrint Icon Print Version

Attorney General Announces Successful Gang Prosecutions

~Plea agreements significantly diminish SUR 13’s presence in South Florida~


TALLAHASSEE, FL - Attorney General Bill McCollum today announced that four members of the violent street gang known as SUR 13 have reached plea agreements within the past week. The charges were pursuant to indictments issued by the Eighteenth Statewide Grand Jury, which was requested by Attorney General McCollum as part of the state’s anti-gang strategy. The indictments and resulting plea agreements are the result of the cooperative effort of the Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the State Attorney’s Office of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit, the Florida Department of Corrections, the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement among others.

“My top priority is stopping the growth of gangs in Florida, reducing the number of gangs in our state, and then rendering those who remain ineffectual,” said Attorney General Bill McCollum, whose Office of Statewide Prosecution is handling the cases. “This extremely violent group of drug dealers who wreaked havoc in the Westgate Community of Palm Beach County on a nightly basis is now being forced to take responsibility for its crimes.”

As the jury was about to be seated yesterday, SUR 13 gang member Hugo Gonzales agreed to plead guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering and Attempted 1st Degree Murder. He was the driver in a drive-by shooting which missed the intended target, a member of the rival gang known as The 561 Boyz, and hit an innocent man working on his car in his driveway. Gonzales, 19, had no prior criminal history. As a result of the plea agreement, Gonzales will serve nine years in prison followed by 10 years of probation and must testify against his fellow gang members. He is the 6th SUR 13 gang member out of the 13 indicted to agree to cooperate against his co-conspirators.

The other three members pleaded to their charges last week and agreed to cooperate against the remaining charged defendants. They are Efran Ortiz, 25, Alexis Medrano, 18, and Carlos Martinez, 22.

Efran Ortiz pleaded guilty to Arson, Racketeering, and Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering. He intentionally set fire to the residence of a man who had stood up to the SUR 13 gang. He will serve seven years in prison followed by 10 years probation and must testify against his fellow gang members.

Alexis Medrano pleaded guilty to Racketeering, Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering, Sale of Cocaine, Fleeing and Eluding an Officer, Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer, and a Gang-Related Battery. He took part in a drive-by shooting and participated in the murder of a gang member of the rival Winos 13 gang. He will serve seven years in prison followed by 10 years probation and must testify against his fellow gang members.

Carlos Martinez pleaded guilty to Racketeering and Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering. He provided multiple firearms to gang members to be used during drive-by shootings and a homicide. He will serve eight years in prison followed by 10 years probation and must testify against his fellow gang members.

Through this effort the Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution was also able to assist in solving two unsolved homicides and exonerate one person who was misidentified by a civilian witness. Seven charged defendants still remain indicted for charges of Racketeering, Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering, and other felonies. All face at least 60 years in prison.

Stay Connected Follow Us News feed

Read Attorney General Bondi's Weekly Brief

Provide your email address below to receive the Attorney General's Weekly Briefing featuring the latest news and updates on top issues.