MS-13 Member Sentenced 240 Months for July 2009 Alexandria Murder

June 7, 2010 - ALEXANDRIA, VA—MS-13 member Alcides Umaña, 23 years old, resident of Arlington, was sentenced today to 240 months in prison for murdering a pimp during the robbery of the pimp and a prostitute in Alexandria, Virginia on July 29, 2009.

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Shawn Henry, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office; and Earl L. Cook, Alexandria Chief of Police, made the announcement.

“This senseless death demonstrates the violence and fear that gangs can spread in the community,” said U.S. Attorney MacBride. “We are determined, along with the FBI, to put MS-13 out of business and believe that severe sentences like the one handed down today will aid that goal.”

“The violence that criminal gangs threaten will not be tolerated,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Henry. “Gangs attempting to instill fear will be dismantled, and they will not terrorize our communities.”

On March 3, 2010, Umaña pled guilty to aiding and abetting the use of a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in the death of the pimp, Claros Luna, through the use of a handgun. According to court records, in July 2009, Luna transported women from Maryland to Virginia to engage in prostitution. Posing as potential customers, Umaña and two other MS-13 gang members—Adolfo Amaya Portillo and Eris Arguera—lured Claros Luna and the prostitute to Manor Road in Alexandria, Va., on July 29, 2009.

Once Luna and the prostitute arrived at Manor Road, the prostitute exited the vehicle and entered the apartment building at 704 Manor Road. Arguera, brandishing a handgun, met the prostitute in the lobby and directed her to the nearby vehicle where Luna sat waiting in the driver’s seat. Arguera and the prostitute entered the rear driver’s side door of the vehicle. Portillo, armed with a handgun, entered the front passenger door. Umaña, armed with a knife, entered the rear passenger-side door of the vehicle. Portillo demanded rent or extortion payments from Luna. Luna attempted to grab Portillo’s handgun. Umaña then put his knife to Luna’s throat. Portillo and Arguera fatally shot Luna three times. Portillo fired two of the three fatal shots – one to Luna’s chest and a second contact wound to Luna’s head. A third shot entered the left side of Luna’s back and exited his chest. Portillo, Arguera, and Umaña then took the money that Luna and the prostitute had earned from the prostitution business that day.

This case was investigated by the Alexandria Police Department and FBI’s Washington Field Office, with assistance from the Fairfax County and Arlington County Police Departments and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s Office of Investigations in Washington, D.C. Assistant United States Attorneys Ronald Walutes and Morris Parker prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.