Mexican National Admits Murdering Couple and their Unborn Child During Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

SAN DIEGO – Benjamin Madrigal-Birrueta, an undocumented Mexican national living in Yakima, Washington, admitted in federal court today that he murdered a man and his six-months-pregnant wife while they were engaged in a drug trafficking conspiracy.

According to his plea agreement, Madrigal-Birrueta and coconspirators fatally shot 44-year-old Cesar Murillo multiple times in the back of the head and the torso on August 28, 2022, during an argument. The shooting took place at a remote ranch outside of Yakima. Madrigal-Birrueta’s co-conspirators then buried the victim’s body near the ranch at Madrigal’s direction.

On September 2, 2022, Madrigal-Birrueta persuaded Murillo’s wife, Maira Hernandez, 33, who was unaware of her husband’s death, to come to the ranch by claiming her husband was waiting for her there. She agreed, and the defendant picked up Hernandez in Yakima and drove her to the ranch.

According to admissions in his plea agreement, when the visibly-pregnant Hernandez arrived at the ranch, the defendant’s coconspirators shot her multiple times in the head. Madrigal-Birrueta and his coconspirators then buried Hernandez near the ranch. The child died in utero when Hernandez was shot, killed and buried.

Madrigal-Birrueta admitted the murders were committed while he was engaged in a drug trafficking conspiracy. The plea agreement said Madrigal-Birrueta’s coconspirators owed money to the couple for an unpaid drug debt.

Madrigal-Birrueta is scheduled to be sentenced on March 27, 2026.

The superseding indictment also charges Ricardo Orizaba-Zendejas with being an accessory after the fact to murder and a co-conspirator in Madrigal’s drug trafficking organization. Orizaba-Zendejas is set for trial beginning October 27, 2025

According to court filings, the investigation originated with the seizure of drugs from vehicles entering the United States through San Diego area ports of entry between August and October of 2021. By August of 2022, the investigation led agents to a group of individuals operating out of Yakima. Special Agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) interviewed Murillo and Hernandez. Within days of those interviews, Murillo and Hernandez were murdered and their bodies buried at the Yakima ranch in the high desert. Court filings describe how these charges followed an exhaustive, years’ long investigation that employed geophysicists, ground penetrating radar, aircraft, laser imaging, chemical testing of the soil, numerous cadaver dogs, and other law enforcement techniques to search for the victims’ remains. HSI Special Agents successfully recovered the remains on September 13, 2023, aided by a Washington State Police Crime Scene Investigations team.

During the investigation agents seized methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, multiple firearms — including a machine gun — and body armor from Madrigal-Birrueta’s drug trafficking organization, to include the Yakima ranch.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Wong, Alexandra Foster, Mario Peia and Brandon Kimura.

DEFENDANTS                                   Case Number 23cr1684-RBM                                    

Benjamin Madrigal-Birrueta                  Age: 22                        Yakima, WA

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Count 4: Murder of Cesar Murillo in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Conspiracy – Title 21, United States Code, Section 848(e)

Maximum penalty: Mandatory minimum sentence of twenty years and up to life, or death

Count 5: Murder of Maira Hernandez in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Conspiracy – Title 21, United States Code, Section 848(e)

Maximum penalty: Mandatory minimum twenty years and up to life, or death

Count 9: Causing the Death of a Child in Utero – Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1841 and 1111.

Maximum penalty: Mandatory minimum life in prison or death

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

Homeland Security Investigations

Drug Enforcement Administration

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Washington State Police

California Highway Patrol

Yakima Police Department

Tulare County Sheriff’s Office

Visalia Police Department

Fresno Sheriff’s Office

Fresno Police Department

*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Woman Sentenced to Prison for Illegal Firearm Purchase Resulting in Tragic Police Officer Shooting

Regina Lewis, a 28-year-old woman from Normal, Illinois, has been sentenced to eight and a half years in prison for her involvement in an illegal firearm purchase and transfer scheme. The case revolves around a conspiracy that led to the shooting and tragic death of Champaign, Illinois, Police Officer Christopher Oberheim.

Lewis pleaded guilty to conspiring with co-defendant Ashantae Corruthers and the now-deceased Darion M. Lafayette to purchase and transfer a firearm illegally. Lafayette, a convicted felon, was unable to legally buy a firearm himself, leading to what's commonly known as a "straw purchase." On November 17, 2020, Corruthers, at the direction of Lafayette and Lewis, bought a Glock 48 nine-millimeter semi-automatic pistol and nine-millimeter ammunition from a federal firearms licensee (FFL) in Indianapolis. During this purchase, Corruthers falsely certified on an ATF form that she was the actual buyer of the firearm, even though it was intended for Lafayette.

Lewis also admitted to conspiring with Corruthers and Lafayette to conceal their illegal firearm purchase. In April 2021, Corruthers falsely reported to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department that the Glock pistol had been stolen from her in March 2021. Tragically, approximately 23 days after this false report, Lafayette used the firearm to shoot Champaign Police Officers Christopher Oberheim and Jeffrey Creel, fatally injuring Officer Oberheim. Lewis and Corruthers continued their cover-up efforts even after Officer Oberheim's death, fabricating a story for an ATF Special Agent to deflect suspicion.

At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce considered the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which recommended a prison term of only 18 to 24 months. However, the prosecution requested an upward variance from this range, seeking a nine-year sentence due to the gravity of the offense. Officer Oberheim's four daughters and Officer Creel addressed the Court in support of the government's request for an enhanced sentence.

Regina Lewis will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service until her transfer to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. She faced statutory penalties of up to five years in prison for conspiracy to illegally purchase and transfer a firearm and up to 20 years in prison for conspiracy to engage in misleading conduct. Both charges carried a potential three-year supervised release term and a maximum fine of $250,000. The sentencing of Ashantae Corruthers is scheduled for February 12, 2024, in Urbana.

The ATF conducted the case investigation, with Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene L. Miller representing the government in the prosecution.

Virginia Sheriff, Three Others Indicted on Federal Bribery Charges

Charlottesville, Virginia - Culpeper County Sheriff Scott Howard Jenkins and three other individuals have been indicted on federal charges of bribery, federal programs bribery, and honest services fraud. The indictment alleges a conspiracy in which Sheriff Jenkins accepted cash bribes and campaign contributions totaling at least $72,500 in exchange for law enforcement badges and credentials.

According to the unsealed indictment, Jenkins, along with Rick Tariq Rahim, Fredric Gumbinner, James Metcalf, and several others, including two undercover FBI agents, conspired to exchange bribes for appointments as auxiliary deputy sheriffs. In return for the bribes, Jenkins appointed each individual as an auxiliary deputy sheriff, providing them with Culpeper County Sheriff's Office badges and identification cards. Additionally, Jenkins falsely informed the bribe payors that the credentials authorized them to carry concealed firearms in all fifty states without obtaining a permit. The indictment further states that Jenkins aided Rahim in securing approval for a petition to restore his firearms rights by falsely stating Rahim's residence in Culpeper County.

United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh emphasized that Jenkins' actions not only violated federal law but also betrayed the trust placed in him by the citizens of Culpeper County. He stated, "Our elected officials are expected to uphold the rule of law, not abuse their power for their own personal, financial gain."

Special Agent in Charge Stanley M. Meador of the FBI's Richmond Division echoed Kavanaugh's sentiments, highlighting the importance of law enforcement officers upholding the law and not abusing their entrusted powers. The FBI's Richmond Field Office, Charlottesville Resident Agency, is leading the investigation into the case.

Sheriff Jenkins faces charges of conspiracy, honest-services mail and wire fraud, and federal programs bribery. Rahim, Gumbinner, and Metcalf also face charges related to conspiracy, honest-services mail and wire fraud, and federal programs bribery.

If convicted, each defendant could face significant prison sentences. The maximum penalties include up to 5 years for conspiracy, up to 20 years for each count of honest-services mail and wire fraud, and up to 10 years for each count of federal programs bribery. The sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge, considering various factors, including the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.

The defendants are scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia for their initial court appearances.

The FBI's commitment to ensuring public trust and accountability in cases involving abuses of power was reiterated by the agency's Richmond Field Office. The trial will be prosecuted by Trial Attorney Celia Choy from the Justice Department's Public Integrity Section, along with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heather Carlton and Melanie Smith from the Western District of Virginia.

It is important to note that an indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt.