FRESNO, CA (KMJ) – More charges are filed against seven illegal immigrants accused of conspiring to harbor the alleged killer of Newman Police Corporal Ronil Singh.
A federal grand jury returned a nine-count superseding indictment Thursday against Erik Razo-Quiroz, 29, of Merced; Mendoza’s Brothers Adrian Virgen-Mendoza, 25, of Fairfield and Conrado Virgen Mendoza, 34, of Chowchilla; Erasmo Villegas-Suarez, 36, of Buttonwillow; Mendoza’s girlfriend, Ana Leydi Cervantes-Sanchez, 31, of Newman; Bernabe Madrigal-Castaneda, 59, of Lamont; and Maria Luisa Moreno, 57, of Lamont.
Prosecutors added six new charges relating to fraudulent identification documents to the previous charges of conspiring to harbor an alien and, as to Razo, being a felon and an alien in possession of a firearm.
U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Ryan L. Spradlin made the announcement.
They say the defendants, all in the country illegally, sought to help Paulo Virgen Mendoza avoid capture — and flee to Mexico by providing him with clothes, money, and a new cellphone; and concealing his truck, then wiring money to smuggle Mendoza out of California and back to Mexico.
In the superseding indictment, Mendoza’s brothers, Conrado Virgen Mendoza and Adrian Virgen-Mendoza, are also charged with using a false Social Security Number and possessing a false lawful permanent resident card in connection with securing employment.
Another relative, Erasmo Villegas-Suarez, is also charged with using a false Social Security Number in connection with securing employment.
Razo is charged with disposing of the gun that Mendoza allegedly used to killed 33-year-old Corporal Ronil Singh during a traffic stop back on December.
The defendants are next scheduled to appear in federal court for a status conference on February 25.
All seven defendants face decades behind bars — and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.
If convicted of the firearms offenses, Razo faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The charges of harboring conspiracy and misuse of a social security number carry a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Possession of false immigration documents carries a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Click to listen to the report by KMJ’s Liz Kern:
