Captors Sentenced to Decades in Prison for Kidnapping and Abusing Drug Dealer Over Drug Debt

VICTOR ABILES GOMEZ, 20, OMAR MENDOZA-VILLEGAS, 19, and GERARDO SOLORIO REYES, a/k/a “Gera,” 23, all illegal immigrants from Mexico, have been sentenced to federal prison on hostage-taking and related charges, arising from the week-long kidnapping and abuse of a drug dealer.

United States Attorney David E. Nahmias said of the case, “This case demonstrates the danger inherent in the illegal business of drug-dealing. All of these drug dealers—captors and victim—have now been sentenced to federal prison. Fortunately this violent episode did not spill over to innocent members of our community.”

DEA Atlanta Field Division Special Agent in Charge Rodney G. Benson said, “Drug trafficking and violence go hand-in-hand. Traffickers will take extreme measures in order to protect their drugs and money. The capture and eventual prosecution of these individuals was possible because of the concerted efforts of our federal, state and local law enforcement counterparts. These defendants will now spend well deserved time in prison.”

Both GOMEZ and MENDOZA-VILLEGAS were sentenced to 24 years, six months in federal prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. REYES was sentenced to 26 years, seven months in federal prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The defendants pleaded guilty to the charges on March 21, 2009.

According to United States Attorney Nahmias and the information presented in court: On the afternoon of July 11, 2008, acting on information about a possible hostage taking, federal and local authorities established surveillance of a house located at 755 East Fork Shady Drive, Lilburn, Georgia. Three individuals inside the house apparently saw the police presence and began to flee. DEA Strike Force and FBI SWAT agents, working in conjunction with Gwinnett County authorities, quickly and successfully rescued the victim, later identified as Oscar Reynoso, 31, who is originally from the Dominican Republic but more recently from Rhode Island. At the time agents rescued Reynoso, he appeared to be severely dehydrated and badly beaten. Agents found him bound and gagged, chained to a mattress in the unfinished basement of the home, which is described as a middle-class neighborhood residence in Gwinnett County. Also found in the basement were flex cuffs and firearms, including an assault rifle. When authorities found Reynoso inside the basement, he appeared to be hyperventilating. Agents immediately removed his gag and provided him with fluids and medical attention. VICTOR ABILES GOMEZ, OMAR MENDOZA-VILLEGAS, and GERARDO SOLORIO REYES, each took part in the capture and the beating of the victim, as well as playing roles in keeping him from escaping and threatening him verbally as well as with a weapon.

In speaking to Reynoso, as well as one of his captors, agents learned that Reynoso had been lured to Atlanta from Rhode Island, purportedly to complete a vehicle purchase transaction with an individual identified as “Tio.” Reynoso had met Tio at a nearby fast food restaurant, from where the two then rode to the 755 East Shady Fork Drive residence. Upon entering the garage, Reynoso was ambushed and assaulted by eight men carrying firearms. After being beaten, he was imprisoned in the basement where the agents ultimately found him. While holding Reynoso, his captors, including Tio, contacted Reynoso’s friends and relatives in Rhode Island in an effort to collect the drug debt of $300,000. Reynoso was constantly threatened and beaten during the ordeal. Tio is considered to be a fugitive.

Reynoso pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine and was sentenced to serve three years, 10 months in federal prison.

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Co-Conspirators Sentenced to Prison for Alien Harboring Crimes

PIK TO CHENG, 49, a/k/a “Shirley Wise,” of Norcross, Georgia; LIN CHEN, 33, of Tucker, Georgia; and FRANCISCO MARTINEZ-ANAYA, 47, of Chamblee, Georgia, were each sentenced to prison April 28, 2009, by Chief United States District Judge Julie E. Carnes on charges of conspiracy to engage in alien harboring and transportation of aliens.

United States Attorney David E. Nahmias said of the sentencings, “These defendants ran businesses whose primary function was to find jobs for illegal immigrants at Chinese restaurants and other Asian-run businesses. Those who knowingly provide illegal workers with the means of getting a job violate federal law, as do the employers of illegal immigrants. Cheng’s ‘Number One Employment Agency’ and Chan’s ‘Da Zhong Employment Agency’ were often one of the first stops for illegal immigrants in Georgia. These businesses have now been dismantled. Other business owners who place illegal immigrants in jobs will also face prosecution and prison.”

Kenneth Smith, Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Office of Investigations in Atlanta said, “Employers that seek to gain an unfair business advantage over their competitors by using illegal workers should take note of today's sentences. Investigations like this one are an essential part of our enforcement strategy. ICE remains resolute in our responsibility to hold employers accountable for their actions, to give law-abiding businesses a fair chance to compete.”

Greg Jones, FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge, said, “Today’s sentences demonstrate that the FBI, by working together in this investigation and similar investigations with our law enforcement partners, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and United States Postal Service, Atlanta, Georgia, can have a significant impact on the criminal element operating within our community and beyond. Although the employment agencies were based here in the Atlanta area, their placement of workers reached far beyond the state. This safe-haven for illegal workers has been dismantled as a result of this collective effort.”

Martin D. Phanco, Postal Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division, said, “These crimes involving illegal workers often involve fake documentation and paperwork. The U.S. Postal Inspectors will work hard and diligently with our partners to make sure we go after criminals who use phony documents, and use people, for their personal gain.”

CHENG, who cooperated with the government by providing information in related cases, was sentenced to 1 year, 6 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. CHENG pleaded guilty to these charges on November 24, 2008. CHEN, who cooperated with the government and testified against another employment agency owner, was sentenced to 1 year, 3 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. CHEN pleaded guilty to these charges on August 28, 2008, and will be deported upon completion of her sentence. MARTINEZ-ANAYA was sentenced to 1 year, 6 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. MARTINEZ-ANAYA pleaded guilty to these charges on November 24, 2008, and will be deported upon completion of his sentence.

According to United States Attorney Nahmias and the information presented in court: The employment agencies operated by CHENG and CHEN placed illegal immigrant workers in Chinese restaurants in various states, including Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, and New York, and in a warehouse in Florida. On one occasion, CHENG placed two workers in a Chinese restaurant in New York, essentially exchanging them for two workers who had been at the restaurant. The workers often worked 12 hours a day, six to seven days a week. It was common for the same worker to return to the employment agencies looking for new jobs. Some workers told the government that they were never asked for documents authorizing them to work. CHENG and CHEN would make a commission for every worker they placed. The men who drove workers to their job locations, including MARTINEZ-ANAYA, would make money off the transportation as well.

On at least one occasion, when a job placement did not work out, MARTINEZ-ANAYA arranged for transportation back to Chamblee so the illegal immigrant could find another job. While waiting for another job, MARTINEZ-ANAYA housed the illegal immigrant in a “safe house” he owned. During an undercover operation, an ICE confidential informant was told by MARTINEZ-ANAYA that he did not need any documentation in order to work.

CHEN testified in the trial of LIANG YANG, who was convicted by a jury last week. CHEN outlined how she and other agency owners located at 3425 Chamblee Dunwoody Road acted essentially as brokers between illegal workers coming to their agencies looking for jobs and restaurant owners calling the agencies looking for cheap labor. CHEN testified that only 1 in 100 workers for whom she found jobs were legal. She also testified that restaurant owners liked more recently arrived workers as they did not know as much about the system and could be paid less than illegal immigrants who had been in the United States for a longer period of time.

This case was investigated by Special Agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Postal Inspectors with the United States Postal Inspection Service.

Assistant United States Attorneys Brian Pearce, Susan Coppedge, Mary Kruger and Michael J. Brown prosecuted the case.

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Kidnappers of Drug Dealer Plead Guilty‏

VICTOR ABILES GOMEZ, 20, OMAR MENDOZA-VILLEGAS, 19, and GERARDO SOLORIO REYES, a/k/a “Gera,” 23, all illegal immigrants from Mexico, pleaded guilty late yesterday to federal hostage-taking and related charges, arizing from the week-long kidnapping and torture of a drug dealer.

United States Attorney David E. Nahmias said of the case, “The methods employed by Mexican drug dealers to collect money are becoming increasingly violent, threatening not only the well-being of those directly involved but also innocent bystanders living in neighborhoods being infiltrated by participants in the drug trade. This case should send a clear signal that drug-related violence will not be tolerated in our community. And the captive drug dealer’s guilty plea also demonstrates that we will not tolerate the drug trafficking that leads to this violence.”

Rodney G. Benson, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division said of the guilty pleas, “DEA and its law enforcement counterparts are committed to protecting our citizens from the scourge of drug abuse. The swift actions taken by law enforcement personnel that day clearly saved this man's life. These guilty pleas should serve as a reminder that drug trafficking and the associated violence that it spawns will not be tolerated.”

According to U. S. Attorney Nahmias and the information presented in court: On the afternoon of July 11, 2008, acting on information about a possible hostage taking, federal and local authorities established surveillance of a house located at 755 East Fork Shady Drive, Lilburn, Georgia. Three individuals inside the house apparently saw the police presence and began to flee. DEA Strike Force and FBI SWAT agents, working in conjunction with Gwinnett County authorities, quickly and successfully extricated the victim, later identified as OSCAR REYNOSO, 31, who is originally from the Dominican Republic but more recently from Rhode Island. At the time of his rescue, REYNOSO was bound and gagged and appeared to be severely de-hydrated and badly beaten. Agents found him chained to a mattress in the unfinished basement of the home, which is described as a middle-class neighborhood residence in Gwinnett County. Also found in the basement were flex cuffs and firearms, including an assault rifle. When authorities found REYNOSO inside the basement, he appeared to be hyperventilating. Agents immediately removed his gag and provided him with fluids and medical attention.

Talking to REYNOSO, as well as one of his captors, agents learned that REYNOSO had been lured to Atlanta from Rhode Island, purportedly to complete a vehicle purchase transaction with an individual identified as “Tio.” REYNOSO had met Tio at a nearby fast food restaurant, from where the two then rode to the 755 East Shady Fork Drive residence. Upon entering the garage, REYNOSO was ambushed and assaulted by eight men carrying firearms. After being beaten, he was imprisoned in the basement where the agents ultimately found him. While holding REYNOSO, his captors, including Tio, contacted REYNOSO’s friends and relatives in Rhode Island in an effort to collect the drug debt of $300,000. REYNOSO was constantly threatened and beaten during the ordeal.

REYNOSO pleaded guilty on March 10, 2009, to conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute at least 5 kilograms of cocaine. His sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

The kidnappers appeared in federal court late yesterday, where they pleaded guilty to federal hostage-taking, drug trafficking, and firearm charges before United States District Court Judge Jack T. Camp. They face a maximum sentence of life in federal prison. Sentencings for the kidnappers will be held on July 7, 2009, at 10 a.m. before Judge Camp.

The DEA says the investigation of this incident is continuing, and is still looking for REYNOSO’s other captors. Anyone with information is asked to call the DEA—Atlanta Field Division at 404-893-7100.

This case was investigated by Special Agents of the DEA-Atlanta, with assistance from the FBI’s SWAT Team, the Gwinnett County Police Department, and the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department.

Assistant United States Attorneys Scott Hulsey and Cassandra Schansman are prosecuting the case.

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