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| News
Release United States Attorney's Office 318 South Sixth Street Springfield, IL 62701 Tel: 217/492-4450
| Rodger
A. Heaton |
| For Immediate Release February 3, 2006 |
Contact:
Sara Darrow Assistant U.S. Attorney (309) 793-5884 |
Former Gang Leader Sentenced to 412 Years
in Prison in
East Moline Cocaine and Marijuana Distribution Conspiracy
DeSilva Jr. is the final defendant of three charged in August 2004 as the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation by the Quad Cities Federal Gang Task Force; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Drug Enforcement Administration; Quad Cities Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Group; Illinois State Police; Illinois Department of Corrections; East Moline and Moline Police Departments; and, the Rock Island County Sheriff's Department.
The government's case was presented at trial by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara Darrow and David Risley. Evidence presented by the government detailed violent gang activity carried out by DeSilva Jr. and at his direction in the Quad Cities. On one occasion, DeSilva Jr. was involved in a drive-by shooting on May 22, 1995, in which a 14-year-old rival gang member was shot in the face at a Moline school playground. Evidence was also presented that DeSilva Jr. ordered a fellow gang member to shoot at rival gang members in East Moline on July 3, 2002. Gang members testified that they were physically beaten as initiation into the gang and when gang rules were violated and that they collected dues used to buy guns and as bond money for fellow gang members.
Additional evidence showed DeSilva Jr.'s father, John J. DeSilva Sr. supplied large amounts of marijuana and cocaine to his son and a fellow Latin King member, Jose Garcia-Martinez which they distributed throughout the Quad Cities.
Evidence was also presented regarding an undercover operation by agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration in which DeSilva Sr arranged with undercover DEA agents to transport more than 30 pounds of marijuana in a tire from Texas to DeSilva Jr in East Moline. When the drugs were seized by DEA, DeSilva Jr. And DeSilva Sr. made threatening telephone calls from East Moline to agents.
U.S. Attorney Heaton said, AToday's sentence, more than four decades in federal prison, makes clear that gang violence and drug trafficking will not be tolerated in the Quad Cities. I commend the numerous local, state and federal law enforcement officers who contributed to this result."
The jury found DeSilva Jr. guilty of conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and marijuana in East Moline from at least May 2002 through August 2004 as well as violent crimes in aid of racketeering activity; using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence; and making telephone threats to kidnap and injure another person.John J. DeSilva Sr., also known as 'Juan,' age 54, previously of Eagle Pass, Texas, pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute marijuana and interstate communication of a threat to injure and was sentenced to 51 months in prison. Jose Garcia-Martinez, a/k/a 'Puppet,' age 23, of 1112 S. Michigan, Davenport, Iowa; or 520 21st St. Moline, Illinois pled guilty to conspiring to distribute cocaine and marijuana and was sentenced to 70 months imprisonment.