The reputed former leader of a Brentwood chapter of the MS-13 street gang has been accused of killing two teenagers while his four accomplices were charged with robbery, conspiracy and other crimes under federal racketeering laws.
Jose “Fosforo” Alvarenga, 22, and his lieutenant, 20-year-old Hector “Smiley” Torres, were each charged with the murder of 15-year-old Christopher Hamilton outside of a house party in November 2009 and 19-year-old Rigoberto Gomez in August 2010, both in Brentwood. They were scheduled to be arraigned Monday at U.S. District court in Central Islip, where the indictment charging the five men was unsealed. The other three men will be arraigned later this week.
Federal prosecutors said Alvarenga ordered several gang members to attack suspected rival gang members at the 2009 house party, where they fired guns into the crowd, killing Hamilton with a shot to the temple. Authorities alleged Torres and another gang member shot Gomez three times in the head with a .357-caliber revolver at Freeman Avenue Park because they thought he was cooperating with Suffolk County police.
“The indictment illustrates two ongoing themes. MS-13 continues to use violence, including cold-blooded murder, to intimidate rivals and enforce discipline within its own ranks,” said Janice K. Fedarcyk, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s New York field office. She credited the Long Island Gang Task Force with continuing to round up those involved in gang violence.
Alvarenga was also charged in a non-fatal shooting on July 24, 2008 at Timberline Park in Brentwood along with 29-year-old Francisco “Spoiler” Ponce. In addition, Ponce, 28-year-old Freddy “Pitufo” Fuentes-Gonzalez and Joyser “Baby Boy” Velasquez, 27, were each charged with conspiracy in the robberies of Pollo Campero restaurant in Lindenhurst in February 2009, a Patchogue check cashing store in December 2009 as well as a McDonald’s in Smithtown in January 2010.
Alvarenga is the fifth MS-13 member charged federally with Hamilton’s murder, including the shooter, who was a juvenile at the time, prosecutors said. The cases for the other four are sealed.
Aside from Torres, a second MS-13 member from another chapter has also been charged with Gomez’ murder, but that suspect was also not identified.
Each suspect faces up to life in prison. Alvarenga and Torres also potentially face the death penalty.
