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May 13, 2016Fort Worth, TX, United StatesNarcotics

2 Mexican citizens face mandatory life in federal prison sentences after jury convicts them on federal charges related to a North Texas murder in 2013

Defendants used high-tech surveillance equipment to stalk the victim and his family for more than a year

FORT WORTH, Texas — After a trial lasting more than two weeks, a federal jury on Friday convicted two Mexican men on federal charges related to the murder of a North Texas resident in May 2013.

These convictions were announced by U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.  This investigation was led by the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).  Assistance was also provided by the following agencies:  Southlake (Texas) Police Department; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Texas Department of Public Safety; Tarrant County (Texas) Sheriff’s Office; Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office; Fort Worth Police Department; and Grapevine (Texas) Police Department.

Jesus Gerardo Ledezma-Cepeda, aka “Chuy” and “Juan Ramos,” 59, and his cousin, Jose Luis Cepeda-Cortes, 60, were each convicted on one count of interstate stalking and one count of conspiracy to commit murder for hire.  Each offense carries a maximum statutory penalty of life in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.  Cepeda-Cortes was also convicted on one count of tampering with documents or proceedings, which carries a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.

Another defendant charged in the superseding indictment, Ledezma-Cepeda’s son, Jesus Gerardo Ledezma-Campano, 32, pleaded guilty prior to trial to one count of interstate stalking.  He is also a Mexican citizen and testified for the government at trial.

All three defendants are scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 22 by U.S. District Judge Terry R. Means, who is presiding over this case.

On May 22, 2013, at 6:47 p.m., Juan Jesus Guerrero Chapa was ambushed and killed after being shot multiple times with a 9mm pistol while seated in his Range Rover that was parked at the Southlake Town Square shopping center.  A Toyota Sequoia pulled up behind the parked Range Rover; a gunman got out of that vehicle, walked up to the Range Rover and fired several times through the window at Mr. Chapa, who died at the scene.  Nearby, Mr. Chapa’s wife was not harmed.

The government presented evidence during trial that from about March 1, 2011, until May 22, 2013, the three defendants traveled in interstate and foreign commerce from Mexico to Southlake, and elsewhere, with the intent to kill, injure, harass and intimidate Mr. Chapa; as a result of that travel, Mr. Chapa was killed.  In addition, the government presented evidence that Ledezma-Cepeda, Cepeda-Cortes and others conspired to travel from Mexico and elsewhere to Southlake and elsewhere, with the intent to murder Mr. Chapa.  Further, the government presented evidence that from about May 23, 2013, until Sept. 5, 2014, Cepeda-Cortes took steps to destroy evidence related to the investigation that was on his computer.

The defendants, according to evidence presented at trial, were acting on orders from a man in Mexico, Rodolfo Villarreal Hernandez, known as “El Gato,” or “The Cat,” who wanted Mr. Chapa killed as revenge for his father’s murder.

The defendants exchanged information via email to locate Mr. Chapa — including personal information about Mr. Chapa and his family, as well as information regarding vehicles associated with them and photographs of the Chapa residence in Southlake.

The defendants used various means to locate and track Mr. Chapa and members of his family.  Cepeda-Cortes purchased surveillance cameras that were placed in various locations in Mr. Chapa’s neighborhood.  In addition, while in the area, the defendants purchased and rented several vehicles that allowed them to frequently change vehicles and use non-descript rental vehicles to avoid detection by Mr. Chapa and his family.  They placed automobile tracking devices not only on their vehicles, but on vehicles owned and operated by Mr. Chapa and his relatives, including the Range Rover Mr. Chapa was in when he was murdered.

The government presented further evidence that after the defendants located Mr. Chapa, “El Gato,” sent two assassins from Mexico to Southlake to kill Mr. Chapa.  One of them was the gunman who killed the victim on May 22, 2013, and the other drove the Toyota Sequoia.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Burgess and Aisha Saleem, Northern District of Texas, are prosecuting this case.

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