Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Dermot Shea, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced the unsealing of a five-count Superseding Indictment charging JONATHAN GARCIA, a/k/a “Jayo,” with racketeering, murder in aid of racketeering, firearms, and narcotics offenses, in connection with GARCIA’s involvement in the 2017 murder of Joshua Flores, a/k/a “Monster,” and offenses committed by GARCIA as a member of the Latin Kings, including the Black Mob tribe of the Latin Kings. GARCIA was arrested today and will be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel W. Gorenstein in Manhattan federal court. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni.
U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “Latin Kings, like other gangs, solve disputes with intimidation and violence, as Jonathan Garcia allegedly did when he shot and killed Joshua Flores in 2017. Acts such as this endanger the public and wreak havoc on the neighborhoods where gangs have entrenched themselves. We will continue our partnership with the NYPD and FBI to stop the proliferation of deadly gang violence on the streets of our City.”
FBI Assistant Director Michael J. Driscoll said: “Violent street gang like the Latin Kings use brutal tactics in their pursuit of illegal drugs and firearms, terrorizing all those who stand in their way. Basing status within the gang on a member’s violent acts is a stark illustration of their utter lack of respect for human life. For his alleged acts of violence, Mr. Garcia now faces a possible lifetime in federal prison.”
As alleged in the Superseding Indictment[1] unsealed today in Manhattan federal court and statements made in public filings:
GARCIA is a member of a racketeering enterprise known as the Latin Kings, and specifically, the set or “tribe” of the Latin Kings known as the Black Mob, which operates in the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and Long Island. In order to enrich the enterprise, protect and expand its criminal operations, enforce discipline among its members, and retaliate against members of rival gangs, members and associates of the Black Mob committed, conspired, attempted, and threatened to commit acts of violence; distributed and possessed with intent to distribute narcotics, including heroin, fentanyl, and crack; committed robberies; and obtained, possessed, and used firearms. In December 2019 and April 2021, several members and associates of the Black Mob, including its senior-most leaders, were charged with racketeering offenses, narcotics conspiracy, and firearms offenses.
Since at least in or around 2012, GARCIA has been a member of the Latin Kings. On or about May 18, 2017, GARCIA shot and killed Joshua Flores, a/k/a “Monster.” The murder elevated GARCIA’s status within the Latin Kings, including the Black Mob.
GARCIA, 27, of Queens, New York, is charged with: (1) conspiracy to commit racketeering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1962(d) and 1963, which carries a maximum term of life in prison; (2) murder in aid of racketeering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1959(a)(1) and 2, which carries a mandatory term of life in prison or death; (3) murder through the use of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 924(j)(1) and 2, which carries a maximum term of life in prison or death; (4) narcotics conspiracy, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 846 and 841 (b)(1)(A), which carries a maximum term of life in prison and a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison; and (5) use of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, in violation of Title 18 United States Code, Sections 924(c)(1)(A) and 2, which carries a maximum term of life in prison, and a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison, which must be served consecutively to any other term of in prison. The maximum potential sentences and the mandatory minimum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the judge.
Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and NYPD.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The charges in the Superseding Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Superseding Indictment constitutes only allegations, and every fact described herein should be treated as an allegation.
