Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that Andres Bello pled guilty today in Manhattan federal court to the April 18, 2020 murder of Jorge Miguel Cabrera. U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel accepted the defendant’s guilty plea.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “In the early morning of April 18, 2020, Andres Bello was involved in a shooting that ultimately killed Miguel Cabrera in connection with a failed drug transaction. This case is yet another tragic reminder of the violence that often accompanies narcotics trafficking. We continue our daily work with our law enforcement partners to keep our communities safe by vigorously investigating and prosecuting acts of violence and drug trafficking.”
According to the allegations in the Second Superseding Indictment and other documents filed in federal court, as well as statements made in public court proceedings:
On or about April 18, 2020, BELLO and other members of a Bronx-based narcotics trafficking organization, including Humberto Rodriguez, a/k/a “El Bori,” and Jason Tavarez, a/k/a “RATATAA,” attempted to purchase one kilogram of cocaine on East 175th Street in the Bronx. After obtaining the buyers’ money, the sellers attempted to flee the scene. At that point, BELLO passed a firearm to Humberto Rodriguez who fired the gun at the sellers’ vehicles, striking Cabrera in the spine. Cabrera ultimately died from the gunshot wound.
BELLO, 32, pled guilty to one count of murder through the use of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 924(j) and 2, which carries a maximum term of life in prison and a mandatory minimum term of five years’ imprisonment.
On February 9, 2022, co-defendant Jason Tavarez, a/k/a “RATATAA,” 38, pled guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute five kilograms and more of mixtures and substances containing a detectable amount of cocaine, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
On November 22, 2021, co-defendant Humberto Rodriguez, a/k/a “El Bori,” pled guilty to one count of murder through the use of a firearm. On July 27, 2021, co-defendant, Alex Melendez, pled guilty to narcotics and firearms offenses. On November 11, 2021, co-defendant, Sharone Lewis pled guilty to a narcotics offense.
The maximum and minimum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the New York City Police Department, and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. This prosecution 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.
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