Man is killed after wearing Nikes accused gang members told him not to wear, feds say
A man was caught at a coffee shop wearing the same Nike sneakers accused gang members had previously warned him against wearing.
When those same accused MS-13 members saw him again, a violent encounter ensued and ultimately resulted in the man being stabbed to death on Aug. 31, 2015, in Wheaton, Maryland, federal prosecutors said.
According to the rules of the MS-13 gang, the Nike Cortez shoes he had on “were only to be worn by gang members,” according to prosecutors.
Nearly eight years later, one of the men accused of being involved in the murder is going to prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland announced in a June 2 news release.
Jose Lopez Rivera, 27, an El Salvadoran national who lives on Long Island, New York, was sentenced to 26 years in federal prison for a racketeering conspiracy involving the murder and other charges, the attorney’s office said.
McClatchy News contacted his attorney for comment on June 2 and didn’t immediately receive a response.
MS-13 is made up of descendants from El Salvador and other nations located in Central America, according to the Justice Department. It’s considered “one of the largest street gangs” in the U.S. and also operates internationally.
More on the case
For any perceived signs of disrespect, MS-13 gang members are “expected to use any means necessary to force respect,” such as violence, prosecutors said.
On Aug. 31, 2015, Lopez Rivera and his fellow accused gang members arrived at a Dunkin Donuts in Wheaton and spotted the man with Nike Cortez shoes on that he was warned to not wear, according to Rivera’s plea agreement.
Lopez Rivera and the others walked by the man, who spit on another accused gang member, the plea agreement says. This accused member punched the man in response, according to prosecutors.
The man threw a beer can at one of them and fled the Dunkin, prosecutors said.
Lopez Rivera and another person chased the man down and he was stabbed to death, according to prosecutors.
After he died, it was reported to MS-13 leadership that a “rival gang member” was killed, prosecutors said.
It wasn’t said whether the victim was actually in a gang.
Years later, on July 22, 2021, Lopez Rivera was discovered living in an Elmont, New York apartment where a shotgun, ammo and cocaine were found, the release said.
“Lopez Rivera admitted that he possessed the cocaine to distribute it and possessed the firearm in furtherance of his drug distribution,” prosecutors wrote. “Further, Lopez Rivera knew that he was in the United States illegally and therefore was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.”
What’s more is that Lopez Rivera legally took responsibility for the man’s death in 2015, his plea agreement says.
As of June 1, more than 30 accused MS-13 gang members and associates have been found guilty in the case and other similar cases, prosecutors said.
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