Two members of a drug gang that crime officials said kept Reading, Pennsylvania, were sentenced to life in prison, the United States Attorney's Office announced. Dewayne Quinones, 30, and Mayco Alvarez-Jackson, 27, received their sentences after being convicted of murder, kidnapping, drug trafficking, and firearms offenses. The punishment comes as justice for crimes committed as part of their involvement with the Reading-area drug trafficking organization known as the Trinidad DTO.
According to a statement released by the U.S. Attorney's Office, the Trinidad DTO is responsible for numerous violent acts, including a quadruple homicide on January 28, 2018, and other instances of kidnapping and shootings stretching back to 2017. Quinones, Alvarez-Jackson, along with DTO leader Jesus Feliciano-Trinidad, were convicted last year on federal murder and weapons charges stemming from these heinous acts, with Feliciano-Trinidad also receiving a life sentence in December.
The authorities charged more than 15 defendants across a series of indictments, the result of an extensive multi-year investigation. These documents reveal the depth of the gang's involvement in distributing methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine—amply matched by their readiness to use extreme violence to maintain their drug empire. "The Trinidad organization thoroughly terrorized the Reading area for years," said U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero. "Through remorseless violence they controlled their turf, to keep pushing their poison and making their money."
The prosecutions mark a significant moment for law enforcement’s efforts against violent gangs. Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division, emphasized the impact of the sentences, saying, "These sentences serve as a testament to the unwavering dedication of our Allentown Resident Agency and our law enforcement partners in investigating, dismantling, and holding these violent offenders accountable for their actions." The joint investigation between federal, county, and local agencies demonstrates a collective front against organized crime that threatens community safety.
Berks County District Attorney John Adams highlighted the importance of such partnerships in delivering lasting results. “The life sentences imposed by the Federal District Court after the successful prosecution of this violent Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) by the U.S. Attorney’s Office ensure that these defendants will never again be a threat to our community,” he said. Adams continued by sending a clear message: violence and drug trafficking will meet with relentless pursuit and prosecution to safeguard the community's welfare.
The case was a collaborative effort with contributions from agents and officers at the FBI Philadelphia's Allentown Resident Agency, the Berks County District Attorney's Office, Berks County Detectives, and the Reading Police Department. The collaborative task force also received assistance from the Pennsylvania State Police and the Montgomery County Detectives. Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly A. Lewis Fallenstein, Rosalynda M. Michetti, and Vineet Gauri were lauded for their prosecutorial work, which now concludes with the life sentence of the involved DTO members.
