The former leader of the Lynn Chapter of the Trinitarios gang, Aaron Diaz Liranzo, known as "Sosa," has entered a guilty plea to racketeering charges. The U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton has set the sentencing for June 25, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office. Once at the helm of the Lynn Chapter, Diaz Liranzo was indicted this February as part of a wider federal crackdown that included 22 leaders and members of the Trinitarios, a gang notorious for its violence, hierarchical structure, and secrecy protocol.
According to the same source, Diaz Liranzo, as the Primera or Number One of his chapter, admitted involvement in a 2019 shooting outside a Lynn nightclub where he and an accomplice, who lured victims by posing as a woman in distress, targeted and shot rival gang members leaving two seriously injured, but still the gang's activities spanned several years and law enforcement's investigative efforts only culminated with these arrests and charges announced just recently. The U.S. Attorney's Office further notes Diaz Liranzo's plea involves conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, carrying a potential life sentence, five years of supervised release, and a maximum $250,000 fine.
The Trinitarios gang, with a membership that reaches into the thousands across the United States, reportedly follows a so-called Magna Carta and uses a rigid internal hierarchy to organize its criminal activities, which have included murders, attempted murders, and shootings. The 2023 Lynn murders triggered a multi-jurisdictional investigation leading up to the recent indictments.
Up to now, Diaz Liranzo is the sixth defendant to plead guilty while the charges stemming from these sweeping efforts were a collaborative prosecution spearheaded by the United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol of Homeland Security Investigations, FBI's Jodi Cohen; Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker, among others, with inputs from several law enforcement bodies including Customs and Border Protection and various police departments across Massachusetts and New Hampshire, this according to the announcement made by officials. While Diaz Liranzo must face the consequences of his actions, the remainder of the accused still on trial are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Any resulting sentences will be based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines as well as other statutes that govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Details pertaining to the broad investigative efforts and the specific incidents that led to the gang leader's conviction can be found in the charging documents released by federal authorities and continue to be subject to legal process.
